Government House Leader Peter Van Loan has set out the government’s legislative agenda over the coming month. Van Loan announced that the omnibus crime bill, which is expected to include lawful access, will not be introduced until the fall.

Come back with a warrant by Rosalyn Davis (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0) https://flic.kr/p/aoPzWb
Lawful Access
Cabinet Minister Mandate Letters for The Digital Era
Christian Paradis, Minister of Industry: As the new Minister of Industry, it falls to you to make the digital economy strategy initiated by your predecessor Tony Clement a reality. The centrepiece of the strategy should be universal, competitively priced broadband service. With a majority government in place, we have four years to open the market to new competitors, facilitate the introduction of new wireless broadband alternatives, encourage the market to offer fibre connections in all major markets, foster new local competitors, leverage the role of high speed research and education networks, consider using spectrum auction proceeds to fund broadband initiatives, and address anti-competitive pricing models. We should set realistic but ambitious targets for broadband speed, pricing, and competition that allows Canada to reverse a decade of decline and once again become a global leader.
Cabinet Minister Mandate Letters for The Digital Era
Appeared in the Toronto Star on May 29, 2011 as What Harper’s Ministers Should be Doing Digitally With the new Parliamentary session set to kick off later this week, new cabinet members are busy brushing up on the myriad of issues they will face in the coming months. The appointment […]
Search Engine on Lawful Access
Search Engine examines the problems with lawful access in this week’s episode, which features an interview with Micheal Vonn of the BCCLA.
Web Surveillance Legislation Requires Study, Not Speed
The Conservatives argue that the omnibus approach is needed since the opposition parties “obstructed” passage of their crime and justice reforms during successive minority governments. Yet included within the crime bill package is likely to be legislation creating new surveillance requirements and police powers that has never received extensive debate on the floor of the House of Commons and never been the subject of committee hearings.
The package is benignly nicknamed “lawful access,” but isn’t benign. If the Conservatives move forward with their complete lawful access package, it would feature a three-pronged approach focused on information disclosure, mandated surveillance technologies, and new police powers.