|
Public Safety Act 2002
April 30, 2002
In the wake of September 11, our government
introduced Bill C-42, together with the Anti-Terrorism Act (Bill C-36) – bills
designed to respond to the terrorist threat we all faced following the attacks,
and still face today.
On April 24, after listening to the concerns of
individual MPs, provinces, territories and other stakeholders, our government
withdrew Bill C-42.
Yesterday, we introduced a new bill which
contains important improvements and that strikes a balance between the need for
enhanced security and the desire to respect Canadians’ rights and traditional
values.
The new Bill:
- further defines and circumscribes the power of
the Minister of National Defence to establish Controlled Access Military Zones
and of other ministers to use interim orders in emergency situations,
particularly through greater involvement of Parliament;
- provides more comprehensive parameters for the
new terrorist hoax offences; and,
- provides strong measures to ensure
accountability and transparency.
It also includes important new provisions that
will make Canadians safer by:
- improving the capacity of federal departments
and agencies involved in anti-terrorism and national security activities to
share critical information and coordinate their work;
- providing for the smooth flow of information
between Canada and its partners internationally, particularly the United
States, in order to prevent terrorist activity and protect public safety; and,
- allowing the Government of Canada to provide
financial assistance, where necessary, to enhance marine security.
At the same time, the Act retains the key
elements from C-42, such as measures that will:
- clarify and update existing aviation security authorities to maximize the
effectiveness of the aviation security system and
enhance the ability of the Government of Canada to provide a safe and secure
environment for aviation;
- deter irresponsible hoaxes that endanger the
public or heighten public anxiety;
- establish tighter controls over explosives and
hazardous substances, activities related to other dangerous substances such as
pathogens and the export and transfer of technology;
- help identify and prevent harmful unauthorized
use or interference with Defence computer systems and networks; and,
- deter the proliferation of biological weapons.
Yesterday’s announcement demonstrates the
Government of Canada’s commitment to listen carefully to the input of
Parliamentarians and Canadians on this most important bill.
This legislation is part of the Government of
Canada's Anti-terrorism Plan which included the Anti-terrorism Act and was
bolstered by a $7.7-billion investment in Budget 2001.
Where the Anti-terrorism Act focussed mainly on
the criminal law aspects of combatting terrorism, this Bill addresses gaps in
the federal legislative framework for public safety and protection.
|
