In an about face, the federal Liberal party is poised to help kill "draconian" anti-terror measures the former Liberal government insisted on writing into sweeping legislation passed in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States. Liberal MP John McCallum made clear yesterday there have been no second thoughts about the party's surprise decision, revealed Friday in the Commons, to vote this week with the Bloc and NDP to strike down the two most controversial provisions of the 2001 anti-terrorism law. The Liberal decision means the minority Conservative government will not have the votes needed to approve a motion extending the provisions for three years. Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day reacted by accusing the Liberals of bailing out of their own legislation and the war on terrorism. As recently as October, the Liberals had said they would support extending the provisions that allow preventive arrests of terrorist suspects and investigative hearings.

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