The Canadian Parliament voted Tuesday to end two anti-terrorism measures adopted after the Sept. 11 attacks in the United States, one that allowed for preventive arrests and another that permitted forced testimony.
The ruling conservative government wanted to extend the provisions in the country's anti-terrorism legislation, set to expire Thursday, but Prime Minister Stephen Harper's minority government needed the support of opposition parties to pass the legislation.
It was defeated 159-124 in the House of Commons after all three opposition parties voted against it.
The two measures were part of the previous Liberal government's response to the terrorist attacks.
Good.
Neither piece of legislation has ever been applied.
A riled Prime Minister Stephen Harper accused his Grit rival Stephane Dion of committing electoral suicide last night by voting against anti-terror measures originally brought in by his own party.
"Any party that doesn't take the national security of Canadians seriously will never be chosen by Canadians to form the government of Canada," Harper told reporters.
His comments came immediately after a House of Commons vote in which all three Opposition parties thwarted a Conservative bid to extend provisions of the Anti-Terrorism Act that are about to expire.
