Minister of Justice Rob Nicholson speaks in the House of Commons on April 21, 2010.Pawel Dwulit/The Canadian Press
Canada's Conservative government wants to renew police powers intended to thwart terrorists in ticking-time-bomb scenarios.
Justice Minister Rob Nicholson announced Friday that his party would seek to pass a Combatting Terrorism Act that would revive some urgent powers. In dire cases, police could temporarily hold terrorism suspects without charge, and judges could compel testimony from individuals who may know about attacks, past or planned.
These emergency powers existed in Canada for several years after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on New York and Washington, but were never used. Parliament voted to repeal them in 2007, against the minority Conservatives' wishes.
It's unclear whether the Tories could pass the new act before the next election. Similar attempts at revival have died before.
The terrorism law plays to the Conservatives' law-and-order base and puts the Liberals in a difficult position.
The Liberals actually passed the Anti-Terrorism Act in 2001, but wrote in a "sunset clause" as a concession to civil liberties. This meant the most invasive powers - preventive arrest and compelled testimony - required renewal by Parliament.
In 2007, the Stéphane Dion Liberals, then in opposition, joined other parties in voting down those powers.
Current Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff might have more trouble portraying himself as a champion of civil liberties. While an academic at Harvard, he wrote hawkish essays on fighting terrorism, including some about aggressive interrogations.
Mark Holland, the Liberal public-safety critic, said he was "encouraged" to see that some of his party's recommended checks and balances were incorporated in the latest version of the bill.
"There's still concern about making sure the right balance is found," he said in an interview. The party will take no final stand until the bill has been examined, he added.