News Release
November 7, 2002
For Immediate Release

ANTI-TERRORISM LEGISLATION
Parliamentary Review Required Now,
Says Newly Formed Coalition of Civil Society Organizations

OTTAWA. Canada’s anti-terrorism legislation imposes severe restrictions on civil liberties and opens the door to serious abuses against rights and freedoms according to a national coalition recently formed to monitor the application of the law and its impacts on the legitimate activities of Canadian civil society organizations. The International Civil Liberties Monitoring Group (ICLMG) wants a Parliamentary special committee to review immediately, through a process that would include public consultation, the far reaching measures adopted in the aftermath of September 11.

The measures adopted by Parliament in December 2001, as well as Bill C-17 tabled in Parliament last week, confer to the police, the security forces and bureaucrats the investigative powers, the law enforcement tools and a level of discretionary powers never imagined before in Canada outside the War Measures Act. The legislation has had a devastating impact on civil liberties, human rights, refugee protection, citizenship and racism, political dissent, governance of charities, and international co-operation. “Suggesting we need to choose between security and human rights is misleading,” says Hilary Homes, co-Chair of the monitoring group and a campaigner with Amnesty International. “The international human rights framework was designed to take a wide range of security threat into account. Yet this is simply ignored.”

The broad and vague definition of “terrorism” that pervades the legislation is of major concern to ICLMG. It can be used to discourage legitimate political dissent and provides fertile ground for discrimination against certain minorities. “Leaders of Canadian Arab and Muslim communities are talking about a two tear citizenship policy, referring to the border security measures targeted specifically at them, and they report on numerous cases of individuals being visited by security services, without warrants, for voluntary interviews” says Roch Tassé, ICLMG co-ordinator. “And what should we make of the September 21st raid against Native activists, members of the West Coast Warrior Society, by the newly created Integrated National Security Enforcement Team (INSET), if not an attempt to intimidate domestic political dissent?”

The anti-terrorism legislation also impacts on the normal activities of charities. Revenue Canada is presently carrying out systematic audits of Canadian charities, including security checks on individual board members, which may result in the de-registration of some organizations. “We fear a chilling effect on the voluntary sector, and on the response of donors supporting international co-operation,” says Gerry Barr, the other co-Chair of the monitoring group and CEO of the Canadian Council for International Co-operation. Canadian NGOs are also reporting cases where southern partners are being refused visas to attend meetings in Canada, or are simply being deported upon their arrival.

There are also major concerns about the impact of the legislation on the policy environment in Ottawa. Security and risk management considerations, as well as U.S. pressures to harmonize policies, are becoming increasingly predominant over the rights of citizens. This has given way, for example, to the creation of a Big Brother style data bank announced by Revenue Minister Elinor Caplan, and to new legislation soon to be introduced in Parliament to restrict even further the right of Canadians to access government information. We are worried that too many discretionary powers are being given to a handful of ministers at the detriment of Parliamentary accountability.

“The overarching concern is the diminishing role and influence of democratic institutions and the temptation to move toward an increasing lack of transparency in our governance processes,” says Warren Allmand, a spokesperson for a group of eminent Canadians who have come forward to support the coalition. “This represents a departure from the core freedoms and shared values that are the pillars of Canadian democracy. By abandoning these freedoms and values, as a society we run the risk of gradually falling prey to an authoritarian style of governance not much different from the regimes we condemn” adds Warren Allmand. Other prominent political figures who have joined the ICLMG’s Circle of Friends include Lois Wilson, Flora McDonald, Ed Broadbent, David MacDonald and Gordon Fairweather, Canada’s first Human Rights Commissioner.

The Anti-terrorism Act is to be reviewed by Parliament in three years time, too late to correct the abuses and remedy the violations of rights already being observed. For its part, the Department of Justice’s annual report to be issued on the anniversary of the adoption of Bill C-36 is likely to be too narrow in scope, dealing strictly with the formal application of the law and ignoring broader concerns related to rights and democracy. “In the light of the growing erosion of rights we have witnessed in the last few months, an annual review of the overall impact of the law must be undertaken now under the responsibility of a Parliamentary special committee, ” says Gerry Barr. The annual review should rest on the democratic principles of transparency, openness, accessibility and accountability. It should include an assessment of the validity of the threat of terrorism to Canada, and allow for full and effective public input.

For more information, please contact:

Roch Tassé
Co-ordinator
International Civil Liberties Monitoring Group
(613) 241-5298
rocht@iclmg.ca

Katia Gianneschi
Media Relations
Canadian Council for International Co-operation
(613) 241-7007 ext. 311
katiag@ccic.ca

International Civil Liberties Monitoring Group

The International Civil Liberties Monitoring Group is a coalition made up of NGOs, churches, unions, environmental advocates, civil rights advocates, other faith groups aand groups representing immigrant and refugee communities in Canada. Members include Amnesty International, Association québécoise des organismes de coopération internationale, Canadian Bar Association, Canadian Auto Workers Union, Canadian Centre for Philanthropy, Canadian Council for International Co-operation, Canadian Council for Refugees, Canadian Ethnocultural Council, Canadian Labour Congress, CARE Canada, Centre for Social Justice, Council of Canadians, Development and Peace, Greenpeace, International Development and Relief Fund, Inter Pares, Muslim Lawyers Association, Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants, Primate’s World Relief and Development Fund / Anglican Church of Canada, Quebec Civil Liberties Union, Rights and Democracy, United Steelworkers of America, and World Vision Canada.

Friends of the ICLMG

Hon. Warren Allmand; Mr. Allmand is a former Solicitor General of Canada and the
immediate past president of “Rights and Democracy”.

Hon. Edward Broadbent; Mr. Broadbent is a former leader of Canada’s New Democratic
Party. He was the first president of the International Center for Human Rights and
Democratic Development now known as “Rights and Democracy”.

Hon. Gordon Fairweather; Mr. Fairweather is the first chief commissioner of the
Canadian Human Rights Commission. He has been Attorney General of New Bunswick
and a member of the Canadian House of Commons.

Hon. David MacDonald; Mr. MacDonald is a former Canadian Secretary of State and
Minister of Communications. Mr. MacDonald has been Canada`s ambassador to
Ethiopia.

Hon. Flora Mcdonald; Ms. MacDonald is a former Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs
and a former Minister of Communications.

The Very Reverend the Honorable Lois Wilson; Lois Wilson is a former Moderator of
the United Church of Canada and a recently retired member of the Canadian Senate.