Conservatives cry foul after government signals move to speed up 'lawful access' bill

The Conservatives accused the federal government Tuesday of trying to ram through a bill to help police and spies after the Liberals warned they would take steps to speed up committee scrutiny of the legislation.

The Liberals say the bill will ensure law enforcement agencies have the legal tools to prevent and investigate modern crime while respecting the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Opponents argue the proposed legislation unnecessarily expands the powers of police and intelligence agencies, endangers privacy, flouts the Charter and makes Canada less attractive to business.

Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree said the Conservatives were using stalling tactics to delay study of the bill by the House of Commons public safety committee.

Anandasangaree told reporters the committee had devoted 10 hours to clause-by-clause consideration of the bill, while addressing just seven amendments, amounting to a filibuster.

"You can call it any other name, but delay and stalling tactics is not what's warranted right now," he said. "What is warranted is collaboration and co-operation."

Anandasangaree reiterated the government's plan to bring forward amendments to address concerns about the legislation.

Conservative MP Frank Caputo, a member of the committee, said his party is not filibustering but merely ensuring the bill receives proper scrutiny.

"Things might be too slow for (the minister), but that's not the actual issue here," said Caputo, the Tory public safety critic. "The issue is, are things too slow for Canadians, or perhaps are we going to move too fast for Canadians?"

Caputo said it was his job, as part of His Majesty's Loyal Opposition, to ensure that legislation is constitutionally compliant.

"When you ram legislation through over objections, or over considerations, from law professors and civil liberties groups, you have a problem," he added. "That is precisely what the Liberals are trying to do."

MPs on the public safety committee resumed clause-by-clause review of the bill late Tuesday. The House of Commons is expected to adjourn for the summer later this week.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 16, 2026.

By Jim Bronskill | Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.