CSIS needs to be reined in. Questions need to be answered.

I would like to draw your attention to the Federal court decision in November 2016, that declared it illegal for CSIS to maintain and analyse a massive database of information on Canadians who are not under any investigation whatsoever. You can read about it here. If that isn't horrific enough, apparently Minister of Public Safety, Ralph Goodale, is contemplating changing the laws so what CSIS is doing becomes legal. Read here.

I offer for your consideration, letters I have written to my MP, as well as Ralph Goodale, Prime Minister Trudeau, and the NDP Public Safety Critic, Matthew Dube. I don't expect any action or even response from my MP, because as far as I can tell he is a CPC bump on a log. And this was all okie-dokie while the CPC were in power.

But I want to urge everyone to write letters. This is C51 on steroids. The government has tabled legislation on oversight for CSIS, but it is not clear how effective this might be, or whether it has the teeth to reign in what appears to be a police state evolving behind closed doors.

Canadians need to speak out now. Let your MP and the Public Safety Minister and the PM know you are not pleased with this. It is unacceptable that a government agency is collecting data on us without oversight and without our knowledge. This is warrant-less surveillance. And it needs to stop.

What follows are my letters. You can copy and paste, or modify, or write your own. You can find your MP here using your postal code. You can choose to send a letter via email, or regular post to either their constituency office or their office at the House of Commons. Email is quicker, but paper letter letters might get more attention as they are in the minority these days. Remember, mail can be sent free to any MP at:

House of Commons
Parliament Buildings
Ottawa, Ontario
Canada
K1A 0A6

On to the letters:

To my MP (if you copy, make sure to address to your own MP and change the signature at the bottom):

Blake Richards

MP Banff-Airdrie

House of Commons
Parliament Buildings
Ottawa, Ontario
Canada
K1A 0A6

Mr. Richards,

In November, a Federal Court judge said CSIS violated the law by keeping electronic data about people who were not actually under investigation. The activity of collecting and retaining data, and conducting meta-analysis on such data began as early as 2006, and the CPC government received at least two briefings (one in 2006 and one in 2010) according to CSIS. The current Liberal government does not seem to have received a briefing, but was made aware during the legal proceeding that led to the Federal Court decision.

First, it is a serious assault on the privacy of innocent Canadians to maintain this database. Privacy commissioners across the country have called for the destruction of the database and cessation of this kind of data collection. There is no good reason or justification for CSIS collecting and retaining reams of information on Canadians who are not under investigation in any way.

What could CSIS need this information for? Who ordered this to be done, and why? If it was done at the direction of the CPC government, someone from the CPC needs to explain to Canadians what the purpose of this was, who issued the orders, and who oversaw the process. If the program originated within CSIS, without direction by parliament, the questions that must be asked include: Is CSIS answerable to Parliament and, by extension, Canadians? Why did CSIS feel they had a need or a right to intrude on the privacy of law-abiding Canadians? And, when will a stringent and effective non-partisan oversight body be introduced to regain control of CSIS' activities?

Second, Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale is said to be pondering changing laws to make this intrusion on Canadians' privacy by CSIS legal. How can such a thing even be considered?

I am calling on you, as my MP, to address this by putting pressure on the CPC to explain the motivations behind this CSIS programme, and its history, AND to put pressure on the Federal Government to immediately direct CSIS to comply with the courts' ruling and destroy the database and cease contemplation of legalizing this activity. I also call on you to demand that the Federal Government immediately institute an effective, accountable, transparent real-time oversight system for CSIS.

Thank you

Norlaine Thomas

To the PM (again, change the signature if you are copying):

The Right Honourable Justin Trudeau
Prime Minister of Canada
Langevin Block
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0A2

Mr. Trudeau,

In November, a Federal Court judge said CSIS violated the law by keeping electronic data about people who were not actually under investigation. The activity of collecting and retaining data, and conducting meta-analysis on such data began as early as 2006, and the CPC government received at least two briefings (one in 2006 and one in 2010) according to CSIS. Your current Liberal government does not seem to have received a briefing, but was made aware during the legal proceeding that led to the Federal Court decision.

First, it is a serious assault on the privacy of innocent Canadians to maintain this database. Privacy commissioners across the country have called for the destruction of the database and cessation of this kind of data collection. There is no good reason or justification for CSIS collecting and retaining reams of information on Canadians who are not under investigation in any way.

What could CSIS need this information for? Who ordered this to be done, and why? If it was done at the direction of the CPC government, someone from the CPC needs to explain to Canadians what the purpose of this was, who issued the orders, and who oversaw the process. If the program originated within CSIS, without direction by parliament, the questions that must be asked include: Is CSIS answerable to Parliament and, by extension, Canadians? Why did CSIS feel they had a need or a right to intrude on the privacy of law-abiding Canadians? And, when will a stringent and effective non-partisan oversight body be introduced to regain control of CSIS' activities?

