Bill C-51: It's time for Prime Minister Trudeau to right this wrong
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- Published on Tuesday, 10 November 2015 16:45
- Written by editor
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Dear PAOV,
This is a critical moment in the history of Bill C-51. We have a new chance to repeal the dangerous powers of this reckless legislation.
The BCCLA has repeatedly spoken against[2] the provisions of Bill C-51 that allow for:
- Criminalizing acts of speech that have no connection to acts of violence
- Making the already secretive 'No-Fly Lists' only reviewable through secret court proceedings
- Expansive information sharing with more than 17 government ministries
- Doubling the amount of time an individual can be arrested and detained without charge
- Giving CSIS police powers, and intelligence agency secrecy
Prime Minister Trudeau has said addressing C-51 is a top priority.[3] But to make sure this is done right, he must put Canadians in the driver’s seat. Over 300,000 Canadians have already spoken out against C-51, and now it’s time for the government to listen.
This is why we’re inviting Prime Minister Trudeau to talk with Canadians across the country to ensure he addresses your concerns about the bill.
The BCCLA was the very first civil society group to present to Parliament on this Bill. When we did, our former Senior Counsel Carmen Cheung, one of Canada's preeminent national security scholars, was met with derision and accused of refusing to take terrorists off the streets. Bill C-51 was rammed into law without meaningful public consultation. It's time for Justin Trudeau to right this wrong.
These attacks on our Charter rights are too dangerous to address behind closed doors.
I hope I can count on you.
Sincerely,
Josh Paterson, Executive Director
and the BCCLA team
P.S. If we don’t act quickly, we’ll lose our chance. Join our online action now.
[1] This action is hosted by the BCCLA, Openmedia.ca, Leadnow.ca, and Greenpeace. By signing this joint action you will receive updates from the groups working on this issue.
[2] The BCCLA's full submission is available here.
[3]Justin Trudeau's promised overhaul of C-51 tops incoming security to-do list. Source: CBC.
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