Claudine Santos

Introduction to the Canadian Civil Liberties Association Meet with new senior officials to provide an introduction to CCLA staff, activities and priorites Bill C-36, An Act to enact the Protecting Privacy and Consumer Data Act, respecting the need to include robust restrictions on private-sector handling of personal data and on the adoption and use of artificial intelligence tools to ensure protection of privacy and human rights. Bill C-34, An Act to enact the Digital Safety Act and the Digital Safety Commission of Canada Act, with respect to state-compelled limitations on free speech on social media, generative AI, and other online services, imposition of age verification requirements onto various online services, and compliance of the proposal with freedom of expression and privacy rights. Bill C-2, An Act respecting certain measures relating to the security of the border between Canada and the United States and respecting other related security measures, with respect to legal standards for peace officers/CSIS to obtain information, a proposed regime to require surveillance-enabled digital services, cross-border information sharing (which are also replicated in Bill C-22, An Act respecting lawful access), and amendments to IRPA that would impact refugee protection and permit categorical cancellation of documents, and which are also replicated in Bill C-12, An Act respecting certain measures relating to the security of Canada’s borders and the integrity of the Canadian immigration system and respecting other related security measures. The federal government's adoption of a public registry for its use of artificial intelligence tools, and how to improve the utility of this registry as a government accountability tool. Bill C-4, An Act respecting certain affordability measures for Canadians and another measure, and Bill C-25, An Act respecting the Canada Elections Act and to enact An Act to change the names of certain electoral districts, 2026 with respect to the information privacy framework applicable to federal political parties. Bill C-8, An Act respecting cybersecurity, amending the Telecommunications Act and making consequential amendments to other Acts. Lobbying around telecommunications and cybersecurity, with an intention of making proposed legislation more respecting of privacy and human rights. Bill C-15, An Act to implement certain provisions of the budget tabled in Parliament on November 4, 2025, and concerns regarding Part 5, Division 5, of that Bill and its proposed introduction of a "Henry the VIII" clause that would empower the government to exempt private and public entities from the application of federal laws. Bill C-16, Protecting Victims Act. Charter and civil liberties concerns about the legislation, particularly in relation to impact on s. 11(b) of the Charter. Bill C-9, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (hate propaganda, hate crime and access to religious or cultural places), and specifically that its new anti-protests provisions risk criminalizing peaceful protestors; its problematic removal of Attorney General consent requirement for hate propaganda charges; that its new standalone hate crime offence is unduly stigmatizing and paves the way to excessive sentences; that its proposed definition of hatred does not align with Supreme Court of Canada precedents; and concerns regarding the addition of a "promotion of terrorism" offence. The civil liberties implications of forced detox under the Protective Detention and Care of Intoxicated Persons Act, SM 2025, c 49. Consultation on prospective amendments to the Criminal Code related to offences against children. Prospective amendments to the Criminal Code related to mandatory minimum sentences and remedies for violations of s. 11(b) of the Charter. Bill S-209, An Act to restrict young persons’ online access to pornographic material, regarding the privacy implications of a proposed age verification requirement that would be imposed by the Bill on online enti

Meeting with public office holders to raise awareness and seek input on the Arctic Research Foundation’s Arctic National Strategy. Discussing federal skills training and apprenticeship support programming, and the steps that can be taken to better enable training opportunities in Inuit and Northern communities. Seeking funding to support ARF vessel procurement, operational costs and subsidized vessel time for research organizations and Indigenous communities. Discussing the need for increased investments in Indigenous led environmental conservation and Northern scientific research initiatives. Meeting with public office holders to raise awareness of the Arctic Research Foundation and its work to advance the scientific research, environmental conservation, and infrastructure development priorities of Inuit and Northern communities

