OTTAWA — Ten civil society organizations are warning that the unusually swift parliamentary study of a bill to counter foreign interference could result in flawed laws that violate people's rights.
It would introduce new criminal provisions against deceptive or surreptitious acts, allow for the broader sharing of sensitive information and establish a foreign influence transparency registry. The letter is signed by Amnesty International's Canadian section, the Canadian Association of University Teachers, the Canadian Civil Liberties Association, the Canadian Muslim Public Affairs Council, the International Civil Liberties Monitoring Group and Ligue des droits et libertés, among others.
"However, the changes proposed by this legislation go much further. If adopted, this bill will bring extensive changes to Canada’s national security, intelligence and criminal justice systems, in addition to creating a foreign influence registry of considerable, albeit uncertain, scope."