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The Carney government again wants to make legislative changes to allow law enforcement to search and seize Canadians’ mail.
The proposed change is buried in the 2026 spring economic update, on page 145 of the 167-page document.
“In the Spring Economic Update 2026, the government proposes to amend the Canada Post Corporation Act to enable law enforcement to lawfully search and seize mail as authorized under an Act of Parliament,” reads the document.
On its surface, this proposal has no obvious tie to any of the measures included in the update. Other proposed legislative changes are tied to initiatives outlined in the document.
A spokesperson for the public safety minister said this change will not allow for warrantless search and seizure, but will make it possible for law enforcement to get warrants for all forms of mail.
Currently, officers can only get warrants for packages, and for mail weighing more than 500 grams.
Recent police investigations have found drug smuggling operations have involved mail sent through Canada Post. The Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police has called for this change in the past.
Since being elected one year ago, the Liberals under Prime Minister Mark Carney have sought to grant more powers to police and intelligence services. One of the first bills tabled, C-2, would have allowed for warrantless search and seizures of mail under 500 grams. The government tabled a new bill, C-22, after C-2 garnered criticism from opposition parties and civil liberties advocates. Under C-22, lawmakers are currently considering whether to simplify data access for police.
Though the actual phrasing of the amendments in the economic update has not been released, the spokesperson for the public safety minister said, these changes fall short of what was proposed in C-2.
Carney recently defended lawful access
The prime minister recently defended giving police additional authority to obtain information or communications, also known as lawful access.
“That’s supported by virtually every law enforcement agency in the country. This is an exceptionally important issue. We all know how we communicate increasingly in different channels of communication,” said Carney on April 14.
Law enforcement have long flagged problems with consistency and reliability in dealing with electronic service providers when trying to get them to turn over information that could help with investigations.
It’s not clear why this public safety issue was included in the spring economic update, but the finance minister defended the decision.
“When you do an economic update, there’s a number of things you want to address. It’s about being transparent; it’s about informing Canadians about the measures we put forward,” said François-Philippe Champagne in a news conference about the update on Tuesday.
The changes will be debated in the House of Commons before being voted on.
After winning three crucial byelections, and with the help of five floor-crossers, the Liberals formed a majority government earlier this month, making it easier to pass proposed legislation.
