Ottawa — Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre says his party will not support the federal Liberals’ flagship border security bill in its current form, arguing that it infringes on Canadians’ privacy and individual freedoms.
“We’ve told Liberals that their current Bill C-2 will not pass unless they remove the violations of Canadians’ individual freedoms and privacy,” Poilievre said in an interview with CBC News. “We don’t think that law-abiding Canadians should lose their liberty to pay for the failures of the Liberals on borders and immigration.”
The Strong Borders Act (Bill C-2) was introduced in the spring as part of a broader Liberal effort to address U.S. concerns about border security — concerns that have been used by the Trump administration to justify tariffs. The 140-page bill includes expanded powers for security and intelligence agencies, including the ability to open and inspect mail, suspend or cancel immigration documents, and obtain subscriber information from internet providers without a warrant.
Government House Leader Steven MacKinnon has defended the legislation, saying it is about “ensuring law enforcement has the tools to keep our border secure.” But civil liberties groups and privacy experts have criticized the bill, arguing that some of its provisions exceed what is necessary and may violate Charter rights. The Canadian Civil Liberties Association warned that warrantless access to subscriber information could reveal “a trove of background about our lives.”
Poilievre said his party supports strengthening border enforcement but cannot support what he described as “snooping provisions” in the current draft. He called on the Liberals to either heavily amend the legislation or introduce a new bill. “They should reintroduce a new bill that focuses on law breakers, on restoring order at the border, on kicking out fraudulent refugees, while at the same time allowing people to send mail, use the internet or do legitimate lawful cash transactions,” he said.
He emphasized that law enforcement already has the ability to search mail, but only with judicial authorization. “Mail is the easiest thing to get a warrant for. If you suspect there’s something suspicious in a parcel or envelope, you set it aside, you go to a judge and you get a warrant. The envelope or parcel is not going to grow legs and run away,” Poilievre said.
With the Liberals governing in a minority Parliament, they need support from at least one opposition party to pass legislation. Both the NDP and the Bloc Québécois have also voiced concerns about government overreach in Bill C-2, increasing the pressure on the Liberals to amend or replace the legislation.
A spokesperson for MacKinnon declined to comment on whether the government is open to making significant changes or introducing a new bill.