Anti-terrorism bill strikes ‘important balance’ says McLeod

NEWS/ POLITICS — A threatened attack on West Edmonton mall is part of the new reality facing Canadians, Kamloops-Thompson-Cariboo MP Cathy McLeod said during a Housing of Commons debate on the Conservatives’ anti-terrorism bill.

McLeod said Monday the government’s controversial bill strikes “the important balance between security and protection of freedoms.”

Regarding West Edmonton Mall, McLeod said, “Hardly a week goes by that I, like many Parliamentarians, do not wake up to news of extreme incidents or threats somewhere in the world.

“A couple of days ago we heard that al Shabaab was threatening Canadians in malls, malls where our children go, malls where grandmothers go. The West Edmonton Mall was named specifically.”

The international jihadi movement “has declared war on Canada and war on our allies,” she said.

McLeod said assertions by the NDP that Bill C-51 would allow targeting of legitimate protesters is inaccurate, saying it’s “an attempt to fearmonger.”

The bill gives CSIS the power to disrupt activity that constitutes a threat to the nation’s security. McLeod said the bill does not threaten lawful advocacy, protests, or dissent.

Opponents of the bill say an activity, such as protesting, might not be lawful but that doesn’t mean it’s terrorism. But McLeod argued, “Absolutely no change would be made to what constitutes a threat to the securirty of Canada.”