As the October Federal Election draws closer, the Liberal government’s “National Security” Bill C-59 is still in front of the Senate waiting to be approved. If it does not pass before the election, it will not become law.
Bill C-59 is the Trudeau government’s response to Bill C-51, the much despised “Anti-Terrorism” law passed by the previous Harper Conservative government almost four years ago. Trudeau had promised that as Prime Minister he would “fix” the law and protect democratic and human rights, but Bill C-59 keeps many of the worst elements of Bill C-51 and adds an even more aggressive cybersurveillance program. So four years and countless empty promises later, the Working Group to Stop Bill C-51 continues to be in the streets to demand, “Repeal Bill C-51 and Scrap Bill C-59!”
With the start of Spring, the Working Group also started a better and broader campaign and discussions at its picket and petition campaigns at Lougheed and Broadway-City Hall Stations - two very busy and important transit hubs in Vancouver and Coquitlam. This brought the campaign to 210 consecutive bi-weekly actions.
In a new development, a Tyee online (thetyee.ca) article on March 25 “‘Project Wide Awake’: How the RCMP Watches You on Social Media,” exposes how the RCMP is monitoring people on social media and details their use of new online surveillance software to take a “proactive” approach to online monitoring. It’s important to point out that the RCMP refuses to release its policies on the monitoring and use of the personal data it secretly collects. Notably, the Trudeau Liberal government has completely ignored this issue and given the
Liberal government’s own online surveillance aspirations, it’s clear that Bill C-59 aims to legalize
privacy rights violations even further.
As people fighting for democratic and human rights, it is crucial to continue organizing and mobilizing against Bill C-51 and to prevent Bill C-59 from becoming law. As long as the government of Canada violates our democratic and human rights, the fight to defend these rights can and must continue.
REPEAL BILL C-51! SCRAP BILL C-59!
OUR SECURITY LIES IN DEFENDING
THE RIGHTS OF ALL
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