by Cameron Bailey I feel I have to respond to John Weston’s viewpoint, “Questions and answers, myths and facts,” as there are aspects to this that are frightening in the extreme.
I’d like to take a look at each point he made.
“Allow Passport Canada to share information on potential terrorist travellers with the RCMP.”
True, but it also provides for this information, including personal and tax information, to be shared with at least 16 other organizations. Given the government’s continual loss and leaking of information, added to the fact that most of this information is stored in the United States, I am not reassured by this. The word “potential” is highly suspect in that it could be any one of us who got on the wrong side of a member of Parliament or government bureaucrat.
“Stop known radicalized individuals from boarding a plane bound for a terrorist conflict zone.”
As this power already exists in law, why the redundancy? It is because this definition is so much broader and can be subject to any number of interpretations so as to prevent anyone from boarding a plane anywhere.
“Criminalize the promotion of terrorism in general, for example, statements like “kill all the infidels wherever they are” would become illegal.”
Far too broad a definition of “promotion of terrorism.” Under this, trying to organize a boycott of Monsanto is now illegal, or can be construed to be with a push from Monsanto to the governing party. Can’t happen? It certainly can, as this government has already demonstrated it does not tolerate dissent.
“Allow CSIS agents to speak with the parents of radicalized youth in order to disrupt terrorist travel plans.”
This doesn’t actually define who a CSIS (Canadian Security Intelligence Service) agent is, nor must they have any evidence of the activity. Also, while the government says CSIS is under oversight by the Security Intelligence Review Committee (SIRC), the fact is the same government has starved this organization of staff and funds so as to render it ineffectual and unable to carry out its mandate.
“Give the government an appeal mechanism to stop information from being released in security certificate proceedings if it could harm a source.”
A classic tactic to ensure embarrassing information can be controlled. Someone about to spill the beans about government wrongdoing? Muzzle it by declaring it as possibly harming a source.
Let’s not even get into how Weston and his government hold the Central Intelligence Agency up as a shining example of how things can be so good. Its list of crimes is far too huge for this letter. We could ask Edward Snowden for his opinion.
I could go on and on, but I know Weston has been ordered to support Bill C-51 anyway. There is a word for a government that is run solely by the whim of one man and that is dictatorship. One of the main platforms for a dictatorship is to muzzle any opposition to its power, and Bill C-51 accomplishes that. It must be repealed in its entirety.
Cameron Bailey is a resident of Powell River with a keen interest in the politics of the nation.
