Evidence of meeting #96 for Transport, Infrastructure and Communities in the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was c-26.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Conservative
Damien Kurek Conservative Battle River—Crowfoot, AB
To ensure that we don't end up in the same situation where members' privileges are called into question, I'd ask, Chair, if you could outline who is on the speaking list so we can understand fully what that—
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Peter Schiefke
That is a great question, Mr. Kurek. The last thing I would want is for a member to question privilege.
I have Mr. Badawey, Mr. Kurek, Dr. Lewis, if that is not a legacy hand, Mr. Muys and Mr. Lewis.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Peter Schiefke
You're not on this, Mr. Bachrach; however, if you want to be on the list....
NDP
Taylor Bachrach NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC
Can we recess, Mr. Chair, so we can...? Do we have a tape that we could go back to listen to to see...?
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Peter Schiefke
I can tell you this, Mr. Bachrach. At 7:30, we will have to take a five-minute recess in order to ensure that the translators and the team supporting us can be switched over.
NDP
Taylor Bachrach NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC
It was less about having a recess so I could have yet another break, because we just had a break. It was more about whether I was on the list. I thought that I had put up my hand earlier to try to get on the speakers list.
I know that things are fluid, so maybe I'll put my hand up now to try to get on the list.
Liberal
Liberal
Conservative
Mark Strahl Conservative Chilliwack—Hope, BC
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
As we were talking about Bill C-26, which is referenced here, I want to quote from a source called OpenMedia.org, which, on November 28, 2023, had an article called “New report by Citizen Lab finds serious Charter concerns with proposed federal cybersecurity legislation, Bill C-26”. I'm going to read it here. It says:
Civil liberties groups welcome call to make Bill C-26’s impact on equality, freedom of expression, and privacy a central consideration of Parliamentary committee study
It goes on to say:
The federal government’s draft cybersecurity legislation, Bill C-26, contains serious deficiencies and risks impacting the Charter rights of people in Canada to equality, freedom of expression, and privacy.
That’s according to a new report by the Citizen Lab at the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy at the University of Toronto, which highlights that Bill C-26’s Charter implications “should be a central consideration for this Committee, and throughout the Parliamentary process ahead.”
The report has been submitted to the House of Commons Public Safety and National Security Committee which is expected to commence its scrutiny of Bill C-26 shortly.
Again, this is from a few weeks ago.
Among the significant Charter concerns identified by the Citizen Lab report’s authors, Kate Robertson and Lina Li, are:
Equality: The absence of key transparency, accountability, and proportionality requirements in Bill C-26 raises equality risks surrounding its implementation. Bill C-26’s lack of safeguards increases the risk that equality-undermining measures will not be adequately prevented or addressed. For example, adverse impacts could undermine efforts to redress disparities in Internet access between rural and Indigenous communities and the rest of Canada; result in mandated rules that impede access to assistive technologies for persons living with disabilities; or expose certain groups, including journalists, lawyers, and dissidents to a heightened threat of hacking and espionage.
There are also concerns with freedom of expression:
Freedom of Expression: Bill C-26’s excessive secrecy jeopardizes the freedom of expression rights of the public, the media, and commercial entities. Courts and government should be open and accessible or risk impeding meaningful discussion on matters of public interest. Such discussion is especially important in the cybersecurity sphere, and greater transparency in Bill C-26 is required to ensure this.
Privacy: Bill C-26’s new information collection and sharing powers are insufficiently bounded or defined, posing a potential privacy risk exacerbated by the absence of key accountability and oversight mechanisms. The bill permits the government to collect the personal information of Canadians, creates criminal offences which incentivise over-sharing, and its extensive secrecy undermines the ability of courts or oversight bodies to assess whether such information collection is proportionate and necessary.
Civil society—
Conservative
Conservative
Jeremy Patzer Conservative Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK
Thank you very much.
I understand there have been a few questions in regard to the speaking order. Since I was just subbed into the committee, I'm curious as to who's next on the speaking list, but I'm also wondering, Mr. Chair, if there's a way I could get myself on the speaking list, since I understand there are some issues that would potentially be of great interest to the people I represent.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Peter Schiefke
Mr. Patzer, it would be my absolute pleasure as chair to add your name to the list. You will be following Mr. Bachrach.
NDP
Taylor Bachrach NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC
On a point of order, Mr. Chair, pardon me if I'm wrong, but don't members who are subbing in have to spend the requisite 30 minutes getting up to speed on the topic of debate and getting comfortable with the local environment before they're added to the speaking list?
Conservative
Jeremy Patzer Conservative Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK
On that point, maybe you want to spend the half-hour to enlighten me on what's happening.
NDP
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Peter Schiefke
In direct response to your inquiry, Mr. Bachrach, he is an official replacement for one of the members, so he can add himself to the speaking list.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Peter Schiefke
Once again, Mr. Patzer, you will be following Mr. Bachrach.
Mr. Strahl, I sincerely apologize. I don't like to break your train of thought. The floor is yours.
Conservative
Mark Strahl Conservative Chilliwack—Hope, BC
No, I appreciate the clarity. We've had some issues here—