What I've learned about writing to government is to keep it short and to the point, to address your MP, and preferably to hand-write type it (the MPs' office staff prefer typing, as I've just learned). Here's a draft of what I'm planning to scribble and sendI've just faxed to the ministers of heritage and industry (with CC to my MP and the NDP digital critic Charlie Angus), in light of the emerging possibility that Bill C-11, already controversial for protecting digital locks, is now facing Big Content pressures to export SOPA's failure to Canada, with "enabler" provisions for censoring the Internet. According to Geist:

C-11 committee member Dean Del Mastro specifically referenced changes to the enabler provision in a recent interview about potential changes and there are rumours that the U.S. government is pushing the Canadian government to toughen the enabler provision (while keeping the digital lock rules unchanged). That suggests that just as the U.S. is moving away from SOPA in its own laws due to the political uprising against it, the Canadian government may be headed toward a similar quagmire as the U.S.-backed lobby groups lead it down a politically risky path.

So here's what I've got so far. I'm posting it in case anyone has suggestions for better (shorter, clearer, more persuasive) wording. 

Dear Ministers Moore and Paradis,

I am writing to register my objection to the digital lock provisions in Bill C-11, and to strenuously oppose any new "enabler" provisions, based on the disastrous SOPA legislation that failed so justly in the USA, for which entertainment lobbies are now pushing. Aside from the digital lock provisions, Bill C-11 stands to benefit Canadians; however, SOPA-style enabler provisions threaten the very structure of the Internet and would jeopardize Canadian business and national security. You have previously committed to passing C-11 unchanged; I urge you to maintain that commitment and refuse any changes to C-11 that would introduce enabler provisions or further tighten digital lock provisions. Such changes would turn the bill's existing compromise of the public interest into a downright public menace.

 

References:

"Dear They." "A Copyright Quickie: Canada is about to pass SOPA's evil little brother. Politely." 26 Jan. 2012.

---. "C-11 Form Letter." 2012.

Geist, Michael. "The Behind-the-Scenes campaign to Bring SOPA to Canada." 23 Jan. 2012.