The Liberal government has split its border security bill in two in the hope of seeing some measures pass swiftly while giving Canadians more time to evaluate other, more contentious ones.
Bill C-12, introduced Wednesday, includes several measures from a June bill to expand the Coast Guard’s role, tighten the immigration and refugee system, enhance information sharing on sex offenders and better control chemicals used to make illicit drugs.
Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree said the government would still pursue passage of the first bill, C-2, which proposes giving authorities new powers to search mail and access personal information.
The move means the federal border security proposals will proceed through Parliament on two separate legislative tracks, with Bill C-12 likely moving ahead first.
Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree said Wednesday the Liberal government has introduced a second border security bill that contains several measures from Bill C-2 tabled in June. The government will still pursue passage of the first bill, which contains controversial new powers to search mail and access personal information.
Bill C-2 would then make its way through Parliament, with elements included in the new C-12 deleted to avoid duplication.
The federal government’s new approach, first reported by CBC News on Monday, drew criticism from civil society groups opposed to proposed border measures on the grounds they threaten liberties and human rights.
It’s “really outrageous” that the government has “refused to actually fix anything and have instead just split it into two separate bills,” said Tim McSorley, national co-ordinator of the Ottawa-based International Civil Liberties Monitoring Group.
“Both bills need to be withdrawn,” McSorley said in an interview.
Karen Cocq, spokesperson for the Migrant Rights Network, said in a statement said the new bill, like the old one, would violate due process protections for the most vulnerable and must be withdrawn.
Anandasangaree suggested to reporters Wednesday that he opted against simply revising Bill C-2 during the legislative process because “there are strict guidelines” on amending a bill that would make that difficult.
In June, the government said the legislation was meant to keep borders secure, combat transnational organized crime, stop the flow of deadly fentanyl and crack down on money laundering.
The initial bill came in response to sustained pressure from the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump, which cited concerns about the southbound flow of irregular migrants and fentanyl to justify imposing tariffs on Canadian goods.
The legislation won support from Canada’s police chiefs, the national fentanyl czar and child protection advocates.
More than 300 civil society organizations called on Ottawa to withdraw the bill, saying it threatened freedoms, refugee and migrant rights and the privacy of all Canadians.
The minority government also had trouble garnering necessary support from opposition parties for the legislation.
The International Civil Liberties Monitoring Group is concerned about legislative proposals that would limit the ability of people to claim asylum in Canada and give Canada Post powers to open and search letter mail.
The group also has reservations about planned changes to the Criminal Code and the law governing the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) that would make it easier to access information about internet subscribers, and would allow for warrantless police access in urgent circumstances.