“Canada should pride itself as perhaps the only country that democratically debates secession. We should not be a country that shares secret information about peaceful protesters.

“The government’s rationale for offence is not convincing, given the breadth of existing offence. People have already gone to jail for terrorist propaganda.

“But even if we are wrong, the new offence is a sledgehammer where a scalpel is needed…. And given its remarkable ambiguity, we have no doubts that it is capable of chilling constitutionally-protected speech.” – Kent Roach

“The details matter. And it is the details we are here to discuss.

“If bill C-51 passes, CSIS will be authorized to act physically to reduce “threats to the security of Canada”. Where authorized by Federal Court warrant, these “measures” may “contravene the Charter” or may be “contrary to other Canadian law”.

“The government says it needs these powers so that, for example, CSIS can warn families that a child is radicalizing. No one in good faith could object to this. But the bill reaches much further. Indeed, the only outer limit is: no bodily harm; no obstruction of justice; and, no violation of sexual integrity, along with a more open ended and subjective admonishment that the Service act reasonably and proportionally.

“In the final analysis, we are dependent on good judgment by the Service. I do not doubt CSIS’s integrity. I do doubt its infallibility.” – Craig Forcese

Article here.

Note: it has been pointed out to me that Scotland has also democratically debated secession.