Principled Conservatives and Libertarians Against

Bill C-51

June2,2015

TheRightHonourableStephenHarper,P.C.M.P.
OfficeofthePrimeMinister
80WellingtonStreet
Ottawa,ONK1A0A2

CC:
DarylKramp,M.P.
Chair
StandingCommitteeonPublicSafetyandNationalSecurity
JusticeBuilding
HouseofCommons
Ottawa,OntarioK1AOA6

CC:ConservativeSenators

DearPrimeMinisterandConservativePartyofCanadaSenators

We,theundersigned,comefromconservativeandlibertariansideofthepoliticalspectrum.
WhilewearenotexclusivelysupportersoftheConservativePartyofCanada,werepresenta
significantportionofthebaseofvoterstheConservativePartydependsupontogetelected.

BillC51representseverythingthatprincipledconservativeshavebeenfightingagainstfor
thepastdecade.ItisappallingthataConservativegovernmentwouldevenconsidervoting
forsuchlegislation,muchlesscraftingitandpushingitintolaw.

TheLongGunRegistry
Webelievedyouwhenyoumovedtokillthelonggunregistrybecauseitwasan
unacceptableinvasionofprivacyoflawabidinggunownerstohavetheirinformationstoredin
agovernmentdatabase.Duringthedebate,thesponsorofBillC391,CPCMPCandace
Bergen,stated:

"Thelonggunregistryhasdonenothingtoreducecrime.Thelonggunregistrycreatesa
falsesenseofsecurity.Itactuallycreatesashoppinglistforgangstersandindividualswho
wanttobreakintothatlonggunregistry,andithasbeenbreachedover300times,andtarget
longgunownerstotrytostealtheirfirearms.Theregistryisactuallyahindrancetofighting
crimeinCanada.Thisisimportantlegislation.Wearebeingwatchedasmembersof

ParliamentonwhatwedotofightcrimeinCanada.Weneedtofocusoncriminalsand
criminalactivity."[1]

TheconservativebaseagreedwholeheartedlywiththeprinciplesarticulatedbyMsBergen
andtheConservativePartyonthisissue,andtheresultwassupportfortheCPCinboth
fundraisingandatthe2011pollswhentheCPCwontheirfirstmajoritygovernment.

LastfallPrimeMinisterHarperspoketoagroupinNorthernOntarioandbroughtthemthis
alarmingnews:

IdontwanttofeedparanoiabutIasPrimeMinister,IcantellyouthatIsharefrustrationsof
ourcaucusmemberswhenIseeandweveseenitrepeatedlysinceweendedthelonggun
registryof,Ivenootherwordotherthanbureaucraticinitiatives...thatwethink
areeffectivelytryingtoputthelonggunregistrybackinthroughthebackdoor.Thisisnot
somethingweregoingtotolerate.[2]

Hewentontosaythathisgovernmentwouldensure,infuture,thatsuchmeasures"can'tbe
donewithoutsomedegreeofpoliticaloversight."[3]

Wearegravelyconcernedthat,whilefaithfullypromisinghisgovernmentwouldnotallowthe
recreationofadatabaseofinformationongunowners,andthatanyfuturemeasureswould
havepoliticaloversight,theHarpergovernmentisplanningtocreatedatabasesonall
Canadianswithnooversight,usingBillC51.Thelegislationexplicitlystatesthatdatawillbe
"collated"withmore100federaldepartments,agenciesandotherentitiesmakingdisclosures
ofsensitivepersonalinformationtonolessthan17departmentsandagenciesinvolvedin
nationalsecurity.Agiantdatabaseandinformationdisclosureonthisscaleistantamountto
developingalonggunregistryonsteroids.

Section13oftheCanadianHumanRightsAct
Anotherissuewhichunitedmostoftheconservativevoterbaseinthepastfewyearswasthe
debateonSection13oftheCanadianHumanRightsAct.Youtookastandagainstthese
onlinecensorshipprovisionsandultimatelyvotedtorepealSection13byvotingfor
ConservativeMPBrianStorseth'sBillC304.

Mr.Storsethmadehiscaseeloquentlywhenhestated:
"Canadiansfinditdifficulttobelievethatsuchalooselywrittenandvaguelawhasthepower
to
underminethefundamentalrightsthatCanadasoproudlybasesitsdemocracyupon,which
men
andwomenhavegiventheirlivesdefending."

