ACTION ALERT: Call your MP to vote against C-3 today

December 12, 2007

We now know that the final House of Commons vote on the Harper government's Bill C-3 is scheduled to take place this evening. The NDP and the Bloc Quebecois will vote against it. Liberal MP Ujjal Dosanjh has said his party will support it. That being said, the International Civil Liberties Monitoring Group and the Coalition Justice for Adil Charkaoui have noted, "Certain Liberals may be open to voting against the unjust and unconstitutional law, so please make an effort to make a few last minute telephone calls to urge them to vote against C-3, and to ask them to speak to others in the party."

The eighteen priority MPs to contact before this evening are as follows. If you see your Member of Parliament on this list, please contact them prior to this evening's vote in the House of Commons.

1. Omar Alghabra, AlghaO@parl.gc.ca, 613-995-7321
2. Sue Barnes, barneS@parl.gc.ca, 613-996-6674
3. Colleen Beaumier, beaumC@parl.gc.ca, 613-995-5381
4. Bonnie Brown, BrownB@parl.gc.ca, 613-995-4014
5. Ruby Dhalla, DhallR@parl.gc.ca, 613-995-4843
6. Ujjal Dosanjh, dosanU@parl.gc.ca, 613-995-7052
7. Raymonde Folco, FolcoR@parl.gc.ca, 613-992-2659
8. Hedy Fry, HedyF@parl.gc.ca, 613-992-3213
9. Albina Guarnieri, GuarnA@parl.gc.ca, 613-996-0420
10. Mark Holland, HollaM@parl.gc.ca, 613-995-8042
11. Marlene Jennings, JenniM@parl.gc.ca, 613-995-2251
12. Bernard Patry, PatryB@parl.gc.ca, 613-992-2689
13. Jasmin Ratsani, RatanY@parl.gc.ca, 613-995-4988
14. Pablo Rodriguez, RodriPa@parl.gc.ca, 613-995-0580
15. Francis Scarpaleggia, ScarpF@parl.gc.ca, 613-995-8281
16. Navdeep Bains, BainsN@parl.gc.ca, 613-995-7784
17. Stéphane Dion, dions@parl.gc.ca
18. Borys Wrzesnewskyj, wrzesb@parl.gc.ca

As one of thirty-eight member organizations of the International Civil Liberties Monitoring Group, the Council of Canadians is a signatory to a letter that was sent to all Liberal Members of Parliament today that states, "I am urging you to vote against the adoption of Bill C-3, the proposed security certificate legislation, during the vote on third reading scheduled to take place later today."

The letter argues, "During parliamentary committee hearings over the last two weeks, members of Parliament have heard numerous witnesses, including ICLMG and several of its members, the Canadian Bar Association, the Quebec Bar Association and the Federation of Law Societies, expressing strong concerns that the proposed legislation, even as amended, would likely not pass another constitutional challenge. These concerns rest on the belief that the proposed legislation fails to address the requirements of the Supreme Court that any alternative to the existing security certificate legislation must meet the basic principles of fundamental justice. Nothing short of criminal prosecution, or the introduction in IRPA of a standard of proof equivalent to that used in criminal prosecution, can meet these basic principles. Furthermore, Bill C-3 perpetuates a two-tier justice system premised on the belief that non-citizens have fewer rights than citizens, condemning them to possible deportation towards torture or to indefinite detention based on secret intelligence reports and the denial to know and meet the case against them."

For additional messaging please refer to our 'ACTION ALERT: Last chance to stop Bill C-3 and stand up for equality in Canada'.

Brent Patterson, Director of Organizing and Campaigns, The Council of Canadians