High-profile Grit renounces party over terror bill

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This article was published 20/06/2015 (4066 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

OTTAWA — A former Liberal candidate and party organizer from Winnipeg has thrown away his Liberal membership card because the party voted in favour of the anti-terrorism legislation.

Victor Andres, who ran for the Liberals in 2011 in Kildonan-St. Paul and unsuccessfully sought the nomination again for this upcoming election, issued a letter Friday saying he could no longer remain a Liberal because he “simply cannot abide the support for C-51.”

“Siding with Mr. Harper in support of C-51, even with promises of changes (if elected), was the equivalent of being blindsided and hit by a speeding car while enjoying lunch on an outdoor patio,” he wrote. “I just did not see it coming at all. Needless to say, I was crushed.”

‘Siding with Mr. Harper in support of C-51, even with promises of changes (if elected), was the equivalent of being blindsided and hit by a speeding car while enjoying lunch on an outdoor patio. I just did not see it coming at all. Needless to say, I was crushed’ — Victor Andres

Bill C-51 has been controversial since it was introduced last year. It makes a number of sweeping changes, including making a new Criminal Code offence to promote terrorism and giving new powers to the Canadian Security Intelligence Service to disrupt terror plots and terrorist activities, not just collect information about them.

Andres said the bill “represents an onerous and unnecessary attack on our individual rights and liberties, an opinion which is shared by hundreds of legal scholars, past prime ministers and civil liberty associations throughout our country.”

Andres accused Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau of helping Harper to fulfil his goal to change Canada significantly.

In an interview with the Free Press Friday, Andres said it was a tough decision to make, and he is not happy to have to do it but he felt he had no choice. Once Bill C-51 got royal assent Thursday and it was clear the Liberals weren’t going to change their position, he acted.

“This was not an easy decision to make, and I made it with a very heavy heart, but it’s a deal-breaker for me.”

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The Liberals voted in favour of the anti-terror bill, along with the Conservatives. The NDP voted against it. Trudeau qualified his support saying he intends to amend the bill if elected to introduce more oversight. Trudeau told the Ottawa Citizen earlier this week he doesn’t regret that position, even though some think it has contributed to the Liberals’ falling polling numbers and growing support for the NDP, which voted against the bill.

“We took a position based on what is in the best interests of Canadians,” said Trudeau. “And ultimately this is a line of work in which you have to know that if you’re making decisions and taking positions that are reasonable and that flow from your values and your fundamental principles, then people will make informed choices.”

Earlier this month, a Nova Scotia candidate withdrew from the election because of C-51.

mia.rabson@freepress.mb.ca