News Release
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The man responsible for watching over Canadian’s state of privacy – of which he says will be greatly impacted by Bill C51 – was quietly called as the last witness in the Senate Committee on the controversial Anti-Terrorism Act.
Daniel Therrein is the Privacy Commissioner of Canada. He states, “In my view, Bill C-51, in its current form, would fail to provide Canadians with what they want and expect: legislation that protects both their safety and their privacy. As proposed, it does not strike the right balance.”
The third and final vote for Bill C51 occurred on Wednesday evening, May 6, 2015. Nipissing-Timiskaming Conservative MP, Jay Aspen voted in favour of the new legislation, giving the Canadian government new powers to spy on its own citizens. Bill C51 now moves to the Senate for approval.
While most would agree that there may be some form of a domestic terrorism threat, Mr. Therrein believes that Bill C51 goes too far. Aside from lack of any oversight by Parliament, the new powers created are excessive.
“All Canadians will be caught up in this new legislation,” he says. “In a country governed by the rule of law, it should not be left for national security and other government agencies to determine the limits of their own powers.”
Hundreds of other legal professionals, human rights organizations, tech businesses, charities, former Prime Ministers, politicians and hundreds of thousands of Canadians reiterate his concerns. The Greens have spoken out on the Bill C51 since its introduction, and the NDP have followed suit.
Jay Aspen’s office has seen some protest activity in recent weeks. At least two local protests called upon the Nipissing-Timiskaming Conservative MP to vote against Bill C51. No official statement addressing protester concerns from his office has been released.
“It acts as a blanket Notwithstanding Clause without legally calling a State of Emergency to suspend our Rights and Freedoms,” says Nicole Peltier, Communications Chair for the Green Party of Canada’s Nipissing-Timiskaming EDA. “No Judge can legally support Bill C51 while upholding the Canadian Constitution.”
Peltier is gravely concerned for those who oppose government-deemed ‘critical infrastructure projects,’ like the TransCanada Energy East pipeline. Or for those who assert sovereignty to govern themselves, such as First Nations across Canada.
“The lack of oversight and vague definitions in Bill C51 leaves the door open to multiple abuses,” Peltier states. “It’s easy to create spy bills but harder to rescind those powers.”
Canada is lacking in outreach programs that counter the violent extremism of youth. The UK has begun to implement primary prevention in schools. Haras Rafiq, Managing Director of the Quilliam Foundation seeks to counter Islamic extremism in the UK. He has testified on Bill C51 in the Senate Committee.
“There is no strategy to prevent extremism in Canada,” says Mr. Rafiq. “Intercultural understanding… ideological assessments, mentoring critical thinking, rehabilitation, and deradicalization are all missing in Bill C51.”
The controversial bill could eventually be struck down by the Supreme Court of Canada if it is approved in the Senate. Other pieces of legislation introduced by the current Conservative majority government have been deemed as unconstitutional by the court. Perhaps Bill C51 will likewise be found to be contrary to our most fundamental laws establishing and protecting our rights as citizens.
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