Yukon Senator Dan Lang is fighting for changes to Bill C-6, which would amend Canada's Citizenship and Immigration Act. He believes parts of the bill constitute a "public security risk."

Specifically, Lang doesn't like the clause that would repeal the government's ability to revoke the citizenship of dual-national Canadians who are convicted of terrorism.

Bill C-6 is the Liberal government's attempt to reform the anti-terrorism legislation passed by Stephen's Harper's Conservative government.

The bill has passed third reading in the House of Commons and is now before the Senate. It passed second reading in the Senate on Thursday, and has now been sent to committee.

Lang, a Conservative, who is serving his second term as chair of the Senate Standing Committee on National Security and Defence, said in a statement that it's a mistake to repeal the provision in the Citizenship Act that allows the revocation of citizenship.

"This provision, as it presently exists, exists in 34 other countries. And now we're repealing this when the world is changing, the threat is ever-present? My position is that the government should revisit the question of repealing this particular section."

Two-tier citizenship, Lang says

Lang points out that if Bill C-6 is passed as it now stands, there will still be a "two tier definition of Canadian citizenship."

"There's a real irony here, because the government has retained the right to revoke citizenship for dual nationals when it comes to fraudulent applications for the purposes of affidavits... it [also] applies to people who have been convicted of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and other international human rights violations."

Lang also points to seven dual national citizens who are convicted terrorists — some members of the so-called "Toronto 18" — and, under the current law, would lose their citizenship.

Lang admits that if the convicted terrorists are deported, they may be a threat somewhere else. But he says that doesn't mean they should stay in Canada.

"Do we have a responsibility to keep them here, and they be a threat to you and I, and every other Canadian?

"Keeping them in Canada allows them to radicalize others while increasing our security risks. It also promotes the impression that Canada is soft on terrorism," he said.

Lang is urging Canadians to contact their senator and petition them to amend Bill C-6.