OTTAWA – POLITICS – Michelle Rempel Garner, Conservative Member of Parliament for Calgary Nose Hill, made the following statement regarding her letter to the Privacy Commissioner on details surrounding the Emergencies Act:
“As Parliament begins debating Justin Trudeau’s use of the Emergencies Act, many questions remain to ensure Canadians’ rights are protected.
“Part of the government’s intention with the use of this Act is to track and reveal information regarding private individual financial transactions. We know that Justin Trudeau’s use of the Emergencies Act will require disclosure of financial information to the RCMP, CSIS, and FINTRAC. It also enables private financial institutions to potentially freeze accounts of individual Canadians without judicial process.
“I continue to call for an immediate peaceful resolution to this ongoing situation in our country. But Justin Trudeau cannot take unprecedented powers without scrutiny. Canadians have the right to privacy, and I am concerned about what potential risks such a move poses. I am also concerned about the precedent this sets for the future.
“Canadians deserve answers, and that’s why today I have written to the Privacy Commissioner to get them. Justin Trudeau has not yet stated if he has consulted with the Privacy Commissioner on his use of the Emergencies Act to reveal this financial information, or other information for which Canadians have a right to privacy. I call on the Liberal government to immediately reveal if they have consulted with this independent office, and to take seriously any concerns the Privacy Commissioner raises.”
MP Rempel Garner’s letter to the Privacy Commissioner can be read here.
