National Security Mayhem in Canada 

by Reginald Angus Argue

Benjamin Franklin had once said, "They that can give up essential Liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty or safety". Yet, our modern Western society has lost many of its cherished democratic rights and freedoms. While persecution of political and ethnic minorities was supposedly done only by Communist governments, such as that in East Germany, much else can be said of so-called democracies in the West.

Following the attack on the US on September 11, 2001 Canada, a nation known for opening it's arms to immigrants in the past, passed a few controversial bills of it's own. These bills raise questions about what the Canadian Parliament wishes to fulfill.

Act C-24

C-24, is listed under an anti-organized crime bill and passed into law in December of 2001. This bill was allegedly brought into law to help the police in Canada fight against organized crime. However, under this law, the State affords itself greater power and minimizes its accountablity. This quote, taken from the Canadian Justice Department, raises alarming concerns: "Establish an accountability process to protect law enforcement officers from criminal liability when they commit certain acts that would otherwise be considered illegal during the course of a criminal investigation."

Under C-24, both the political and legal realms, including law enforcement are given greater powers at the expense of civil liberties. Citizens have less leverage for filing grievances and having them addressed fairly and without prejudice.

Act C-18

C-18, or the Citizenship of Canada Bill, received second reading in the House of Commons on 8 November 2002. The bill is intended to: modernize outdated parts of the citizenship law; strengthen and clarify some provisions that have been contentious; replace current procedures with a new administrative structure;  introduce some additional powers to deny citizenship;introduce measures to emphasize the importance of citizenship; and repeal and replace the current Citizenship Act. 

However, once this Bill does come into law, people who were not born in Canada and are now living in this nation should begin to become concerned. Persons born outside of Canada could have their citizenships revoked and be faced with deportation under national security concerns. There would be less emphasis on due process and sufficient evidence to use against suspects. Without public counsel, such persons would likely not be able to adequaltely defend themselves. Once these people are deported, there may be a section of this proposed bill that would bar other family members, who are still in Canada from ever being able to visit their deported family members ever again. What has happened to the right to due process of the law, where one is allowed to appeal any wrongful decision that may have been made against that person?

ACT C-36

C-36 is a direct assualt on Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. It grants the police or government agencies the right to deny any citizen access to any personnel information that had been gathered against them or others. Also, it grants a few government officials the right to freely carry out a campaign of terror, as a person’s bank account may be frozen, their mail may be opened, their own home may have listening devices planted without prior knowledge being given to that person, and their computer or computers may be seized, all in the name of national security.

Yet, all of these past points are nothing compared to the true sinister agenda of C-36 and that is preventative arrest. This is an arrest if one who is suspected of planning to carry out a crime, based on unspecified evidence, the arrest lasting for up to 72 hours without access to a lawyer (See wage-peace.org). Under C-36, a person may be let free then re-arrested as they were leaving the dentition center or police station. At which time the accused person may be held for an additional 72 hours, without access to his or her lawyer. Also, under this law if the accused are charged under C-36 they "do not have the right to remain silent." This raises a number of disturbing concerns with how the State and its federal agencies can exercise greater powers and be held to less accountablity.

Gun-control laws

Canada's gun-control laws make search warrants obsolete. Under this law, the police are allowed to enter into your house without a search warrant, all on a report that you had non-registered guns in your home. Not only is this a breach of privacy but if the police were to find anything else that is illegal, law enforcement would be able to use this alleged evidence against you in court.

The Funny Bill -- Act C-35

Following September 11, 2001, Canada's Parliament not only passed the above measures and used older repressive laws to circumvent the civil rights of immigrants and citizens, it also passed a strange bill that would invite more terrorists.

C-35 was the Act passed by Canada's Parliament in late 2001 to amend "Foreign Missions and International Organizations". It's aim is supposedly to provide safe-haven for other nations' government officials who have knowingly committed atrocities or acts of terror not only against their own people, but also against other people. Under C-35, these officials, whether they be visiting or living in Canada, could be protected by the Canadian government.

So the official take is to protect known State terrorists but to hunt down other kinds -- non-state, unknown State etc.. Not only is this law making little sense to Canadians, if they protest, they can be arrested

The Canadian Auditor General in April of 2004 reported that "18,000 known or suspected world terrorists" in Canada. This report also posited that "4,500 people with known criminal ties were working in security areas in Canadian airports." And yet, C-35 remains in effect.

Time to Protest

Canada's new laws are scary. They halt free speech and right to protest. They invite State terrorists but hunt down others. They indicate an unclear message on terrorism and national security but a clear one on State control. The State has more control. I part with a famous poem by Reverend Martin Niemoeller to remind fellow Canadians to seek a solution to this problem:

In Germany, the Nazis first came for the communists, and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t communist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Jew.
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a trade unionists.
Then they came for the Catholics, but I didn’t speak up because I was a protestant.
Then they came for me, and by that time there was no one left to speak for me.

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