Issue - National ID Cards in Canada

At the request of Denis Coderre, the Canadian Minister for Citizenship and Immigration, the House of Commons Committee on Citizenship and Immigration is examining the possibility of a secure national identity card for Canadians. The minister has made it very clear that he himself is in favour of a Canadian national ID card that would use some type of biometrics, such as an iris scan, facial recognition or fingerprints.

The Minister of Citizenship and Immigration seems to have two major reasons for the intensified interest by the federal government in a secure national ID card for Canadians: an increasing demand for a secure identity document for international travellers, especially to meet changing and more stringent requirements from the U.S. Government growing concern over rapid increases in identity theft in Canada

The House of Commons Citizenship and Immigration Committee has asked for comments on a range of questions related to the possibility of national ID cards in Canada. Some of the items on their list are: what are the problems with current Canadian identity documents? which levels of government in Canada would be responsible for a new national ID card? should a Canadian national ID card be mandatory or voluntary? what personal information and which secure technologies should be used for national ID cards?

Still at the preliminary discussion stage.

The most vocal supporter of a secure Canadian national ID card using biometrics is the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration. Some of the reasons the minister gives are: Canada needs a national identity system. Right now the federal government issues citizenship and immigration documents and the provincial and territory governments issue birth and death certificates. a national ID card is just a tool that lets people prove they are who they say they are a national ID card is an important element of both personal and collective security a secure national ID card would help prevent identity theft it would improve the integrity of Canadian travel documents

Objections to the introduction of a national ID card include: Canadian Privacy Commissioner George Radwanski sees a secure national ID card as part of a recent Canadian federal government trend to intrude on the privacy of Canadians. Radwanski also points out that a national ID card would be useless as an anti-terrorist device, since anyone would be able to get one, and those on short visits to Canada would not need to get one. Some technology experts say that there is absolutely nothing secure about biometric ID cards unless the papers required to get them are equally secure. Morris Manning, a Canadian constitutional lawyer, says a biometric ID card could violate the Charter of Rights. Many are concerned about the costs, especially after huge cost overruns with existing federal government databases, the most recent example being the gun registry. There is also concern that a national ID card could lead to racial profiling.

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Guns and Gun Violence Issue

Gun violence in major cities in Canada, especially in Toronto, has been a growing concern, and was pushed to the forefront in the 2006 federal election campaign by public outrage over the shooting of a 15-year old girl on Boxing Day in downtown Toronto. While the Conservatives have traditionally worked the law-and-order issue, in the 2006 Canadian federal election the Liberals and NDP are also advocating getting tough on guns and gun violence. There are many different factors that go into an effective strategy on reducing gun violence, including addressing the root causes of violence and gangs, control over guns and ammunition, enforcement of existing laws, the need for new laws, and the effective implementation of border controls to prevent the importation of illegal guns. Here is what the major federal parties in Canada are advocating. The Liberals say they will amend the Criminal Code of Canada to let provinces and territories ban handguns, including an amnesty program and a buy-back program to collect existing handguns. The Liberals have promised to establish a national Gunstoppers Program to provide rewards for information leading to the removal of illegal guns from the streets. The Liberals plan to re-introduce legislation to combat gun crime which would double mandatory minimum sentences for key gun crimes, such as trafficking and smuggling of firearms and the illegal possession of loaded handguns in public places. The legislation was introduced just days before the 2006 Canadian federal election was called. A $50 million Gun Violence and Gangs Prevention Fund would be used to support reduction in gun violence and gang activity through diversionary and skills development programs. The Liberals plan a $50-million Rural Community Safety Plan for crime prevention initiatives in smaller communities in Canada. Prime Minister Paul Martin has pledged to support "reverse onus" on bail conditions for gun crimes. With reverse onus the accused has to explain why bail is justified. The Liberals are also promising to waive gun registry re-licensing fees for long guns, and to refund re-licensing fees that have already been paid by long gun owners. Additional policing measures announced by the Liberals include $225 million to create an RCMP Advanced Community Safety and Rapid Enforcement Team, $10 million a year to increase the number of graduating RCMP officers to 1,400 a year by 2008, and $40 million to increase intelligence and surveillance and stem the flow of illegal firearms into Canada. The Conservatives are proposing mandatory minimum prison sentences of five or ten years for major firearms offences, including a minimum five years sentence for possession of a loaded restricted or prohibited weapon such as a handgun. They propose sentencing anyone 14 years old convicted of a serious violent crime or repeat offence as an adult. They also say there would be no more conditional sentences, or house arrest, for serious gun crimes. (Most gun crimes currently have minimum sentences, though not as long as the Conservatives recommend, and so people convicted of those offences are not eligible for conditional sentencing anyway.) The Conservatives would crack down on firearms smuggling and toughen security at Canada’s border crossings. They propose allowing border guards to carry sidearms. The Conservatives propose ending the gun registry and using the savings to hire more police officers. They say they would fill the more than 1,000 unfilled RCMP positions and work with the provinces and municipalities to hire at least 2,500 more police officers across the country. The Conservatives are also promising to invest $50 million over five years in programs to promote crime prevention and assist youth at risk.

The Bloc Québécois 2006 election platform does not address guns and gun violence. The NDP propose a four-year minimum sentence for illegal possession and sale of restricted firearms and targeting the sale of illegal weapons on the Internet. To stop the flow of illegal guns from the United States, the NDP propose a four-year minimum sentence for importing illegal guns and strengthening border controls, including arming customs officers at the border. The NDP supports reverse onus bail conditions. The NDP proposes strengthening witness protection and support programs so that witnesses can better assist police. The NDP also proposes that young offenders 16 and over who are charged with gun offences be tried as adults. The NDP wants to ensure that the federal government works with local communities to find solutions to violence, and that money and assets seized through proceeds of crime legislation go back into the neighbourhoods they came from.

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