Trudeau government gives dangerous new powers to Canada's political cops

http://lifeonleft.blogspot.com/2019/07/trudeau-government-gives-dangerous-new.html
Date Written:  2019-07-09
Publisher:  Life on the Left
Year Published:  2019
Resource Type:  Article
Cx Number:  CX23756

The British Columbia Civil Liberties Association has published a massive collection of documents that reveal that CSIS is gathering information on peaceful protest groups. This coincides with new legislation from the Trudeau government that gives CSIS increased powers to conduct surveillance.

Abstract: 
--

Excerpt:

The Protest Papers confirm that even prior to passage of the Trudeau government’s National Security Act, Bill C-59, CSIS was treating environmentalists and Indigenous activists as threats to "national security." The new law authorizes CSIS to go much further.

Adopted on June 19 in the last session of Parliament prior to the October federal election, the National Security Act empowers CSIS not only to monitor but to "reduce" threats to national security using, if it deems necessary, disruption tactics reminiscent of those employed in the 1960s and 1970s by the RCMP Security Service to harass and disrupt peaceful dissent....

CSIS agents, and individuals under their direction, are now granted immunity for "an act or omission that would otherwise constitute an offence" if they act in "good faith" and believe "on reasonable grounds that the commission of the act or omission" is "reasonable and proportional in the circumstances…."

These acts or omissions may violate Canadian law, including Charter rights, provided they are approved by a judge. Normally, a judge reviews a warrant application to ensure it does not violate the Charter; in this case, the review will be to ascertain grounds for Charter violation.