Pros And Cons Of Bill C-51

At what cost are citizens willing to go in exchange for protection? With the increasing amount of terrorist attacks such as the Orlando Shootings, the Paris Attacks, the Brussels Bombings, etc. occurring around the world with no end in sight, it is not a coincidence that paranoia and fear has risen as well. With more fear in the population, more political pressure is placed on the shoulders of the government, which Canada is no exception to. Due to this, Prime Minister Stephen Harper and the Conservatives has decided to enact Bill C-51, the anti-terror legislation, which essentially allows police, federal institutions and CSIS further powers to gather info and detain “potential terrorists”. This may sound reasonable on the outside, but the
Not only can this lead to the blatant abuse of the Bill, but it can also lead to mistrust of the government, can cause instability, or even a divide, of the Conservative Party as even many Conservatives argue the validity of Bill C-51. Primarily, it can lead to the abuse of power from the Government or the involved parties due to the obscure wording of this bill. John Locke claimed that Liberals believed that while Governments can protect individuals, they can pose a threat to liberty, and is at best a “necessary evil”. But in terms of enacting Bill C-51, is it really necessary? While critics may use Hobbes’ claim that superior use of power through the government is crucial and argue that protection is more important since one cannot be free if they are not protected from others, Friedman’s view on governments counters this claim. When the power of the government is increased, the “Leviathan” starts to show. The Leviathan in short sets forth these principles of authority, sovereignty and how they are absolutely crucial for preserving peace. But
If even conservatives within the party do not agree to the bill, then the government should not expect the citizens to support the bill either. This brings us to Oakeshott’s conservative disposition, and what a government should do and refrain from doing. The conservative disposition is the determination to use the available resources at hand, rather than looking for alternative options. Canada already has strong anti-terrorism laws in effect before Bill C-51, so why was it necessary to enact this bill? Just because a few tragic events such as the Ottawa shooting may have occurred, it is the government’s responsibility to punish those who caused it, not to punish the rest of society by enforcing unjustified legislations. Although it is understandable that the government needs to maintain peace within the system, they must do so without oppression and infringing one’s liberties. While attempting to create peace, it may actually create conflict with citizens if they are not content in the way the bill is being used. According to the conservative disposition, the government is responsible for reducing frustrations among people, not causing it. They need to maintain social order and peace through rules which do not require to be adjusted. However, the bill clearly adjusted