Bill C-22 Ignores Us

Last week, the Liberal government pushed Bill C-22 through the House of Commons.
They did so despite objections from privacy advocates, civil liberties organizations, legal experts, cybersecurity specialists, opposition MPs from across the political spectrum, and nearly 20,000 Canadians who signed our petition.
Witnesses appeared before Parliament, warning about the Bill's impact on privacy, surveillance, encryption, and government oversight. The Canadian Civil Liberties Association raised concerns. Technology companies raised concerns. Academics raised concerns. Opposition MPs - from literally every party except the Liberals - raised concerns.
Yet instead of slowing down and addressing those concerns, the government chose to speed things up.
The Liberals moved to fast-track the legislation through Parliament, debate at committee was cut short, dozens of remaining amendments were voted on without debate, and Bill C-22 was pushed through the House before Parliament rose for the summer.
Throughout the process, the government repeatedly dismissed concerns about the Bill.
In fact, Liberal House Leader Steven MacKinnon went so far as to describe many of the criticisms as "tinfoil hat" and "paranoid" conspiracy theories.
That is a remarkable thing to say.
The concerns about Bill C-22 came from respected civil liberties organizations, privacy experts, legal scholars, cybersecurity specialists, technology companies, and MPs from multiple political parties.
Nearly 20,000 Canadians also took the time to sign our petition opposing the legislation.
If all of those people can simply be dismissed as conspiracy theorists, then the government is not taking legitimate concerns seriously.
And those concerns are serious.
Many Canadians are uncomfortable with granting governments expanded powers to access private information.
Many are concerned about secret orders issued to service providers.
Others worry about the long-term consequences of legislation that could affect privacy rights for decades to come.
Perhaps most importantly, many Canadians are concerned that Parliament never gave these issues the scrutiny they deserved.
That concern may now become very important.
Although Bill C-22 has passed the House of Commons, it has not yet become law.
The Bill must still pass through the Senate.
Now, we recognize that the Senate rarely blocks government legislation outright. Most bills that arrive in the Upper Chamber eventually pass.
However, senators are often most willing to push back when they believe legislation has not received adequate scrutiny or when there is clear evidence of significant public concern.
Bill C-22 may fit both descriptions.
The government accelerated the legislative process despite widespread criticism. The committee process ended with dozens of amendments being voted on without debate.
And nearly 20,000 Canadians signed a petition opposing the legislation.
That creates an opportunity.
The Senate has now adjourned for the summer and is not expected to return until September.
That gives us time to prepare the next phase of our campaign.
For now, there are two ways you can help.
First, if you would like to volunteer with the campaign, please let us know. Additional help will allow us to reach more Canadians and build more support before the Senate returns.
Second, if you are able, please consider making a donation to support our work.
Campaigns like this require research, communications, advertising, and outreach. None of that is possible without the support of Canadians who care about protecting privacy and civil liberties.






The Liberals may have won a vote in the House of Commons.
But Bill C-22 is not the law yet.
The fight continues.
Regards,
- The Project Confederation Team