OTTAWA (LifeSiteNews) — A petition with the signatures of over 42,000 Canadians demanding a stop to the Liberals’ “dystopian” Bill C-22 before the House, which would give police extra powers to monitor and search Canadians’ online digital activity without a warrant, has been delivered to federal authorities.
The petition was spearheaded by the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms (JCCF), which said in a press release sent to LifeSiteNews that 42,344 Canadians had signed it before it was delivered to Ottawa.
The JCCF’s petition was formally presented to Ottawa officials by one of its board members, Dr. John Robson, who warned about the bill’s attack on privacy.
“Privacy is not a luxury in a free society,” he said.
“Privacy protects freedom of thought, freedom of expression, freedom of association, and the ability of ordinary Canadians to live without constant monitoring by the state.”
The petition calls for an immediate halt to Bill C-22, known as “An Act respecting lawful access.” As reported by LifeSiteNews, it was introduced recently by Canada’s Public Safety Minister, Gary Anandasangare, purportedly to address privacy concerns relating to another bill, Bill C-2, that would have permitted police and government officials to open and examine Canadians’ personal mail and would also ban cash donations over $10,000.
The bill mandates that telecom and internet companies make it so that their systems allow for surveillance and monitoring capabilities, which could be shared with police and intelligence.
Tech giants Apple and Meta and top VPN providers have warned about Bill C-22, noting it could affect cybersecurity in North America.
Robson thanked the thousands of Canadians who signed the petition, saying, “By adding their names to this petition, Canadians entrusted us to carry their concerns directly to Ottawa and ensure that their voices are heard by the people elected to represent them.”
The JCCF has issued many warnings about Bill C-22. It said that the bill, as written, clearly “violates” the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
Bill C-22 has caught the attention of some U.S. politicians. Recently, the chairmen of the House Judiciary and Foreign Affairs Committees, Republicans Jim Jordan and Brian Mast, sent a letter to Anandasangaree warning about the bill.
They said it poses a threat to U.S. national security and could weaken North America’s defenses against hackers.
A collective of Canadian lawyers and top academics recently demanded in an open letter that Bill C-22 needs amendments, stating it has “serious constitutional concerns” that might violate the privacy and Charter rights of Canadians.
The Democracy Fund (TDF), as reported by LifeSiteNews, recently warned that Bill C-22 will “erode privacy and civil rights” of citizens and is calling for the bill to be stopped.
Former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s legacy of censorship bills has continued with Prime Minister Mark Carney.
Bill C-9, the “Combating Hate Act,” was passed by the House of Commons and now awaits Senate approval. The bill opens the door to criminalization of religious expression and belief when quoting the Bible.
Carney has globalist ties and was called the World Economic Forum’s “golden boy” by Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre. Carney has also admitted that he is an “elitist” and a “globalist.”