Bill C-51: OpenMedia meeting with Minister Goodale today to deliver Canadian perspectives and call on government to make position clear

A robust, genuine consultation focused on safeguarding the privacy of Canadians is needed to ensure all options, including full repeal of C-51, are on the table

WHAT: OpenMedia is meeting with Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale today to discuss Bill C-51. The organization will deliver the names of individuals who have signed a petition calling for the complete repeal of the unpopular legislation.

OpenMedia will raise a wide range of concerns about Bill C-51 which have been crowdsourced from Canadians, and will call on the Minister to ensure that individual free expression and privacy rights, and government accountability are at the centre of all upcoming C-51 and security reforms. Canadians require a robust, genuine consultation process focused on protecting the rights of Canadians, and leaving the option of full repeal open.

OpenMedia will also ask Minister Goodale to make the government’s position on the legislation clear before the consultation launches, particularly with regard to any aspects of C-51 the government believes should be retained. The group says that is necessary to ensure Canadians can engage with the consultation in an informed manner.

WHERE: The meeting will take place in Parliament’s Centre Block, Ottawa.

WHEN: The meeting takes place at 5pm Eastern Time on Thursday May 5 and is expected to last 30 minutes.

WHO: OpenMedia will be represented by Digital Rights Specialist Laura Tribe and Senior Strategist & Founder Steve Anderson. The president of Open Concept Consulting Inc., Mike Gifford, will also attend the meeting to outline concerns that Bill C-51 presents to Canadian businesses. Gifford was one of over 150 business leaders who signed a joint letter last year against the legislation.

WHY: Over 300,000 Canadians have spoken out against Bill C-51, in what has turned into one of the largest campaigns in Canadian history. Hundreds of organizations, experts, business leaders, artists, and creators have highlighted how the legislation recklessly undermines basic rights and freedoms.

The Liberal government campaigned last year on a promise to “repeal the problematic elements” of Bill C-51, while stopping short of pledging full repeal. A broad range of civil society organizations and experts have called on Prime Minister Trudeau and his cabinet to consult closely with Canadians before introducing reforms to the bill.

QUOTE

“Canadians must be fully consulted about how to overturn this reckless, dangerous, and ineffective piece of legislation. Bill C-51 is now the law of the land, and we’re already seeing government agencies like CSIS using their sweeping new powers without any judicial oversight. Everyday Canadians’ lives are already being ruined by unaccountable information sharing, and that situation is only going to get worse unless we can repeal C-51 and ensure all Canadians have the privacy safeguards they deserve. Our rights must be at the centre of this process.”

• Laura Tribe, Digital Rights Specialist, OpenMedia