Hecontinued:

"Thisisacleardepictionofwhathappenswhencensorshipandbureaucracyareallowedto
run
amok.ThisisoneofthereasonsIhaveintroducedBillC304,protectingfreedom,inaneffort
to
reconstructfreedomofexpressionasacornerstoneofourgreatcountry.Toachievethis,
complaintsmustbedirectedtoafair,openandtransparentjudicialsystem,notabroken
systemthatpridesitselfinoperatingbehindcloseddoors."[4]

WeagreedwholeheartedlywiththepositiontakenbyMr.StorethandtheConservativeParty.
Freedomofspeechandanopenandtransparentjudicialprocessareprinciplesthat
resonatedstronglywithvotersontheright.

Unfortunately,BillC51allowsforsecrettrialsandforspeechtobecensoredbyremovalfrom
theinternetorbyvague,andevenunconstitutional"disruption"measuresthatcanbeapplied
toCanadianwebsiteoperators.

TheMandatoryLongFormCensus
In2010theHarpergovernmentchosetogetridofthemandatorylongformcensus.When
MPTonyClementwasaskedaboutthisdecisionbytheGlobeandMail,hestated:
"MypositioniswearestandingonthesideofthoseCanadianswhohaveanobjectionto
divulging
verypersonalinformationtoanarmofgovernmentandaresubsequentlythreatenedwithjail
time
whentheydonotdoso."

Manyofusontherightsupportedthatdecisionbecauseoftheprivacyprinciplesarticulated
byMr.ClementandtheConservativegovernment.However,fiveyearslater,thissame
governmentintendstoshareourmostpersonalinformation,withoutourconsentor
knowledge,withnolessthan17"armsofthegovernment".

PrinciplesMatter
Itisnocoincidencethat,you,theConservativeParty,hadthebackingofmanyrightwing
Canadiansonthesethreemajorissues.Youhadthatsupportbecausethelegislationwas
basedonstrong,democraticprinciples.Youspokeofliberty,privacyandjudicialfairnessand
transparency,andyouenactedlawsupholdingthosevalues.Werewardedyouwithour
supportinreturn.

Individualrightsandfreedomsexpressedinthecharterformingpartofourconstitutionaswell
asinotherlegislationandcommonlawprecedentarefundamentaltoafreeanddemocratic
nation.BillC51,however,isnotbasedonanyofthoseimportantprinciples.Infact,it
violateseveryoneofthem.

BillC51createsadomesticspyagencydesignedtotargetallCanadians.Itdoesnot
produceanarmyoftrainedagentswithstrictoperatingregulations(whichinitselfwouldbe
unacceptableanddangerous),butofcivilservicebureaucratsoperatingcovertlywithout
oversight,regulationoraccountability.

PublicSafetyCanadaischargedwithensuringthesafetyandsecurityofoursociety.No
legislationcancompromisethepersonalfreedomsrightsandsecurityofthepersonwithout
failingthemandatetoprotectcitizens.Combatingterrorismisnotanexcusetoviolatethe
securityofthepersonexceptinexceptionalcircumstances.BillC51asproposed
compromisesthesecurityofeveryoneinanefforttodealwithafew.

Webelievedyouwhenyoutoldusthatyouweregoingtoallowamendmentstothisbill.We
preparedtohaveadiscussionabouttheamendmentsthatneededtobemadeinorderforthe
billtomeetbothoursecurityandourdemocraticneeds.

TheproblemsinC51couldhavebeenfixed,ifyouhadchosentocarefullylistentothe
adviceofexpertswhohonestlyseethelegislationasillconceived,settingdangerous
precedents,andopeningupdoorstosevereviolationsofCharterrightsandprivacy
expectationsofcitizensinafreesociety.Insteadyouchosetoattackthosesoundingthe
alarmasleftistideologuesanddismisstheirvalidconcerns.

Yourejectedsomehundredorsoamendmentsfromtheotherpartiesandpushedthrough
withthebillessentiallyunchanged.Justbecauseyouhavethenumberstodosodoesnot
meanthatyoushouldignorethevoicesofCanadiancitizensandotherMembersof
Parliamentonsuchanimportantmatter.

Ourelectedrepresentativeshaveadutytoprotectthelibertyofthecitizenstheyrepresentin
alldeliberationsandpromulgationoflaw.Anyproposedlawthatfailstoprotectthefreedoms
andrightsofcitizensisanaffronttotheprinciplesofafreedemocracy.Iftheveryrealissue
ofourdemocraticrightsisnotenoughtomoveyou,thenatleastconsiderthisina
selfservingway.

