Government Shutting Down Debate on Bill C-22

The Canadian government said it was open for amendments to Bill C-22. Apparently, that was a lie as well.

When the Online Streaming Act was still being debated, the Canadian government gaslighted creators by saying that their content would not be impacted. This despite what the legislation actually says in its own text. If you were hoping that the Liberals would stop doing this to Canadians now that Mark Carney is in charge, well, you are in for a huge disappointment.

With Canada’s warrantless wiretapping legislation (AKA Bill C-22), the Canadian government was experiencing massive pushback over it’s terrible provisions. So, in response, lawmakers said that they were open to amendments, but they fully intend on passing this legislation. So, what did the government mean when they said that they are open to amendments? Apparently, they mean “shut the fuck up about it and let us pass this bill.” This is because reports indicate that the government is shutting down debate on this legislation. From the Globe and Mail:

The federal government is moving to curb debate on its controversial lawful access bill this week, in a bid to push it through the Commons before Parliament’s summer break.

A freshly tabled motion would force members of the Commons public safety committee to speed through consideration of amendments to Bill C-22, curbing their ability to discuss the proposals or question government officials about any implications. The government hopes the bill would then accelerate through other Commons stages by the end of the week.

Bill C-22, also known as the Lawful Access Act, would require electronic service providers, including internet companies, to give surveillance and monitoring capabilities to police forces and the Canadian Security Intelligence Service.

The government is accusing Conservatives on the committee of deliberately trying to stall the bill by dragging out the discussion of amendments. A meeting is scheduled today from 3:30 p.m. until midnight to consider them.

This is far from the first time the Liberals tried to ram a bad tech bill through the legislative process. This was done with the Online Streaming Act and the Online News Act. This act of trying to shut down debate is now officially extending into the Carney government, showing that very little has changed with the Liberals. It may be disappointing, but not exactly surprising.

Still, this is, indeed, very worrying for Canadians who value their privacy when browsing the open web. It puts the emphasis on hoping the courts will strike this whole thing down once passed because the odds that lawmakers will actually get anything about this bill right is decreasing thanks to these moves.

(Via @MGeist)

Drew Wilson on Mastodon, Bluesky and Facebook.