ACTION ALERT: Last chance to stop Bill C-3 and stand up for equality in Canada

December 11, 2007

On Tuesday or Wednesday this week, the House of Commons will vote for the second time on Bill C-3, an act to re-introduce the "security certificate" process that was struck down by the Supreme Cout this past February as unconstitutional.

Under the immigration process, non-citizens can be jailed indefinitely on terrorism charges, with no access to the evidence against them, while they await a deportation hearing. As civil liberties groups have pointed out, there is almost nothing new in Bill C-3 beyond the inclusion of a "special advocate" who would have access to most of the evidence but who would be restricted from sharing it with the accused.

Despite clear warnings that the law will not pass a constitutional test, an all-party standing Commons committee approved the bill last week with minor amendments.

This is our last chance to stop the government from re-introducing security certificates into law in Canada.

ACTION

Contact your local member of parliament and urge them to vote no to Bill C-3 when it comes to the House of Commons on Tuesday, December 11 or Wednesday, December 12. Our elected officials must see that there will be electoral consequences for them if they turn their backs on civil liberties.

Sample letter

[Your MP's name here],

I am opposed to Bill C-3 and the "security certificate" process, which was struck down by the Supreme Court of Canada as unconstitutional in February, because it does not accord non-citizens the same right to a fair trial as citizens.

Not only does this revamped security certificate process continue to threaten fundamental civil and human rights guaranteed in the Charter, discriminate against non-citizens from racialized communities, give augmented and unnecessary powers to law-enforcement personnel who have made grievous errors in the past, and construct two separate, unequal justice systems for non-citizens and citizens, but there is no evidence that it can keep Canadians safe.

I strongly encourage you to vote no to Bill C-3 when it comes up in the House of Commons this week. While opposition parties may be reluctant to go to an election at this point, it would be morally unconscionable and politically dangerous for you to turn your back on civil liberties for the sake of electoral convenience.

The Supreme Court struck down the "security certificate" process because it treated citizens and non-citizens unequally under the law. As such, I urge you to vote for equality in Canada by voting no to Bill C-3.

Sincerely,

[Your name]

Stuart Trew, Researcher, Council of Canadians