Canadian Prime Minister Steven Harper’s Conservative government is set to introduce new anti-terrorism legislation by the end of this week, following the recent steps taken by some nations in Europe.
The new laws would enhance the powers of police and security agencies while restricting movement of suspected extremists. It would be illegal to promote terrorism under the new laws as well, Harper told participants at an event in Ottawa on Sunday.
“These measures are designed to help authorities stop planned attacks, get threats off our streets, criminalize the promotion of terrorism and prevent terrorists from traveling and recruiting others,” he told supporters. “It will contain a range of measures to ensure that our police and security agencies have the tools they need to meet evolving threats and keep Canadians safe.”
Harper added that although there would be changes in Canada’s ‘no-fly’ policy, making it tougher for suspected terrorists to board planes, civil liberties would not be curbed.
“To be clear, in doing so, we shall be safeguarding our constitutional rights of speech, of association, of religion and all the rest,” he said.
Last autumn there was a series of terror attacks on Canadian soldiers in Ottawa and Quebec that shocked and horrified the public, which until then had not considered that terror could arrive in their land too. Two soldiers were killed within one week.