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Media Statement: Bill C-5 undermines the democratic process, the right of Indigenous People, the rights and safety of workers, and critical environmental protections

Bill C-5 undermines the democratic process, the rights of Indigenous Peoples, the rights and safety of workers, and critical environmental protections.

The NDP opposes this bill in its current form.

Through Bill C-5, Carney is using the threat of Trump's tariffs to provide Cabinet and Ministers with overreaching powers to eliminate environmental oversight, violate Constitutional obligations to Indigenous peoples, and lower labour standards for workers throughout Canada.

There is no doubt that the unjustified and illegal trade war initiated by Trump opens an opportunity to buy and build more of what we need at home and make sure workers and Indigenous people benefit.

Although Part 1 of C-5 deserves positive consideration, we have many grave concerns about part two of Bill C-5. That is why the NDP will oppose fast-tracking this legislation and will oppose this bill in its current form.

Guardian Opinion: Canadians said no to Trump – so why is Mark Carney pushing a Maga-inspired border bill?

The Carney Liberal government introduced Bill C-2, the Strong Borders Act, as their first piece of legislation in the House of Commons after the federal election.  This Bill is supposed to appease Trump with his delusional claims on fentanyl trafficking against Canada.  Instead of elbows up, speaking truth to power, he is bending a knee to Trump.  

Worst still, this legislation intends to align Canada with the US's refugee policies - it is an anti-immigrant and anti-refugee bill that goes against Canadian values and historically progressive policies.  Due process and administrative fairness are tossed out the window.  Oversight and accountability - non-existent.  

This Act will result in a mass deportation by administrative means, rather than law enforcement. It prevents persecuted individuals from applying for asylum in Canada.  It will result in the same outcome, putting thousands of people into precarious and vulnerable situations. It also upends privacy laws and creates a backdoor to accessing the private data of individuals. This legislation is a direct attack on civil liberties. The NDP will work with civil society, refugee and immigration organizations to actively oppose this draconian legislation. This is an excellent summary from the Guardian on Bill C-2:

CBC News: Are there 'snooping provisions' in Carney's massive border bill?

Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree, who has a background in asylum and human rights law, said he would never advance a bill that threatens civil liberties.

"It needed to be in line with the values of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms," he said the day the bill was tabled. "I fundamentally believe that we can strike a balance that, while expanding powers in certain instances, does have the safeguards and the protections in place like protecting individual freedoms or rights."

The NDP's Kwan isn't convinced.

"I know the minister says this and believes it," she said. "But in reality, if you look at the bill, the minister is creating a situation where your personal info is being disclosed without your consent."

Globe and Mail: Government told Liberal MP to shelve motion on honorary citizenship for Jimmy Lai

A drive to grant jailed Hong Kong publisher Jimmy Lai honorary Canadian citizenship is on hold after the Liberal MP spearheading the move was told by her government’s House leader to shelve the motion just before she was about to present it.

The MP, Judy Sgro, had already gained the support of MPs from all parties for a unanimous-consent motion that raised the plight of Mr. Lai, who has been held in solitary confinement for 4½ years.

The motion was seen as a symbolic gesture by Canada to bolster support for Mr. Lai before the G7 leaders’ summit in Alberta this weekend.

Ms. Sgro said she was not given a clear explanation for the government’s move. She said she plans to persevere with the motion.

She was approached by Steven MacKinnon, the Government House Leader, on Wednesday and told that she could not present it.

 

NDP MP Jenny Kwan, who was born in Hong Kong, said Immigration Minister Lena Diab has the power to grant Mr. Lai honorary citizenship and should do so before the G7 summit, when world leaders are gathering.

“She should do it right now and absolutely before the G7,” she said. “The whole idea is to get it in front of the international community.”

Global News: Carney should rescind Modi's G7 invite over surveillance of Jagmeet Singh

Global reported Thursday that Jagmeet Singh was under surveillance by an agent suspected of working for the Indian government, which resulted in the former NDP leader being placed under RCMP protection in late 2023.

Multiple sources said the agent, also suspected of ties to the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, had detailed information on Singh’s family, travel patterns and daily routine. The Bishnoi group is a transnational syndicate led by Lawrence Bishnoi, who is currently in an Indian jail, which has been linked to multiple murders, extortion and drug-related crimes.

