How you (and any Canadian) can be a patriot and a hero

You don’t need to risk your life, or freeze outside protesting for hours, or spill blood, or spend so much as a penny.

All you need to do is fight this:

Public Safety Minister Vic Toews says he won't budge on the government's online surveillance laws despite the "deep concerns" of Canada's privacy watchdog.

The lawful access package would:

- require Internet Service Providers (ISP) to hand over basic personal information of customers to police without a warrant;

- ISPs would also be required to revamp their networks to allow for real-time surveillance of online activities of customers

- companies would also be required to assist police in the testing of online surveillance capabilities

- new powers envisaged are not limited to specific, serious offences or urgent or exceptional situations

Of particular concern to the privacy commissioner are provisions that would allow authorities access to internet subscriber information without first getting a court's go-ahead...Stoddart (said) "In the case of access to subscriber data, there is not even a requirement for the commission of a crime to justify access to personal information - real names, home address, unlisted numbers, email addresses, IP addresses and much more - without a warrant.

Despite repeated calls, the federal government has not shown a need for the new investigative capabilities outlined in the previous Conservative bills, adds Stoddart. 

"Canadian authorities have yet to provide the public with evidence to suggest that CSIS or Canadian police cannot perform their duties under the current regime."

For those who say you have nothing to worry about if you don’t break the law, consider what is being done to citizens of other countries like China, North Korea, or Iran where such invasion of privacy is committed by their governments.

For any right-wingers out there:  

-you wanted the gun registry scrapped because you believe it treats innocent farmers and hunters like criminals.  These spy Bills treat us all like criminals.

-you wanted the long form census cancelled because it was intrusive and asked for too much personal information.  These spy Bills have no limit on the type of information they would give the government power to collect.  Furthermore, unlike the long form census, you wouldn’t even know the information is being gathered, nor what that information is, who will use it, or why.

-you want smaller government, less government involvement with your life.  With these Bills, the government would be able to intrude into personal aspects of your life and accumulate files on you containing a vast range of information, all without a warrant or without you even being aware that it's being done.

- you might be one of those who buys into Toews claim that the laws are needed to fight internet crime :

(In March, 2011) Canada’s privacy commissioner, Jennifer Stoddart, along with every provincial privacy commissioner in the country, sent Public Safety Canada a letter expressing their concerns about the lawful access bill. Namely, they didn’t see any need for it—ISPs already hand over whatever information police ask for, without a warrant, when the cops claim there is immediate danger or child endangerment. They called the bill “problematic”  and wrote that there was “insufficient justification” for the new powers, suggesting “less intrusive” ways for law enforcement to fight crime.

You can be a patriot-hero by signing a petition, or writing your MP and The Privacy Commissioner, or blogging about it, or writing a letter to the Editor.  The important thing is to spread the word and to be heard.

This is the single, most important issue facing Canadians right now.  If the government is allowed to put such policies through, we will not be able to express our concerns, protest, criticize any government actions or policies, and even in some cases do our jobs properly without fear of serious retribution.  You can’t fight poverty if you are muzzled, you can’t work for equal rights if you have no voice, you can’t protect your own personal rights and freedoms if you live in fear of what you say, what you research, who you associate with.

September 20, 2011 – Under the intense pressure of a 70,000+ signature petition, the government has omitted “Lawful Access” (Online Spying) bills from the larger omnibus crime legislation announced today.

You can still sign this petition to stop the bills from being re-introduced.

Jennifer Stoddart's Letter to Vic Toews

In keeping with this post, here are a few videos: Hero of the Day – Metallica, and The Partisan Song, Joan Baez version because of the lovely style, and Leonard Cohen version because I love the French bit.