Review of Bill C-2 – the Strong Borders Act
Bill C-2, or the Strong Borders Act, proposes a sweeping set of legislative amendments intended to address three main themes: securing the Canada-U.S. border, combating transnational organized crime and fentanyl, and disrupting illicit financing. These amendments are meant to combat crimes (illegal immigration, fentanyl trade, money laundering), contribute to Canadian sovereignty, and modernize laws to address evolving security threats.
Securing the border:
- Amendments to the Customs Act would compel transporters and warehouse operators to provide customs officers access to their premises for inspections on exports (as they do for imports).
- Proposed amendments to the Oceans Act would enable Canadian coast guards to patrol and share information with intelligence partners for security purposes.
- Amendments for the Sex Offender Information Registry Act would lower barriers for sharing information gathered under the act, thus allowing enhanced disclosure to international partners.
- Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and the Department of Citizenship and Immigration Act are facing amendments to extend legislative authority to cancel or suspend immigration documents, including new applications. This also allows for disclosure of immigration information with federal partners.
Combating transnational organized crime and fentanyl:
- Amendments to the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act and Cannabis Act would clarify exemptions allowing for certain investigative tools to combat drug trafficking and strengthen border security’s ability to prevent importation of precursor chemicals used to produce illicit drugs.
- Proposed amendments to the Supporting Authorized Access to Information Act would ensure that electronic service providers have the capabilities to meet requests from law enforcement.
- Proposed reforms to the department of Public Safety and Department of Justice would support lawful access to information both domestically and internationally.
- Amending the Canada Post Corporation Act would facilitate easier authorized searches of mail and expand Canada Post’s authority to inspect open mail.
Disrupting illicit financing
- Proposed amendments to the Proceeds of Crime (Money Laundering) and Terrorist Financing Act and Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions Act would strengthen monetary penalties, enhance anti-money laundering mechanisms, and improve coordination between financial regulators.
- Additional amendments to be made to the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act would clarify private information sharing between banks and law enforcement to better detect and deter money laundering.
Analysis
I would argue that this bill is the Liberals’ attempt to appease Trump and, ideally, secure relief from tariffs — or at the very least, demonstrate a willingness to cooperate that could be used as leverage in future negotiations.
It is clear that this bill aims to fix Trump’s reasons for levying heavy tariffs against Canada. Trump claims that illegal immigrants are entering the U.S. from Canada; theme 1, securing the border, intends to curb illegal immigration at the border. Trump claims that China ships precursor chemicals into Canada, where they are then made and smuggled into the U.S.; theme 2, combating transnational organized crime and fentanyl, is proposed to fix exactly that. Trump claims that Canada is a hub for illegal drug trafficking, theme 3, disrupting illicit financing, aims to enhance financial measures against organized crime.
Together, these three themes reflect a direct response to the specific grievances raised by Trump. Yet despite these targeted efforts, the effectiveness of this bill in easing trade tensions remains uncertain. Trump nevertheless implemented a 25% tariff on Canada in March despite Canada’s sweeping border security renovations in December. This suggests that while Bill C-2 may align with U.S. concerns, its passage alone is unlikely to shield Canada from the volatility of Trump-era trade politics.