Nice ruling if it applied to anyone who gave a damn about democracy

"It is the view of the chair that accepting an unconditional authority of the executive to censor the information provided to Parliament would, in fact, jeopardize the very separation of powers that is purported to lie at the heart of our parliamentary system and the independence of its constituent parts," Milliken told the House.  "Furthermore, it risks diminishing the inherent privileges of the House and its members, which have been earned and must be safeguarded."


The odds that the CONs will abide by the ruling - they have two weeks, are about as good as Velacott marrying McVety and holding their reception at The Lookout Bar.

Milliken offered them a few outs.  Two weeks to plan a challenge to the ruling by appealing to the Supreme Court; two weeks to form another tail-dragging strategy so that they simply go through the motions of trying to comply while putting up endless barriers to any info release and hope, as they have, people will tire of the issue; trigger an election (I doubt they'll do this considering their weak position).

Nicholson's words give a big clue as to the tactic the CONs will use immediately:  "Our government will not compromise Canada's national security, nor will it jeopardize the lives of our men and women in uniform."

Just what they've been using so far:  hiding behind the troops, and refusing based on security concerns without allowing impartial eyes to decide if such concerns are valid.

Not a hollow victory for democracy, but the battle to defend it ain't over yet.