Nothing shows a government more out of touch with reality than the federal Conservative’s hawkish approach to security. Despite what the headlines show, all major stats show a world more peaceful and more safe than any other time in history. Yet despite this the government seems committed to sacrificing our collective human rights with bill C-51, all in the name of security.
Every major Canadian legal association, every rights organization – including Amnesty International – has condemned this legislation, as it risks making criminals out of those who oppose the agenda of one man – Stephen Harper.
It is rare that civilian rights are removed in one fell swoop; usually those in power gnaw away at them, moving the bar further with each piece of legislation. As this government has long shown itself to be unaccountable to a parliament that it frequently treats with contempt, we cannot trust our elected MPs to prevent Canada’s slide into the abyss of hysteria and human rights abuses.
This Prime Minister has been on record stating “You won’t recognize Canada when I’m through with it.” Those words chilled many when he spoke them in 2006, but who knew then that his vision of Canada was an autocratic police state?
Nathaniel PooleVictoria
