Ottawa, October 5, 2025 – The Europe Today: Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has warned that the federal Liberal government must either significantly amend their border security legislation or introduce an entirely new bill if they hope to secure support for its passage.
In an interview, Poilievre stated, “We’ve told Liberals that their current Bill C-2 will not pass unless they remove the violations of Canadians’ individual freedoms and privacy. We don’t think that law-abiding Canadians should lose their liberty to pay for the failures of the Liberals on borders and immigration.”
The Strong Borders Act, known as Bill C-2, was introduced during the spring sitting and is a key piece of Liberal government legislation. Part of its intent was to demonstrate to the Trump administration that Canada’s border security measures were sufficient, aiming to counter tariffs based on US concerns.
Government House Leader Steven MacKinnon has described the legislation as a measure to “ensure law enforcement has the tools to keep our border secure.” However, civil rights groups and privacy experts have criticized the bill, arguing that several provisions exceed its stated objectives. The 140-page legislation grants sweeping powers to security and intelligence services, including broad authority to open and inspect mail, cancel or suspend immigration documents, and demand subscriber information from internet providers without a warrant.
The Canadian Civil Liberties Association has raised concerns, stating that such powers provide access to “a trove of background about our lives” and questioning the bill’s compliance with the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
Conservatives have repeatedly flagged the bill’s so-called “snooping provisions.” On Friday, Poilievre reiterated that his party will not support the existing legislation and urged the Liberals to propose a new law that focuses on lawbreakers, restoring order at the border, removing fraudulent refugees, and protecting Canadians’ rights to mail, internet use, and lawful financial transactions.
He emphasized that law enforcement already retains the ability to conduct searches, including inspecting mail, but must obtain a warrant. “Mail is the easiest thing to get a warrant for. If you suspect something suspicious in a parcel or envelope, you set it aside, you go to a judge and you get a warrant. The envelope or parcel is not going to grow legs and run away,” Poilievre said.
With a minority Parliament, the Liberals require support from at least one other party to pass legislation. The New Democrats, Bloc Québécois, and Green Party have expressed similar concerns over government overreach.
A spokesperson from MacKinnon’s office declined to comment on whether the government would consider major amendments or introduce new legislation.