Advocate greater transparency in Canada’s fisheries Advocate for Canada to sign on to the global Mombasa Declaration Federal support for plastic alternatives and reuse policies. Policies to support a circular economy in Canada. Advocating for harmful chemicals to be eliminated from plastics used in food packaging. Advocating for harmful chemicals to be eliminated from plastics used in food packaging. Funding to co-ordinate refill options at FIFA 2026 Advocating for modernizing the Fisheries Act and policies to be inclusive of Indigenous Knowledge Systems, ecosystem-approaches and climate change. Advocate for the implementation of the precautionary approach framework for forage fish stocks. Advocate for the batching of certain stocks under the new rebuilding regulations and implementing rebuilding plans. Improved transparency and traceability in the seafood value chain in Canada to combat seafood fraud (defined as any activity that misrepresents the product that is being purchased) through improved labelling and documentation, traceability verification measures and greater consumer information. Advocating for the public availability of information regarding fish stock targets and limits through annual reports. Advocating for sustainable fisheries decisions. Advocating for regulations on recycled content for certain plastic manufactured items. Advocating for improvement to fisheries and shipping measures that will protect North Atlantic right whales. This includes changes to regulations under the Fisheries Act and Canada Shipping Act. Advocate for the creation of a registry for plastic manufactured items. Advocate for marine protected areas.

Advocate for the renewed and long-term funding of the Canada Black Justice Strategy.

Outreach to public office holders on Climate Policy and emissions reductions strategies. Outreach to public office holders relating to plans for the development, operation and possible expansion of liquefied propane gas (LPG) export terminals on the west coast of British Columbia. Outreach to public office holders on the development of a Hydrogen Strategy. Outreach to public office holders on the activities related to the Indo Pacific Strategy Outreach to public office holders on issues involving the movement of energy products on rail networks in Western Canada. Outreach to public office holders on issues involving the development of new marine infrastructure to support the export of Natural Gas Liquids.

Work Permits: Highlight the significant challenges facing industry in securing foreign nationals to fill skilled labour shortages in Canada. Advocate for adherence to stated processing timelines for work permits through Canadian diplomatic missions abroad and encourage improved communication on individual cases. Transportation Policy: Advocate that federal transportation policy and legislation must ensure Canada remains competitive in strategic industries like the nuclear energy sector by facilitating the continued transport of these goods via Canadian roads, rail lines and ports. Ensure that the high standards, safeguards and precautions taken in the transport of uranium and nuclear products are understood by federal policy-makers. Tax Policy, Legislation and Application: Work toward a resolution of issues arising from multiple court rulings in Cameco’s favour following successful litigation to overturn reassessments issued to the company by Canada Revenue Agency for the 2003, 2005 and 2006 tax years. Sustainable Resource Development: Seek to ensure that any environmental legislative or regulatory modifications affecting resource development are grounded in the principles of sound science/evidence-based decision-making and efficiency of regulatory process. These include the implementation of the new Impact Assessment Act (IAA), the Fisheries Act, and the Canadian Navigable Waters Act (CNWA), as well as further developments under the Species at Risk Act (SARA). Seek also to ensure that a meaningful role is facilitated for local Indigenous communities in the environmental monitoring of resource operations. Non-Resident Ownership Policy (NROP): Advocate for the implementation of the policy changes recommended for uranium mining in the final report of the Competition Policy Review Panel. National Recovery Strategy for the Woodland Caribou pursuant to the Species at Risk Act (SARA): Advocate for the federal government to update the finalized National Recovery Strategy for woodland caribou to fully and accurately reflect the scientific findings and data collected from the additional research that has been conducted in northern Saskatchewan. International Trade Policy: Encourage the Government of Canada to support Canadian business by fostering positive trade relations and facilitating commercial opportunities with key export markets, and by taking action to protect and defend Canadian companies when foreign governments treat them unfairly. International Nuclear Co-operation: Advocate for the completion and implementation of Nuclear Co-operation Agreements and related protocols facilitating the export of Canadian uranium, nuclear products and technologies for civilian purposes to countries the Government of Canada recognizes as legitimate participants in the nuclear energy sector. International Investment Protection: Encourage the negotiation and implementation of Foreign Investment Promotion and Protection Agreements and/or other bilateral investment treaties with countries that currently do not have such agreements in place with Canada to better protect the investments and holdings of Canadian companies and individuals in foreign jurisdictions. Infrastructure Programming: Encourage that all federal and federal-provincial infrastructure programs and initiatives include criteria to support public and community/First Nation infrastructure projects in remote northern regions of the country, including the northern portions of provinces. Foreign-Origin Nuclear Material (FONM): Advocate for the consideration of economic impacts on potential changes in the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission's application of Canadian nuclear non-proliferation policy to exports of FONM. Duty to Consult: Encourage greater clarity in the requirements and responsibilities of the various parties involved in resource land development as it pertains to the Crown's Duty to Consult and other aboriginal-based rights including considerations or decisions related to t

