Kent County chapter activist Ann Pohl
The Council of Canadians Kent County chapter has called on the federal government’s “Consultation on National Security” committee to visit New Brunswick to hear first-hand about their treatment by the RCMP for protecting the land and water from fracking and the concern that environmentalists have been described by the federal police force as a threat to national security.
The Canadian Press explains, “In last year’s election campaign, the Liberals promised to repeal ‘problematic elements’ of omnibus security legislation, known as C-51. The bill gave the Canadian Security Intelligence Service explicit powers to disrupt terrorist threats, not just gather information about them. The legislation also created a new offence of promoting the commission of terrorist offences and broadened the government’s no-fly list powers. In addition, it expanded the exchange of federally held information about activity that ‘undermines the security of Canada’.”
That article notes, “The government has requested public feedback on issues ranging from sharing information and preventing attacks to conducting surveillance and ensuring intelligence agencies are accountable.”
Chapter activist Ann Pohl writes, “We are pleased to learn that your government is seriously considering how to undo the considerable damage to human rights enacted through the Anti-Terrorism Act (formally known as Bill C-51). In this letter, we ask you to consider the grave social importance of having a public meeting in our area. What follows is the ‘back story’ so that you know why we make this request.”
Pohl references community and Indigenous opposition to fracking in Elsipogtog in 2013 and the New Brunswick government legislating a moratorium on fracking in December 2014. She highlights, “In short, we have been exonerated: we were right to defend our families and our rural environment from this environmental threat. Yet, in 2016, there are road-level resistors/protectors who are still living with court ‘conditions’. The conditions imposed on many of our Indigenous allies are far more severe than what a non-Indigenous person would expect. All-out attempts were made to make an example of us and thus discourage other similar Water Protection actions across Canada.”
She adds, “Arising from all of this, hundreds of complaints about police abuse of powers were documented. These are being investigated by the Civilian Review and Complaints Commission for the RCMP. In December 2014, we were relieved to learn that the Civilian Commission has taken this matter so seriously that their own Commissioner also filed a complaint regarding RCMP activity. It is now more than three years since these abuses took place, and more than two years since the investigation began. It is very demoralizing that there has been no news about when we can expect a report from the Commission.”
Pohl concludes, “Our immediate request is that your Committee come to Kent County NB to hear from people directly how we feel about being made to look like enemies of the state. Speaking for our Chapter members, and advocating also for all our diverse Water Protection allies, you need to see our faces and hear our voices to understand what needs to change and why. After the treatment many of us endured, we need to know you care enough to take the time to do this.”
Public Safety Canada and the Department of Justice conducted an online consultation between September 8 and December 15. In-person meetings were held in Calgary, Ottawa, Halifax, Markham, Vancouver, Yellowknife, and Winnipeg.
A Government of Canada website says, “The information gathered from this public consultation is now being compiled. A report on the findings is being developed and will be released to the public in 2017.”