NDP REALITY CHECK: Justin Trudeau is wrong about opponents of bill C-51

In an interview with The Chatelaine Justin Trudeau accused opponents of Bill C-51 of employing “a similar approach to Mr. Harper’s politics of fear.”

This is a new low as Justin Trudeau accuses people like Louise Arbour and National Chief Perry Bellegarde of practicing Stephen Harper’s politics of fear.

Opponents of C-51 include:

• Four former Prime Ministers
• Former Supreme Court judges
• The Privacy Commissioner
• The Assembly of First Nations
• Human rights organizations like Amnesty International
• More than 100 academics including Craig Forcese and Kent Roach

These experts and distinguished Canadians are not fear mongering. C-51 poses a real threat to the rights and freedoms of Canadians.

“What the spy agency would be able to do is limited only by a prohibition on anything that would cause death or bodily harm, obstruct justice, or violate anyone’s sexual integrity.” – Toronto Star, March 27, 2015 Bill C-51 brings “the entire Charter into jeopardy, undermines the rule of law, and goes against the fundamental role of judges as the protectors of Canada’s constitutional rights.” – Canadian Bar Association, Huffington Post, March 20, 2015 “When a government passes a law that questions basic freedoms and refuses to clarify its scope, people are entitled to expect the worst.” – Globe and Mail, May 6, 2015 “C-51 is the most dangerous legislation we’ve had in recent Canadian history." – Canadian Journalists for Free Expression Liberal position on C-51 “based on politics rather than principle.” – Professor Michael Geist, University of Ottawa, June 19, 2015