NDP asks that bill on protecting Canadians from online crime be split in two

Controversial bill includes provisions that condone warrantless access to Canadians' personal data

The NDP is calling on the Conservative government to split its controversial Bill C-13, which includes useful provisions to combat cyberbullying as well as disturbing threats to privacy.

“Recent tragedies such as the deaths of Amanda Todd and Rehtaeh Parsons have compelled action to combat cyberbullying,” said NDP Justice critic Françoise Boivin (Gatineau). “Parliamentarians will have failed in their mission to fight cyberbullying if C-13 faces a successful court challenge over privacy concerns. We are asking the Conservative government to split this bill.”

Ms. Boivin put the following motion on the notice paper:

May 22, 2014 — Ms. Boivin (Gatineau) — That it be an instruction to the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights that, during its consideration of Bill C-13, An Act to amend the Criminal Code, the Canada Evidence Act, the Competition Act and the Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Act, the Committee be granted the power to divide the Bill into two Bills: the first consisting of clauses 2 to 7 and 27, related to cyberbullying; and the second Bill containing all the other provisions of Bill C-13.