CFIB supports the principle behind the Canada Jobs Grant but encourages flexibility in its implementation and consideration of small and medium-size enterprises (SMEs)' needs. For example, introducing a permanent refundable tax credits for co-op and internship hires and reducing red tape from programs like Canada Summer Jobs to make it easier for small businesses to continue hiring youth. Advocating on behalf of small and medium-sized businesses to facilitate trade between Canada and other countries (CAN-US tariffs, the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement, Chinese tariffs). Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) shares its suggestions for Budget 2026 focusing on: reducing the small business tax rate from 9% to 6% and increasing the small business deduction (SBD) threshold to $700,000 and index it to inflation going forward. Canada is experiencing an “entrepreneurial drought”: a sustained period where business closures consistently outpace new business starts, leading to a shrinking entrepreneurial base and declining confidence in entrepreneurship. CFIB recommends that reversing this trend should be treated as a national economic priority. Sharing small businesses' views on Labour Code changes, impact on small businesses and the need to ensure the fluidity of the supply chain. Sharing survey results on improving CFIA customer service to encourage the review of their operations to better meet the needs of small and medium-size enterprises (SMEs) - reducing red tape and facilitating food mobility within Canada. Sharing data information and recommendations related to the state of small and medium-size enterprises (SMEs) overall and for specific sectors which could also include provincial data. Promoting reforms to the Competition Act that will ensure small businesses have an equitable opportunity to compete in today’s economy, especially as small and medium-size enterprises (SMEs) have noted an increase in large corporate giants within Canada. Shipping costs pose a significant barrier for small business, as such we continue to advocate for favourable shipping rates with carriers (including the cost of shipping along with better service levels and addressing the work stoppage at Canada Post). Presenting the views of small business owners based on our survey data to the Canada Revenue Agency to share ways of improving customer service interactions with small and medium-size enterprises (SMEs) and suggest ways to ease the tax burden on small business owners as well as increase accountability within the agency. CFIB continues to monitor the effects of the Consumer Product Safety Act on small and medium-size enterprises (SMEs) and other issues raised related to the mandate of Health Canada. We also continue to monitor customer service interactions between our members and Health Canada. Any issues are raised with officials. CFIB advocates for simplification to the federal procurement process on behalf of small and medium-size enterprises (SMEs). Lobbying to reduce Red Tape by focusing on removing interprovincial trade barriers, facilitating labour mobility and improving government customer service. This includes providing input for the consultations on the Annual Regulatory Modernization Bill. Goods and Services Tax/ Harmonized Sales Tax Administration with regards to Transitional Rules, Out of Province Sales Rules, Point-of-Sale Rebate, and fillings. Retirement Income Policies, and proposed Canada Pension Plan increases. CFIB is against mandatory increases in Canada Pension Plan, and has provided alternative approaches. CFIB has also shared recommendations to reduce disincentives to work for older workers. Presenting the views of small business owners on infrastructure spending through member survey results, mandate votes and other CFIB research. Offering funding solutions and alternatives to government proposals on transit and infrastructure expansion. Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA)

Discussions regarding the application of the Impact Assessment Act to nuclear projects, and the promotion of regulatory effectiveness and efficiency. Discussions regarding the role of nuclear energy in Canada’s climate change policy, including efforts to promote investment in nuclear energy. Advocating for federal support (financial, regulatory and policy) to develop and deploy large/small nuclear and fuel initiatives. International Trade of nuclear technology with respect to nuclear cooperation.

The development of related regulations under the federal and provincial Accord Acts The development of onshore transmission in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, PEI, Newfoundland and Quebec to ensure that electricity from offshore wind is able to reach market and that there are appropriate and adequate benefits for Atlantic Canadians The timely and sustainable development of offshore wind in Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and appropriate consideration of conservation, the fishery, and other ocean users in the bidding and licencing process.

Education agreement funding renewal: Renewal of the federal government's funding commitment to the B.C. Tripartite Funding Agreement Capital project funding for First Nation education facilities in BC: Formalizing the federal government's funding contribution toward seismic mitigation for B.C. First Nation Schools.