Second, Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale is said to be pondering changing laws to make this intrusion on Canadians' privacy by CSIS legal. How can such a thing even be considered?

I am calling on you, as Canada's Prime Minister, to address this by putting pressure on the CPC to explain the motivations behind this CSIS programme, and its history, AND to immediately direct CSIS to comply with the courts' ruling and destroy the database, AND cease contemplation of legalizing this activity. I also call on you to immediately institute an effective, accountable, transparent real-time oversight system for CSIS.

Your father wisely said, “The State has no place in the bedrooms of the nation.” I suggest the modern corollary is The State has no place in the private communications of the Nation. Obviously, your government inherited a lot of problems. Please don't make the paranoia and secrecy of the Harper Decade the new normal. CSIS needs to be reigned in and controlled. Act on your promise to repeal or revise C-51. Don't let your citizens be treated like criminals.

Thank you

Norlaine Thomas

To Ralph Goodale, Public Safety Minister (change the signature if copying):

The Honourable Ralph Goodale

Minister of Public Safety

House of Commons Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0A6

Mr. Goodale,

In November, a Federal Court judge said CSIS violated the law by keeping electronic data about people who were not actually under investigation. The activity of collecting and retaining data, and conducting meta-analysis on such data began as early as 2006, and the CPC government received at least two briefings (one in 2006 and one in 2010) according to CSIS. The current Liberal government does not seem to have received a briefing, but was made aware during the legal proceeding that led to the Federal Court decision.

First, it is a serious assault on the privacy of innocent Canadians to maintain this database. Privacy commissioners across the country have called for the destruction of the database and cessation of this kind of data collection. There is no good reason or justification for CSIS collecting and retaining reams of information on Canadians who are not under investigation in any way.

What could CSIS need this information for? Who ordered this to be done, and why? If it was done at the direction of the CPC government, someone from the CPC needs to explain to Canadians what the purpose of this was, who issued the orders, and who oversaw the process. If the program originated within CSIS, without direction by parliament, the questions that must be asked include: Is CSIS answerable to Parliament and, by extension, Canadians? Why did CSIS feel they had a need or a right to intrude on the privacy of law-abiding Canadians? And, when will a stringent and effective non-partisan oversight body be introduced to regain control of CSIS' activities?

Second, in your role as Public Safety Minister, you are said to be pondering changing laws to this intrusion on Canadians' privacy by CSIS legal. How can such a thing even be considered?

I am calling on you, as Canada's Minister for Public Safety, to address this by putting pressure on the CPC to explain the motivations behind this CSIS programme, and its history, AND to work within the Federal Government to immediately direct CSIS to comply with the courts' ruling and destroy the database AND to immediately cease contemplation of legalizing this activity. I also call on you to work within the Federal Government immediately institute an effective, accountable, transparent real-time oversight system for CSIS.

Thank you

Norlaine Thomas



To Matthew Dube, NDP Public Safety Critic (change the signature if copying):

Matthew Dube

NDP Public Safety Critic

House of Commons
Parliament Buildings
Ottawa, Ontario
Canada
K1A 0A6

Mr. Dube,

In November, a Federal Court judge said CSIS violated the law by keeping electronic data about people who were not actually under investigation. The activity of collecting and retaining data, and conducting meta-analysis on such data began as early as 2006, and the CPC government received at least two briefings (one in 2006 and one in 2010) according to CSIS. The current Liberal government does not seem to have received a briefing, but was made aware during the legal proceeding that led to the Federal Court decision.

First, it is a serious assault on the privacy of innocent Canadians to maintain this database. Privacy commissioners across the country have called for the destruction of the database and cessation of this kind of data collection. There is no good reason or justification for CSIS collecting and retaining reams of information on Canadians who are not under investigation in any way.

What could CSIS need this information for? Who ordered this to be done, and why? If it was done at the direction of the CPC government, someone from the CPC needs to explain to Canadians what the purpose of this was, who issued the orders, and who oversaw the process. If the program originated within CSIS, without direction by parliament, the questions that must be asked include: Is CSIS answerable to Parliament and, by extension, Canadians? Why did CSIS feel they had a need or a right to intrude on the privacy of law-abiding Canadians? And, when will a stringent and effective non-partisan oversight body be introduced to regain control of CSIS' activities?

Second, Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale is said to be pondering changing laws to make this intrusion on Canadians' privacy by CSIS legal. How can such a thing even be considered?

I am calling on you, as the NDP Public Safety critic, to address this by putting pressure on the CPC to explain the motivations behind this CSIS programme, and its history, AND to put pressure on the Federal Government to immediately direct CSIS to comply with the courts' ruling and destroy the database and cease contemplation of legalizing this activity. I also call on you to demand that the Federal Government immediately institute an effective, accountable, transparent real-time oversight system for CSIS.

Thank you

Norlaine Thomas

I have tried to make it easy, I hope many will let our elected representatives know how Canadians feel about this issue.

Thanks so much for our time and attention.