OTTAWA—The Liberals on Thursday released 10 “fundamental” amendments to the Conservatives’ new terror laws, including the creation of a parliamentary committee to oversee national security agencies.

The amendments came just hours after one right-leaning witness testifying on Bill C-51 said the lack of oversight is “dangerous” for Canadians’ rights and freedoms.

The amendments, released by Liberal public safety critic Wayne Easter, also create a “sunset” clause for the police-like powers proposed for the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, requiring them to be reviewed after three years.

But the Liberals are not seeking to limit the new “disruption” powers CSIS will enjoy under the Conservatives bill.

“. . . (We) we believe that our security and intelligence agencies, for purposes of countering the terrorist threat, do require certain enhanced powers . . . but we also believe that this must be commensurate with enhanced oversight, enhanced oversight for enhanced powers,” Liberal MP Irwin Cotler said at a press conference.

The Liberals released their proposals as a Commons committee studying Bill C-51 winds down. The New Democrats are expected to release their own extensive set of amendments Friday morning.

Among the proposed changes:

Bill C-51: No parliamentary oversight of spies.

Amendment : The Liberals would establish a nine-person committee — three senators and six MPs — that would have the power to summon witnesses and obtain documents on spy activities. The members would be permanently sworn to secrecy, but would produce a report to the prime minister every year. Portions of that report would be released publicly in the House of Commons.

Bill C-51: CSIS can investigate “any activity . . . if it undermines the sovereignty, security or territorial integrity of Canada or the lives or the security of the people of Canada,” but excludes “lawful advocacy, protest, dissent and artistic expression.” (Section 2)

Amendment : Removing the word “lawful” before “advocacy, protest, dissent and artistic expression.” The amendment addresses concerns that protests without municipal permit or express government permission would be caught in the intelligence dragnet.

Bill C-51: CSIS “shall not take measures to reduce a threat to the security of Canada if those measures will contravene a right or freedom guaranteed by the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms or will be contrary to other Canadian law, unless the Service is authorized to take them by a warrant issued under section 21.1.” (Section 42.3)

Amendment : CSIS would still be able to break Canadian laws, if approved by a federal court judge, but would be prohibited from contravening Canadians’ Charter rights.

Bill C-51: CSIS will have a host of new powers, including taking down websites accused of hosting terrorist propaganda and seizing those materials either physically or online. A new offence would also be created for advocating terrorist acts “in general.” (Sections 83.22, 83.221, and 83.222)

Amendment : CSIS would still enjoy those new powers, and advocating terrorism “in general” would still be a crime. However, the powers would have a mandatory review within three years, and would be eliminated if no such review was conducted.

The amendments mirror some of the suggestions put before a Commons committee studying Bill C-51 from academics, lawyers, political groups, and associations representing Muslim Canadians. Creating an oversight body, in particular, has been a suggestion embraced by both government and opposition witnesses.

On Thursday, Steven Bucci, a member of the U.S. right-leaning Heritage Foundation, said the lack of oversight is actually “dangerous” for Canadians’ rights and freedoms.

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“Because there’s humans in all of those (security) organizations that have been mentioned, and as noted they occasionally screw up,” Bucci told the committee.

“(Without oversight) it would be a danger . . . a danger to the civil liberties piece. You need some sort of oversight.”