With the introduction of Bill C-51 (The Anti Terrorism Act) and its companion Bill C-44 (Protection of Canada from Terrorists Act) the Harper government continues its undermining of the Canada we were all once proud of and the respect we once had around the world.
Harper came to power on the promise of transparency and accountability and railed against the unelected senate. We got instead the most secretive government in our history, a senate stuffed with cronies, an unelected and unaccountable PMO, and lap dog talking point MPs on the government side of the house.
Once found in contempt of Parliament, the Harper government continued on its merry way, ramming through omnibus budget bills containing so many things completely unrelated to a budget and voting down all amendments without even giving them consideration.
The Harper government’s handbook on how to disrupt and manipulate Common’s committees is at work again. The failure to invite key people to testify, the very limited time set for the hearings, and the lengthy questions preventing adequate answers due to those very time constraints are further proof that just ramming the bill through is the goal, thoughtful consideration be damned. It is virtually assured that all amendments will be rejected.
After 9/11 security legislation was tightened in Canada. The Common’s committee and the Senate each heard from close to 80 witnesses, amendments were proposed, considered, and in the end the bill was considerably changed. Even our own MP Michael Chong has said he favours oversight in the form of a Common’s committee of MPs elected by the house and a “sunset” provision in the bill. But shamefully we don’t hear him speaking very forcefully on this and he will vote for the bill as is.
This bill will surely go before the Supreme Court and the Harper government will surely lose again just as it has many times in the past, wasting the Court’s time and taxpayers’ money.
Four former Prime Ministers, six Supreme Court justices and over one hundred legal scholars have said that the bill is seriously flawed and breeches our Constitution and the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
The very conservative Globe & Mail has called this bill reckless.
With this bill and its behaviour the Harper government shows again that it does not deserve to have its name associated with democracy.
Peter Varty