Under the auspices of the war on terrorism, the Canadian government has fast tracked their anti-terrorism legislation - Bill C-36. Our civil liberties and way of life are being threatened.

"The US government, and no doubt governments all over the world, will use the climate of war as an excuse to curtail civil liberties, deny free speech, lay off workers, harass ethnic and religious minorities, cut back on public spending and divert huge amounts of money to the defence industry. To what purpose? President Bush can no more "rid the world of evil-doers" than he can stock it with saints. It's absurd for the US government to even toy with the notion that it can stamp out terrorism with more violence and oppression. Terrorism is the symptom, not the disease. Terrorism has no country. It's transnational, as global an enterprise as Coke or Pepsi or Nike. At the first sign of trouble, terrorists can pull up stakes and move their "factories" from country to country in search of a better deal. Just like the multi-nationals." Arundhati Roy, award winning author

Under the auspices of the war on terrorism, the Canadian government has fast tracked their anti-terrorism legislation - Bill C-36.

Some of the more insidious aspects include:

Preventative Detention: This gives the police the power to throw anyone in jail they choose, without justification or recourse for the detainee. Say goodbye to peaceful protest and the right to dissent. Say hello to oligarchy.

Access to Information: The right of Canadians to examine the activities of their elected officials be curtailed, but even worse, at least before they had to ask permission to monitor our e-mails, telephone calls, private discussions, etc. Now they can do it without permission. Say goodbye to Freedom of Speech. Say hello to Big Brother.

On October 25, the Canadian Bar Association (CBA) said that Bill C-36 goes too far and must include a sunset clause – thereby ensuring that the law will not be on the books forever and will end at a certain date – opposition parties are also demanding the same thing. The CBA argues that a sunset clause should apply to the entire Bill except for the clauses that hate propaganda illegal.

In a not so veiled attempt to please Washington, Ottawa is trying to get Bill C-36 approved as quickly as possible. There is no time to lose. If this bill passes, it is not inconceivable that in the very near future, the government might not only be aware that you have read and sent this e-mail, but they may have you on a list of potential people to arrest. Is this the kind of enduring freedom we want?

Copy and send the following letter to your MP (http://www.parl.gc.ca/common/SenatorsMembers_house.asp?Language=F&parl=3... ), to Justice Ministre Anne McLellan ( McLe...@parl.gc.ca or fax (613) 996-4516 ) and to Jean Chrétien ( p...@pm.gc.ca or fax: (613) 941-6900)

Dear Mr. or Ms.

30 years ago the October Crisis and the War Measures Act gave Canadians a small taste of what it was like to live in a police state. Now the Canadian government wants to extend these draconian conditions into a permanent way of life. This flies in the face of the Canadian charter of rights and freedoms and Canadian values of democracy, plurality and openness.

Eric Rice of the Canadian Bar Association (CBA) argues that the definition of terrorism under C-36 “could include legitimate activities that upset the social order, like the recent illegal strikes waged by nurses and truckers, anti-globalisation marches or First Nation demonstrations