LETTER: Local resident urges opposition to Bill C-51
By Contributor
Dear Editor,
I would like to urge all citizens of Canada and our local MP Alex Atamanenko, to speak out against Bill C-51.
The government’s secret police Bill C-51 is reckless, dangerous, and ineffective: reckless for turning CSIS into a ‘secret police’ force with little oversight or accountability; dangerous for opening the door to violations of our Charter Rights including censorship of free expression online; and ineffective because it will lead to dragnet surveillance and information sharing on innocent Canadians that even Stephen Harper has admitted is ineffective.
Now that Canadians are traumatized by recent terrorist events and have their guard down, our government is attempting to pass Bill C-51, which will give CSIS unlimited powers to spy not only on suspected terrorists – capacity it already has – but on the opposition, unions, progressive organizations and whatever or whoever threatens Conservative hegemony.
The more Canadians learn about what’s in this bill, the less they like it – that’s why opinion is changing so fast. Before Canadians knew what was in Bill C-51, 17per cent opposed it. Three weeks later, they found out. Now, 50 per cent oppose it. Over 110,000 people have already spoken out.
If the bill passes, your sensitive private information would be shared between no fewer than 17 government agencies and even handed to foreign governments including sensitive information that can reveal everything from your financial status, to your medical history, your sexual orientation, and even your religious and political beliefs. And to top it off, victims of these privacy breaches wouldn’t even be aware of it.
I encourage Canadians to learn more about how we can work together to stop Secret Police Bill C-51 at: StopC51.ca
Sincerely,
(Name withheld at editor’s discretion)
Castlegar, B.C.
