Burnaby MP Kennedy Stewart wants to know if the federal government will consider Mayor Derek Corrigan a terrorist under the Conservatives' proposed anti-terror legislation.
Stewart, the MP for Burnaby-Douglas, raised the question in the House of Commons last Thursday.
"As we know, I have a brand new oil pipeline slated to be built through my riding of Burnaby-Douglas by the Kinder Morgan company. Of course, the government on that side of the House will stop at nothing to push this pipeline through, and of course the Liberals are also supporting it, of course everybody in Burnaby is dead set against it. In fact, the mayor of Burnaby, Derek Corrigan, said he would (lie) down in front of bulldozers to stop this pipeline."
Stewart said that could be construed as a "threat to economic development," which is covered by Bill C 51, the proposed anti-terrorism act.
"I'm wondering Mr. Speaker, is now the Mayor Derek Corrigan of Burnaby now a terrorist under this act? Would he be considered one? And of course, the new powers being given to CSIS, would they now be allowed to disrupt the mayor's activity and of course anybody else's in the city of Burnaby? As you know, we had 126 people arrested there (who were trying) to stop this pipeline. We had Grand Chief Stewart Phillip cross the exclusion zone in the protest area. Will this new bill have any impact on that, and will my mayor be a terrorist?"
MP Ted Optiz responded on behalf of the Conservatives.
"I hesitate to use this word, but it sounds somewhat bizarre to me, because Canadians will not be targeted under this act," he said. "If there's any Charter implications in the surveilling any individual for any act of terrorism, regardless of the type of example, and it did not pass muster with a judge, a warrant will never be issued. That is another level of oversight."
Optiz went on to say judges wouldn't allow Charter rights violations "in any way, shape, or form."
Corrigan could not be reached immediately for comment.
The Tories have been heralding the bill as a tool to protect Canadians from terrorist threats, but there's been widespread public concern and criticism of its overreaching provisions. The bill passed second reading in the House of Commons on Monday, with the Liberals voting in favour alongside the Conservative majority. The bill will now go to committee.
