New Proposal to Search and Seize Mail

The Carney government is once again looking to change laws that would let law enforcement search and seize Canadians’ mail.

This proposed change is tucked away 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.

At first glance, this proposal doesn’t seem connected to any other measures included in the update. Other legislative changes are linked to initiatives mentioned in the document.

A representative for the public safety minister stated that this change won’t allow for warrantless searches but will enable law enforcement to obtain warrants for all types of mail.

Right now, officers can only get warrants for packages or mail that weighs more than 500 grams.

Recent police investigations have revealed that drug smuggling operations have involved mail sent through Canada Post. The Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police has previously requested this change.

Since taking office a year ago, the Liberals under Prime Minister Mark Carney have pushed for more authority for police and intelligence services. One of their first bills, C-2, aimed at allowing warrantless searches and seizures of mail under 500 grams. After facing backlash from opposition parties and civil rights advocates, they introduced a new bill, C-22, which is currently under consideration regarding simplifying data access for police.

While the exact wording of these amendments in the economic update hasn’t been released yet, a spokesperson for the public safety minister mentioned that these changes don’t go as far as what was proposed in C-2.

Carney recently defended lawful access

The prime minister recently spoke out in favor of giving police more authority to access information or communications, commonly referred to 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 has long pointed out issues with consistency and reliability when dealing with electronic service providers while trying to obtain information that could assist investigations.

The reason behind including this public safety issue in the spring economic update isn’t clear; however, the finance minister justified it during a news conference about Tuesday’s update.

“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.

The changes will be discussed in the House of Commons before a vote takes place. 

After winning three key byelections and gaining support from five floor-crossers, the Liberals formed a majority government earlier this month, making it easier for them to pass legislation proposals.


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