Dear editor,
Harpers Bill C-51 is dangerous, reckless and ineffective. The bill permits information-sharing across government for a wide range of purposes, most of which have nothing to do with terrorism. The sharing field covers 17 government institutions with government granting itself the right to expand sharing. The bill permits further disclosure “to any person, for any purpose” to other governments. There are few limits on how information the government collects can be shared with any entity it sees fit. They don't even have to tell you that they have shared your records to government institutions and other countries.
Bill C-51 destroys the core protections found in the Privacy Act by opening the door to the very kind of information-sharing that the law is intended to prevent.
Can we say "Trying to kill the Charter of Rights and Freedoms"..
Privacy Commissioner of Canada Daniel Therrien, described as an expert by PM Harper, slammed the bill in a submission to the Standing Committee on Public Safety: "The scale of information sharing being proposed is unprecedented, the scope of the new powers conferred by the Act is excessive, particularly as these powers affect ordinary Canadians, and the safeguards protecting against unreasonable loss of privacy are seriously deficient. While the potential to know virtually everything about everyone may well identify some new threats, the loss of privacy is clearly excessive. All Canadians would be caught in this web."
When this bill was first presented and Canadians did not know what the full extent was 17% opposed it and just 3 weeks later 50% oppose it. Mark Strahl, stand up and oppose this bill. A lot of your constituents don't want it and this is not why you were voted in.
Help in the fight. https://stopc51.ca
I encourage Canadians to learn more about how we can work together to stop Secret Police Bill C-51 at: StopC51.ca
Kathy Read Agassiz