Random application of the Charter

The headline jumped out at me: "Random use of police sniffer dogs breach of Charter: top court"
(http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2008/04/25/school-search.html)

I read the article and find something vaguely disturbing about it. On one hand, I really enjoy the freedom to wander about and not have to wonder when the police will be searching me and my stuff. On the other hand, if buddy has enough cocaine and heroin in my kid's school to make it obvious she is never going to use it all herself, I don't mind if it gets found in a random search.

So are CheckStops now unconstitutional without a specific warrant?

Canadian Tax Credits for Film

As reported on the CBC (http://www.cbc.ca/arts/film/story/2008/04/10/tax-credits.html), Canadian film stars and producers are up-in-arms about the discretionary power to deny tax credits on films that the department deemed inappropriate to be granted to the Heritage Minister by bill C-10.

The descriptions of the bill (I haven't read the actual bill yet...) suggest that we shouldn't be funding "inappropriate" films. The film producers say that they can't make movies with that kind of financial uncertainty hanging over their head.

I think we should probably cut all tax credits for film. We shouldn't be giving gifts to certain industries just to keep them in business. Why should we shield them from risk and let them take all the rewards.

It's not like we do handouts for the farming, cattle, logging, energy, and sporting industries.

Stephen