National Post (National Edition)
This is no time to go soft on terror.
To mark the 150th anniversary of our Confederation and Sir John A. Macdonald’s vision of a strong, united Canada, the government is properly celebrating diversity, inclusivity and peace as signature Canadian characteristics. But we should not forget how we arrived at this historic moment. We should take the time to celebrate and commemorate the members of our Armed Forces, both past and present: courageous warriors who stormed Vimy Ridge and Juno Beach in a hail of bullets and flew perilous missions over the skies of Europe, and sailed above and below the treacherous waters of the Northern Atlantic and the English Channel. We must honour those who served in two world wars, Korea, peacekeeping missions, and, since 9/11, in Afghanistan and parts of the Middle East and Africa. We must celebrate as well the emergency responders who, throughout our history, have run into harm’s way as others flee.
We saw such acts of bravery just three years ago, when Islamist terror hit home. At our National War Memorial on Parliament Hill and at a military base in Quebec, Cpl. Nathan Cirillo and Warrant Officer Patrice Vincent, respectively, were targeted simply because they wore Canada’s uniform. There have been other similar despicable acts of violence or disrupted plots in recent years: the Toronto 18, the VIA Rail plot, the intended attack by a radicalized youth in Strathroy, Ont., the horrific attack on peaceful worshippers at a Quebec City mosque, the recent attack on a U.S. police officer, and plans by homegrown terrorists to join ISIL. All of these incidents are sober reminders of the continuing danger we face.
Canadians are known for their generosity and kindness, as well as their courage and dependability, but not for naivety or narcissism. They understand that the threats we face are real, and that we must rise to meet them. Of course, it is a challenge to strike a balance between public security and respect for citizens’ rights and freedoms. But it is the primary obligation of any government to strike this balance. I fear our current government is not striking the right one.
The Liberal government’s recently announced plans to revamp Bill C-51 — the previous government’s anti-terrorism legislation — is curious in both its timing and intent. C-51 was about creating more robust security protections by, among other things, adding new terrorist offences, allowing for preventive arrests in urgent circumstances, enhancing means to detect and deter plots (including interfering with recruiting and removing propaganda), and enabling more information sharing across government and with allies — with all such powers being subject to clear judicial oversight. The threats Canadians face have not diminished since C-51 was introduced. If anything, the recent attacks in Britain, France and Belgium suggest they have increased. The government’s decision to limit and complicate the weighty responsibilities of our security forces (which are already operating under significant legal safeguards) may have unintended consequences with catastrophic results. It is troubling and absurd that Parliament would tinker with this important law and signal a retreat from fighting terrorism just as it is about to break for the summer, and just as terrorist attacks on soft targets and civilians appear to be on the rise.
The gist of the government’s new Bill C-59 appears to be to add yet another layer of bureaucracy to our security efforts. The legislation establishes a quasi-judicial Intelligence Commissioner, who would assess and review ministerial decisions regarding intelligence gathering and cyber-security activities. And it creates a new oversight and review body, the National Security and Intelligence Review Agency, which would oversee activities of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service and Communications Security Establishment. These changes represent a cumbersome attempt to give the appearance of more government oversight. These changes will weaken our system and cause delays, thanks to our already overburdened and under-staffed judiciary. As with all new bodies, in very short order, we will see demands for more resources and power along with corresponding delays in the actions security agencies take to respond to agile and insidious threats.
Our police and intelligence agencies do, of course, require effective oversight, and they must not be allowed to unduly infringe upon the freedoms we enjoy. But we do live in extraordinary times. Terrorists target our most innocent citizens, including girls at a pop concert in Manchester. And there are other threats we must tackle as well, including kidnappings, child exploitation, human trafficking, Internet luring and insidious hacking. Sunny rhetoric about our rights alone will not address these serious challenges. The Charter of Rights and Freedoms was not intended to stand in the way of those who save lives and prevent chaos.
For Canada to truly be “back,” as our government is so fond of claiming, we need to ensure that our citizens are secure with effective laws at homes. It means standing up for our beliefs abroad, supporting our allies when asked, and not leaving others to fight while we step back to train those who do the heavy lifting. It means making sure our military, intelligence and law enforcement personnel have the tools and training to do their jobs. We cannot “punch above our weight” — to use that oft-repeated phrase — if we never throw a punch, or always have one hand tied behind our back. The world is a safer place when Canadians are forward deployed, and it is a moral imperative that we confront evil wherever it’s found. We also have the advanced skills to play a meaningful part. Think, for instance, of the recent news that a Canadian sniper team set a new world record for a shot that killed an Islamic State terrorist who was threatening friendly forces.
There is a risk of these grim but important discussions getting lost in the excitement surrounding Canada 150 and the fog of our government’s headlong rush to legalize marijuana and conduct ever-more studies. These priorities seem slightly out of kilter in today’s threat-filled environment. We cannot allow our leaders to lose focus of the issues that matter most. When threats are increasing, we should scale up the necessary protections for our citizens — not tone them down. It puts Canadians at risk to excessively hamstring our security agencies.
As we approach Canada Day 150, let us revel in our country’s achievements and embrace the advantages and freedoms we enjoy. Let us not forget that our universally-admired national reputation came at a high price. Let us be mindful that we cannot afford to be complacent about our security, or delude ourselves into believing that Canada is immune from danger.
Thousands of Canadians made the ultimate sacrifice so that we could enjoy this moment of national celebration.
Let us honour their service by mixing our pride and gratitude with determination to defend the freedom and security our bravest citizens have given us all.