ETHI Committee Report

Supplementary Report from Bill Siksay MP (Burnaby-Douglas) for the New Democratic Party

New Democrats strongly support all 12 “quick fix” recommendations made by Privacy Commissioner of Canada.  New Democrats urge the government to introduce legislative amendments to the Privacy Act based on these proposed immediate changes without further delay.  We concur in the rationale provided by the Commissioner for her recommendations.

Our support is based on the crucial importance of up-to-date and effective legislation to protect the privacy of Canadians when it comes to the operations of the federal government.  It is also based in the fact that the Privacy Act has been deemed to have quasi-constitutional status in recognition of its fundamental importance to Canadians.

At one time Canada was a leader in protecting the privacy of its citizens.  However, the Privacy Act has not kept up with the times or with developments in privacy protection.  In fact, this legislation has not been significantly amended since its introduction.

New Democrats also appreciate the need to move from policy to legislation with regard to privacy protection.  As the Commissioner noted in her testimony to the Standing Committee, “…it is far easier to ignore a policy as opposed to a legislated requirement.”  Privacy protections must be applied rigorously and consistently across government, and up-to-date and effective legislation is central to this goal.

The government must also fully address the findings related to privacy issues of the Commission of Inquiry into the Actions of Canadian Officials in Relation to Maher Arar by The Honourable Dennis O'Connor and the Inquiry into the Actions of Canadian Officials in Relation to Abdullah Almalki, Ahmed Abou-Elmaati and Muayyed Nureddin by The Honourable Frank Iacobucci in any legislative or regulatory proposals it brings forward.

New Democrats call on the government to introduce, without further delay, a comprehensive package of reforms to the Privacy Act which at a minimum incorporates all of the quick fix recommendations from the Privacy Commissioner of Canada.