Liberal cabinet proposed a bill yesterday to expand police mail interception powers for suspicious cargo, removing historical privacy protections.

"We need to ensure Canada's law enforcement is equipped with the tools they need to stay ahead of organized crime groups and crack down on illicit activities," Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree told reporters. "This is essential to maintaining the safety and security of our country."

When questioned about the potential for abuses of civil liberties, Anandasangaree, former general counsel for the Canadian Tamil Congress, asserted his lifelong commitment to protecting human rights. "I fundamentally believe we have struck the balance."

Bill C-2 amends the Canada Post Corporation Act to permit police to open mail in transit, removing the current requirement for police to track suspicious mail to delivery, which has led to sting operations involving RCMP posing as mail carriers.

"Even with a search warrant, we can't seize packages going through the mail," Mario Hamel, then-president of the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police, testified at 2018 hearings of the Senate legal and constitutional affairs committee.

Minister Anandasangaree yesterday said police needed new powers. "Searches through Canada Post can determine if there are illegal goods coming in," he said.

The border bill aims to secure the border, combat organized crime and fentanyl, and strengthen measures against financial crimes.

Officials announced Tuesday that the new measures will enhance police and intelligence digital evidence warrants, previously hindered by court rulings. Border agents would also gain warrantless authority to search outgoing containers.

The provision resembles a lapsed Conservative bill, S-256, targeting Canada Post, which aimed to reduce trafficking via mail. Senator Claude Carignan, the bill sponsor, noted traffickers exploit Canada Post due to perceived lower interception risks compared to private couriers.

The 1867 Post Office Act ensured mail security with a penalty of five years' imprisonment, according to Blacklock’s.

The minister adds that the border bill, while not solely aimed at addressing U.S. President Trump's border security concerns, would help alleviate some of them. Anandasangaree added that the bill resolves several issues that had caused tension with the U.S. but serves broader purposes.

Bill C-2 would also grant the Coast Guard authority to conduct security patrols near the border and in the Arctic, sharing information with security agencies, a power currently prohibited. 

Other measures include harsher penalties for violating anti-money laundering and terrorism financing laws, enhanced compliance and surveillance measures, and a $10,000 limit on cash transactions to fight money laundering.

Prime Minister Mark Carney earlier vowed to strengthen the buyback program and tighten federal bail laws during the campaign, and pledged to boost border security by adding 1,000 agents, scanners, and K-9 units to combat gun smuggling.

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