Who needs the nefarious Evan Duncan when you've got dastardly Sean Fraser to curtail freedoms federally?
The International Civil Liberties Monitoring Group provided this form letter. Obviously they know their stuff way better than I do so I didn't touch the bulk of it, but I slapped a first paragraph on there to try to get my letter counted as unique.
Dear recipient's full name will go here,
At a time when Canadians are overstressed, worried about jobs and affordability and now war, it unconscionable that the government would try to sneak through legislation that harms us while people are too busy with other worries to take notice.
I am alarmed that the proposed Combatting Hate Act (Bill C-9), which the government has said is meant to prevent hate crimes, will instead threaten the Charter rights and civil liberties of all people in Canada, including those communities that the government wishes to help protect.
I am doubly alarmed to learn that the Liberals have tabled a motion in the House to shut down debate at the Justice committee, and to limit all further debate in the House of Commons, so it can be rammed through Parliament. I urge you to vote against this highly undemocratic maneuver.
Here are my specific concerns with C-9 and why debate cannot be shut down:
--> New provisions in the bill would outlaw the display of symbols associated with listed terrorist entities. The listing of terrorist entities is secretive, politicized, discretionary and violates due process. It has been used to target groups that have fought for rights of self-determination and against occupation, all while Canadian governments have failed to act against the much more prevalent and deadly violence enacted by states. Based on these concerns, among others, the International Civil Liberties Monitoring Group coalition has called for the terror entities list to be abolished, and opposes the creation of new laws that use the terrorist entities list as their basis.
-->Furthermore, giving police the ability to discern what symbols are associated with a terrorist entity grants enormous discretionary power. Already, political and cultural symbols associated with Palestinian culture and human rights, including the keffiyeh, have illegitimately been associated with terrorist entities or hate. These new provisions would be a license for police to detain people first, and ask questions later, during protests and other gatherings, further undermining freedom of assembly and free expression.
-->New offenses in Bill C-9 regarding obstruction and intimidation in proximity to certain places, including places of religious worship, schools, community and sports centres, raise similar concerns. The Criminal Code already allows for police to act on the basis of mischief, intimidation, harassment, or threats. As we have seen across the country, especially in regards to protests in support of Palestinian rights, police have more than enough powers to disrupt protests on a wide range of grounds, and in fact have often engaged in over-enforcement, demonstrated by the myriad of charges that have been dropped, as well as the violent dismantling of peaceful encampments. Moreover, the broad wording would empower police to take discretionary action based on how they interpret the protesters' intent, not their actions, which will lead to more arbitrary arrests and disruptions of peaceful assemblies, potentially including workers picketing.
-->The proposed new offences would carry significant penalties, including the threat of jail time, and will result in people who would ordinarily take action to speak out on important social issues refraining from doing so under the fear of being trapped in the dragnet of additional, unclear and broad discretionary powers.
For all these reasons, Bill C-9 must be withdrawn in favour of approaches that both protect vulnerable communities and ensure the protection of Charter rights and civil liberties in Canada.
I would appreciate a response to these concerns as soon as possible.
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