C-51: I will oppose!
I am opposed to Bill C-51, An Act to enact the Security of Canada Information Sharing Act and the Secure Air Travel Act, to amend the Criminal Code, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service Act and the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and to make related and consequential amendments to other Acts.
Most of my Senate Liberal colleagues and I plan to vote against C-51.
We particularly denounce the following measures of Bill C-51:
- Canadian intelligence services will have powers that will compete with the RCMP;
- Preventive detention will be facilitated;
- The basic rights of Canadians under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms will not be respected; and
- The lack of independent oversight and supervision of the Canadian Security and Intelligence Service (CSIS) and the Communications Security Establishment (CSE )
The threat of terrorism is a concern that I and the government take seriously. However, we should remember that the Liberals were opposed to the missions in Libya and Syria and would prefer a return to Canada’s traditional role of providing humanitarian aid.
The measures of Bill C-51 that we oppose, threaten more Canadians by violating their fundamental rights by allowing federal agencies to delve into their private lives without independent oversight.