Editor:
Bill C-51 gives our Canadian Government, police and CSIS extraordinary, vague and unnecessary powers without a compensating increase in oversight. The lack of accountability and transparency is dangerous and poses a risk to the civil rights and privacy rights of Canadians.
In a normal world, there would be a court case and you would be present there to hear complaints against you and you would have a lawyer who would be representing you.
However, under this legislation, you’re not allowed there, and neither is your lawyer. Instead, a Canadian Security Intelligence Service agents and a judge will be deciding your fate.
There is no appeal mechanism. In fact, you wouldn’t even know that you are being investigated and your future is being decided by total strangers because someone has called police telling them they do not like you and you look or act strange.
What if they make a mistake? How are you going to defend yourself?
Who will be watching the watchers?
If you dislike what the government is doing and you speak out against it, you may be considered dangerous, so this bill poses a threat to free expression and human rights in Canada.
This bill can turn Canada into a police state. We are all becoming the enemy and we’re not.
We do not want to give up privacy, freedom and our human rights for a false sense of security that no government, no police and no security agents can provide for us.
This is a fight with an invisible enemy, so the security agents and police will be asking for more resources, more tools and more freedom to do what they deem necessary to “protect” us. Costs outweigh the benefits, so no, thank you.
Adam Kniec
150 Mile House
