Bill C-59, the Liberals’ new national security legislation, is a cleaned up continuation of the Tories’ infamous and draconian Bill C-51, which the Liberals promised to significantly amend if elected in 2015. In fact they voted for C-51 despite mass country-wide protests against the Bill before and during the election. Their promises to amend it were widely understood to mean they would rewrite it to expunge the dangerously authoritarian, repressive and anti-democratic core of the legislation. Two years later, the Liberals have produced C-59, the twin brother of C-51, cleaned-up, but no less dangerous to Canadians’ civil, labour and democratic rights.
Stop Bill C 51 campaign
Repeal C-51, Scrap CSIS: Brief to the House Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security
Brief to the House Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security
Consultation on Canada’s National Security Framework, including Bill C-51
Communist Party of Canada, December 2016
The following Brief outlines the position of the Communist Party of Canada regarding former five-part omnibus Bill C-51, (the Anti-terrorism Act, passed by the Harper Conservative government in 2015) and the threat that the renewed “War on Terror” posses to fundamental human rights, security and peace.
Building the Party, Press and YCL-LJC: 38th Central Convention, Main Political Report, Section three.
As the economic crisis continues, more progressive people are drawing partisan conclusions and deciding they need to take action, get organized and involve themselves in resistance. Some are becoming active in their unions and mass organizations. The most advanced are being won to the struggle for socialism, and some are joining our ranks.
The urgent question today is to forge a plan of united class action linking the struggle for reforms with the revolutionary struggle for socialism.
Neither social reformism nor ultra-leftism can forge such a way forward. Socialist theory and practice will not arise spontaneously. Only the work of the Communist Party, as our programme says, Afuses scientific socialism with the class struggle and by so doing spreads political and socialist consciousness among the workers B an awareness of their historic mission as a class,@ to lead the peoples of Canada from capitalism to socialism and ultimately communism.
Are you a terrorist?
As the Globe has noted, “one of the sections of the bill touted most loudly by Prime Minister Stephen Harper would make it illegal to promote terrorism ‘in general.’ But even the experts don’t know what that means. It is already an offence to urge people to commit a terrorist act. What does this law … Read more
Other voices against Bill C-51
New laws “won’t keep Canadians safer” New laws and new powers don’t necessarily guarantee security. But new laws that violate constitutional rights are a prescription for mistakes, and mistakes won’t keep Canadians safer. Sukanya Pillay, Executive Director of the Canadian Civil Liberties Association “A secret police force” Prime Minister Stephen Harper never tires of telling Canadians that we are at war with the Islamic State. … Read more
Bill C-51 in 30 seconds
1. ACTING OUTSIDE THE LAW Under this legislation, CSIS agents will be allowed to act against any perceived “threat to the security of Canada,” without a judicial warrant if they claim that their activities do not contravene Charter rights or the law. 2. DISRUPT “RADICAL” WEBSITES CSIS would be permitted to disrupt vaguely defined “radical … Read more
Downloads
Campaign pamphlet. Stop Bill C 51 – CPC If you would like to hand out copies of this leaflet in your community, we would be happy to mail you copies. Please contact a local CPC office to order. Email: text in French and English Email – Defeat Police State Laws Dîtes au parlement qu’il doit … Read more
Stop C-51! Write you MP!
Step one: Get your postal code Step two: follow this link to find your member of Parliament or view all the MPs here. Step two: draft a letter! Here is a sample letter against Bill C-51. Note that mail to parliament is free. Step three: forward to friends!
Take action
Petitions, letters, statements and resolutions to MPs: – For a draft a resolution for your labour or community organizations, check out our downloads page. Please note the following are links to external websites. – Sign the Peoples Voice petition calling to scrap the Bill — and CSIS! – Sign the Green Party of Canada petition against the … Read more
Collective punishment: as Canadian as Maple Syrup?
By Kimball Cariou
As the global debate over the Charlie Hebdo killings descends into chest‑thumping and finger‑pointing, Canadians are being treated to the latest round of arguments over how to “defend our values.” For me personally, the term “Canadian values” brings to mind maple syrup, three‑down football, Hockey Night in Punjabi, the lyrics to “I’se the b’y that builds the boat”, sugar‑dipped fried bannock, and similar cultural constructs found only within the borders of Canada. But perhaps this simply reflects my own family and geographic background.
On the political level, the debate revolves around “protecting our cherished freedoms,” and other noble‑sounding phrases. Some argue that in these perilous times, we must keep a close eye on potential suicide bombers of a certain… well, let’s be polite and not mention the characteristics shared by these wannabe terrorists, but we all know what we’re talking about, nudge nudge, wink wink. Other more liberal‑minded folks are shocked by such talk. After all, Canada is the great land of multiculturalism, the destiny all people facing persecution; surely to engage in racial or religious profiling is to violate this sacred tradition. Well, they admit, perhaps its OK a little bit, if we establish proper “safeguards” and “sunset clauses” to avoid “going overboard”.