22 Apr 2022
The right to protest and express dissent without fear of reprisal is fundamental to a democratic society and
the exercise of freedom of speech. The Pirate Party seeks to uphold and protect this right, wherever people wish to make use of it. Withholding labour is also part of the tradition of protest and must also be
protected.
The following policies have been approved by the Political Council and will be sent to the membership to be voted on:
-Small groups of protesters will no longer require a permit to hold their protests.
-Ban the practice of inserting undercover agents into protests without first obtaining a warrant. This includes officers removing their badges while monitoring a protest.
-Preserve the integrity of the police force by making it clear that officers instigating criminal acts or encouraging them with intent to escalate a protest or incite others to do so while under cover will be held fully responsible for their actions.
-Have law enforcement adopt an attitude of cooperation rather than confrontation through maintaining open lines of communication between law enforcement and protest leaders.
-Strictly prohibit the confiscation of cameras, communication or other recording devices by law enforcement in the absence of a court warrant.
-Launch a review of the practice of ‘kettling’ and random “snatch and grab” of protesters to determine whether the practice leads to a deteriation of public order.
-Protesters shall have the right to protect their identity and anonymity unless being arrested. If released without charge evidence and records gleaned will be destroyed.
22 Apr 2022
The privacy of the individual should be respected at all times.
We feel that citizens’ right to private and confidential communication is vital, but at present it is not respected. We will forbid third parties from intercepting or monitoring communication traffic (i.e. telephone calls, post, Internet traffic, emails), and require specific warrants to be issued by a court before the police are allowed to monitor communications traffic.
We will ensure that the freedom to encrypt data and communications is not abridged or limited and that access to the tools that make secure communications easier is not restricted.
We will significantly strengthen data protection laws, ensuring that companies holding personal information give data subjects more information about their rights; apply a standardized minimum level of security to data; and are clear about their policies on data retention and amendment.
Cross-domain tracking , multi-site tracking or tracking outside the tracker’s own domain will require user’s active acknowledgement, notwithstanding any privacy policy posted on the website. Similar form of acknowledgement is required if collected information are passed to third party, with the list of the third parties recipients provided to the user.
We will make it easier to apply to a court for compensation where data protection laws have been breached, and
increase the penalties for any breaches of data protection laws. We will allow the courts to apply these penalties to both the individuals and companies responsible, proportionally to the scale of the breach.
We will insist that searches of personal property should only be done with reasonable suspicion of a serious
criminal offence, and that any targeted surveillance requires a warrant. We will also introduce an annual independent audit of all cases in which surveillance is used, using the results to ensure that any legislation that allows intrusive acts is no broader than absolutely required and is used appropriately.
We will introduce laws on the acceptable use of CCTV cameras in both public and private spaces. While we recognize that there are arguments for the use of CCTV under some circumstances, it should not be considered a replacement for police officers on the beat, and it must not be used as an excuse for unrestricted spying on the public.
We want clearer guidelines and restrictions on the use of DNA records by authorities, to ensure samples are only taken voluntarily, or when there are reasonable grounds to suspect the individual of having committed a serious offence. Samples should be promptly destroyed if the individual is acquitted or not charged with a criminal offence, and they should only be held for the length of time for which there is a reasonable suspicion that the suspect has committed a crime.
The following policies have been approved by the Political Council and will be sent to the membership to be voted on:
-The Pirate Party will legislate with the principle in mind that the privacy of the individual should be respected at all times.
-We will forbid private third parties from intercepting or monitoring communication traffic (i.e. telephone calls, post, Internet traffic, emails), and require specific warrants to be issued by a court before the police or government agency are allowed to monitor communications traffic (including meta data).
-We will ensure that the freedom to encrypt data and communications is not abridged or limited and that access to, and creation of, the tools that make secure communications possible is not restricted.