Legislationofthissortwillinevitablyleadtoasplitintheconservativemovement,with
libertarianswhohavesupportedthepartyinthepastdecidingthattheirvoteisbetterusedto
supportalibertarianalternative,liketheLibertarianPartyofCanadaorindependent
conservativecandidates.Althoughthesemightnotattractlargevotetotals,theycoulddrain
offenoughvotestodenytheCPCavictoryandleadtothereturnoftheLiberals,orinsertthe
NewDemocratsoracoalitionintogovernment.

Onbalance,thereisnoneedforC51anditispoliticallyfoolishtobringinsuchlegislation
thatcanonlyresultinamassivepoliticaldefeat.Evenworse,thatwouldleavethelegislation
inthehandsofaLiberalorNDPgovernment.ThiswouldbelikehavingSection13ofthe
CHRAinthemainstreamofthelegalandjudicialsysteminCanadawithfartoomuch

discretionarypowerinthehandsofunelectedandultimatelyunaccountablepersonswho
mighteasilyseegoodusesforthispowerinacampaignofpostelectionpartisanpayback.

Weagreewiththeover235,000Canadianswhohavecalledonthegovernmenttoscrapthis
reckless,dangerousandineffectivelegislationthroughthepetitionatwww.StopC51.ca.

DoyoureallywanttoliveinaC51Canadathatyoudon'tgovern?Wethoughtnot.Wedon't
either.KillBillC51.

Sincerely,

SheldonClare,President,Canada'sNationalFirearmsAssociation
ConnieFournier,Cofounder,FreeDominion
MarkFournier,Cofounder,FreeDominion
JesseKline,CommentEditor,NationalPost
Rev.GordonJames,UplandsBaptistChurch
SiegHolle,BrantTaxpayersCoalition

GerryT.Neal,bloggeratThrone,Altar,Liberty,http://www.thronealtarliberty.blogspot.ca/
ChrisNissen,President,NissenFasteners
Dr.MichaelTaylor,EthicalEnergyIntegrationInc.
TimothyWebster,researchdirector,GenistSystemsInc.
KenWiebe,VancouverIslandLibertarianAssociation
DavidClement,LibertarianParty,DirectorofCommunications
AlexandraBelaire,bloggeratXanthippasChamberpot,http://blog.xanthippas.com/
CoryLystang,LibertarianPartycandidate,Yellowhead
DarrellNoakes,LibertarianPartycandidate,SelkirkInterlakeEastman
MatthewOliver,LibertarianPartycandidate,LondonFanshawe

*Individuals:

DuaneW.Berke
FredyBoese
JeffBray
NicholasBrons
StaceyCherwonak
BrianClark
AndrewDaniels
DarylDaniels
JFDumont
AndrewBEvagelou
JohnFeldsted

KamranFekri
NunoFerreria
HannahFiene
RosarioFortugno
RoseFerguson
TedCGabor
GaryGordon
GordonBlakeburn
TonyHallock
NaimaHanafi
StephenHarris
AprilHaws
AnneJohnston
TroyKinsella
BradenLachance
WilliamLittle
MarkLysenko
ChrisMcGarry
GregMount
QuinnMoerike
GregMalleweg
TaylorMoody
JordanNewton
BryanNorris
AlexOgilvie
EllenOpp
JeanSbastienPaquin
ColinParkinson
AndrewPhillips
JonPhillips
NeilPurfield
Dr.DenisRancourt
ReganRempel
ScottRichter
MitchelJanuaryRogowsky
ShawnSheridan
ChristopherSeefried
JasonSwereda
GregM.Thornton
DarleneWalker
AllenWatson
DanWilliamson
FrancisYap


*Manymoresignaturescomingsoon...

PLEASEADDYOURNAMEBYFILLINGOUTTHEFORMBELOW

Footnotes:
1.https://openparliament.ca/bills/403/C391/
2.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/bureaucratswanttobringlonggunregistryba
ckharpersays/article21146619/
3.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/harpercitesspectreoflongdeadgunregistryfearsbackdoo
rresurrection1.2803583
4.https://openparliament.ca/bills/411/C304/

*NOTE:Pleasedonotpublishthecontentsofthisletterelsewhere.Youmaylinkto
www.StopC51.ca/Conservative