OTTAWA - The federal nominee for privacy commissioner says the government's cyberbullying bill should be split in two to allow greater scrutiny of measures that would expand online surveillance.
Justice Department lawyer Daniel Therrien tells a House of Commons committee there needs to be more transparency on the bill that has raised the ire of many privacy advocates.
Therrien, who has worked for several federal agencies, is assistant deputy attorney general for public safety, defence and immigration at Justice.
He co-led negotiations on privacy principles that govern the sharing of information between Canada and the United States under the new perimeter-security pact.
Therrien says he has a passion for human rights and, despite his work on government files, would strive to be impartial.
The privacy commissioner monitors compliance of government agencies and private companies with federal privacy laws, and handles complaints from the public about alleged violations.
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