-We will significantly strengthen data protection laws, ensuring that companies and the government holding personal information give people more information about their rights; apply a effective level of security to data; and are clear about their policies on data retention and amendment of said policies. A person who chooses to permanently delete their data on a private web service has the right to expect that their online data has been permanently deleted with the exception of a minimal amount of data for billing purposes. This does not include the data that the user has voluntarily shared in the past and is beyond the of control of the provider.
-Oppose mandatory data retention laws that require service providers to retain user’s private information. This practice violates a user’s privacy rights.
-We will make it easier to apply to a court for compensation where data protection laws have been breached. We will also
increase the penalties for any breaches of data protection laws, proportionally to the scale of the breach.
-Impose penalties on service providers and telecom companies who give out private information to third parties (including government) without a warrant or user consent.
-We will insist that searches of personal property should only be done with reasonable suspicion of a serious criminal offence, and that any targeted surveillance requires a warrant. We will also introduce an annual independent audit of all cases in which surveillance is used, using the results to ensure that any legislation that allows intrusive acts is no broader than absolutely required and are used appropriately.
-We will create clearer guidelines and restrictions on the use of DNA records by authorities, to ensure samples are either taken voluntarily, or when there are reasonable grounds to suspect the individual of having committed a serious offence or with a court order. These samples will be promptly destroyed if the individual is acquitted or not charged with a criminal offence, and they will only be held for the length of time for which there is a reasonable suspicion that the suspect has committed a crime or if convicted.
-Implement strict guidelines for cabinet ministers accessing citizen health, military, and tax records. It will require all access to be logged and reason given stating the purpose of the access.
22 Apr 2022
There’s very little genuine and accessible public space in Canada; whether you are looking for it online or offline, but there are many places that are private and yet modern life strongly encourages you into, like shopping centres, walkways, parks and open spaces around churches and other buildings.These spaces become so important to people, that it is time to recognizing that citizens have rights in them, despite being private places.
The Pirate Party intends to define a legal notion of “pseudo-public space” which is space that, while privately owned, has become so woven into the lives of citizens, and so essential to their daily routines, that they any rights that they might enjoy in a public place also apply.
The following policies have been approved by the Political Council and will be sent to the membership to be voted on:
-Whether you are looking for open and accessible space in Canada, there are many places that are private and yet modern life strongly encourages you into. Shopping centres, walkways, parks, congregating and open areas around buildings: these spaces have become so important to people that it is time to recognizing that citizens have rights in them, despite being privately owned.
-The Pirate Party intends to define a legal notion of “pseudo-public space” which is space that, while privately owned, has become woven into the lives of citizens and is a regular part of their routines. The rights that Canadians enjoy in public places should also apply to these pseudo-public places.
22 Apr 2022
Canada had a minimum income (“mincome”) program, it was highly successful until a new government came in and shut it down. We want to revive the mincome program, and implement it on a national level.
Instead of bailing out banks, and channelling money through them to increase spending in the economy, help needs to get directly to those who are creating new ideas and new jobs. However, it is not just a question of creating any old jobs; the focus of our economy should be jobs with a living wage. A vast number of people in Canada are paid less than what is required to live above poverty levels in their area. These people then need government support, essentially providing a subsidy for employers.
We would lift these people out of the poverty trap, firstly by ensuring that the minimum wage is a living wage wherever you live in Canada, and secondly by unifying and simplifying the benefits system with the eventual aim of implementing a Citizens Income for all Canadian citizens.
22 Apr 2022
Canadian defamation law needs a thorough overhaul. At present they present an unacceptable risk to free speech. We will make it clear that the truth is an absolute defence against any defamation claim and significantly reduce the burden and costs faced by defendants in defamation cases.
The following policies have been approved by the Political Council and will be sent to the membership to be voted on:
-The Pirate Party will reform Canadian defamation laws to make truth an absolute defence against charges of defamation.
-We will protect authors and/or publishers who repeat a claim provided they had good reason to believe it to be true and have evidence to support it.
– Evidence, no matter how a third party obtained it, cannot be excluded from the defense’s case as long as the defendant had no part in it being obtained.
-Reinforce protection for hosting platforms from liability for the speech of their users.
