LETTER

Harper’s secret police still alive: Bill C51

 

Last year, thousands of us mobilized to reject fear and speak out against Bill C-51, Stephen Harper’s “secret police bill”. The new Liberal government has promised to review and amend parts of the law, but we know that spy agencies rarely give up new powers without a struggle.

We’ve now learned that government consultations on national security, including a review of C-51, will likely start next month. This is the next opportunity for you to make your voices heard. Together, we’ll tell the government that you won’t give up your privacy and freedoms to secretive spy agencies given unaccountable powers by Bill C-51.

Public Safety Minister Goodale has been slow to provide updates on the C-51 review, so we need to work together to make so much noise that we can’t be ignored. The longer we wait without clear action on C-51, the more people may start forgetting about the worst parts of C-51... all while spy agencies get used to their dangerous new powers. Consultations are just the first step, and long overdue.

In the meantime, let’s keep growing our call for the government to suspend C-51 until the review and consultations are complete. If you’ve already signed the petition, can you take a moment to spread the word, or email your friends about the petition at https://www.leadnow.ca/suspend-c51?

Bill C-51 creates a secret, unaccountable police force, and lowers the threshold on preventative arrest. It allows unprecedented data-sharing among government agencies, trampling all over our privacy. It puts a chill on freedom of expression. The problems with Bill C-51 are clear, and the campaign to repeal C-51 continues. Now, it’s time to build as much support as possible while we prepare for the government’s consultations.

Francis Kung, Leadnow team
Ottawa