'An individual's right to own their personal information is an important principle.' - James Clancy
Ottawa (21 Oct. 2007) - The National Union is raising alarm bells over the Harper government's apparent disregard for the privacy concerns of Canadians.
"First we see an attempt to hold a behind closed doors consultation on getting access to our e-mail and cell phone data," says James Clancy, president of the 340,000-member National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE).
"Now there are concerns that they are accessing government data to send targeted mailings to Jewish households," Clancy says.
A complaint has been filed with the federal privacy commissioner over Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year) cards sent from the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) to Jewish constituents. Recipients are asking whether the PMO used government data to pinpoint recipients.
Colin McKay, a spokesperson for the privacy commissioner, has told the media the office is looking into the situation. "The question is, where did the mailing come from and where did the list come from?" he says.
Michael Geist, Canada Research Chair of Internet and E-commerce Law at the University of Ottawa, points out on his web-log that the "issue could be defused by simply answering the question of where the list came from, yet when a Conservative spokesperson was asked if Canadians could see their personal information in party databases, he responded with 'what would be their specific need to see?'"
Protecting Canadian's privacy
Critics say this controversy follows private consultations on so-called 'lawful access' legislation, which would allow telecommunications companies to provide customer name and address information to law enforcement agencies without going through other procedures. Since news of the consultations leaked the process has been made more open.
Still, it raises questions about how much value the Harper government places on the privacy rights of Canadians.
"This is an issue for all of us," says Clancy. "An individual's right to own their personal information is an important principle. There must be checks and balances on the ability of governments, law enforcement agencies and corporations ability to access personal information. Unfortunately, this government does not seem to share these concerns." NUPGE
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