“The targeting of a federal party leader by a foreign regime is a direct assault on Canada’s democracy. It is utterly unconscionable that the prime minister would extend an invitation to Modi under these circumstances and in light of this new information,” NDP MP Jenny Kwan said in a statement.

Vancouver Sun: Criticism comes from all sides after B.C. Ferries awards contract to Chinese state-owned company

“The Liberals are set to hand over $30 million (in federal subsidies) to B.C. Ferries while B.C. Ferries hands over critical jobs, investment and industry to China,” Kibble charged.

Freeland responded that she agrees the federal government needs to be supporting local industry and working with allies and trade partners but that the B.C. Ferries’ contract wasn’t a federal project.

Jenny Kwan, NDP MP for Vancouver East, told Postmedia that Ottawa has a role in working with provincial governments to build up the country, including ensuring that domestic companies can compete for large procurement contracts.

“We have to re-examine how that procurement process is undertaken,” said Kwan.

Nunavut News: B.C. Sikh gurdwara asks Carney to keep Modi away from G7

“It is unconscionable that the government would roll out the red carpet for Prime Minister Modi, whose regime has been directly implicated in the assassination of Canadian Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar. This form of transnational repression is a direct threat to the diaspora community and Canada's sovereignty. The government must explain how justice and human rights are being upheld through this invitation," said Kwan in a NDP news release.  
 
“At a time when India refuses to cooperate with Canadian authorities and denies responsibility for extrajudicial killings, this move undermines efforts to hold foreign powers accountable for interference and violence in our country.” 

Globe & Mail: MPs set to vote on motion seeking honorary citizenship for jailed Hong Kong businessman Jimmy Lai

Sebastien said at a press conference that the fact that his father had stayed in Hong Kong “in the face of oppression” showed his courage, but that if he were released he would likely come to Canada, where many of their family members, including Mr. Lai’s twin sister, live. He suggested he would also visit Britain where they have family.

Mr. Lai owns 12 hotels and 20 restaurants and spas in southern Ontario, as well as significant real estate in Canada. Local Conservative MP Tony Baldinelli said his properties are “a significant driver of local tourism in Niagara on the Lake.”

Immigration Minister Lena Diab was asked if she would grant Mr. Lai honorary citizenship on Monday by NDP MP Jenny Kwan in the Commons.

Ms. Kwan, who was born in Hong Kong, said Hong Kong’s national-security law had stripped people of their basic rights.

The law contains vaguely defined offences that Amnesty International has said mean “virtually anything could be deemed a threat.”

“Those who dared to speak up and to fight against this were persecuted. Jimmy Lai is one of those individuals. He dared to speak truth to power,” Ms. Kwan said.

She said Mr. Lai must be released if “the Chinese government values their reputation in any way, shape or form.”

Canadian Press: Critic calls out border bill's proposed new cabinet powers on immigration

OTTAWA — An NDP critic says a provision in the federal government's border security bill that would give cabinet the power to cancel immigration documents is an attempt to "mimic" measures deployed by the Trump administration in the U.S.

"It seems to me … this piece of legislation is Canada's attempt to mimic some of those measures that the United States is adopting. I actually never thought that this day would come where Canada would go down that road," B.C. NDP MP Jenny Kwan told The Canadian Press.

Kwan said the proposed new power is "concerning" because cabinet decisions are made in secret and there's no firm definition of an "emergency" in the legislation.

"I don't accept that the Liberals say, 'Don't worry, we're the good guys, so trust us.' I'm sorry, that is just not acceptable," she said, adding there's no way to know what a future government might do with this power.

Toronto Star: Opinion

Border bill primed to give Mark Carney’s government sweeping new powers. Who asked for this?

Prime Minister Mark Carney’s first piece of legislation pulls away the welcome mat for asylum seekers. It makes it nearly impossible for those who have been in Canada for more than a year, either as students, permanent residents, or temporary workers, and those who’ve snuck into Canada between land border crossings and have been here for more than two weeks, from having their asylum cases heard.

“A lot of people are going to get rejected because they’re not going to have an opportunity to explain for themselves why they would be in danger when they go back (home),” said Adam Sadinsky, an immigration and refugee lawyer with Silcoff Shacter in Toronto.

On Parliament Hill, the NDP’s Jenny Kwan described the law as “violating people’s due process and taking away people’s basic rights,” and also noted that it will drive people underground.