Canada could soon get spying powers similar to US spy agencies

Last year’s terrorist attack on the capital has encouraged changes to spy agency

(Getty Images)

A deadly terror attack last year in the Canadian capital has prompted lawmakers in that country to consider expanding the powers of its spy agency and legislation to that effect has taken an important step toward becoming law.

The Canadian House of Commons on Wednesday voted to approve the Anti-Terror Act and the Senate is expected to pass the bill before the end of this month, according to the BBC.

The Anti-Terror Act would give the Canadian Security Intelligence Service power to operate overseas, make preventative arrests and prosecute those who promote terrorism on the internet, among other things.

“There is a high probability of jihadist attacks from within,” Canadian Defence Minister Jason Kenney told the BBC. “The threat of terrorism has never been greater.”

Canada has seen a rise in home-grown terrorism recently, including the October attack when a gunman killed a soldier at the National War Memorial before attacking nearby parliament buildings.

Despite advancing through Canadian government, the bill is not without critics. Former leaders and five Supreme Court justices have publicly questioned increasing spying powers.

“This bill will almost certainly lead to a chill on freedom of speech,” Allan Weiss, professor of humanities at York University, told the BBC. “It is filled with vague wording that would make it possible for the government to label virtually anything it disagreed with as harmful to Canada's national interests.”

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