What are we to make of the Commons decision to ditch two elements of Canada's anti-terror laws? Prime Minister Stephen Harper would have us believe that the move has left Canada more vulnerable to terrorism. Stéphane Dion's Liberals, who combined forces with the New Democrats and Bloc Québécois to outvote the government on this issue, insist they are standing up for human rights. In fact, neither side is being totally straightforward. Harper notwithstanding, Canada still has robust laws that allow police to forestall terror attacks. For their part, the opposition parties are more amenable to eventually reinstituting some version of the measures they killed this week than their current rhetoric suggests.

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