TORONTO: The Canadian Constitution Foundation (CCF) has issued the following statement in response to the government’s announcement of Bill C-36, a new bill dealing with “online harms”:
“This government, and the Heritage Minister in particular, have proven again and again that they are anti-free expression and anti-technology. Today’s announcement of Bill C-36 is another example of the combination of the worst instincts of Prime Minister Trudeau and Minister Guilbeault.”
“The return of the civil remedy for hate speech combined with the expansion to include online content and an inherently subjective definition should make all Canadians concerned. For example, the proposed definition of hate speech as speech that is ‘likely’ to foment detestation or vilification is a vague and subjective standard.”
“This legislation will impact the ability of Canadians to engage in debate on subjects that are unsettled. Giving government and unelected tribunal bureaucrats even greater control over Canadian’s expression will erode our fundamental rights, which have already been struck a serious blow by Bill C-10. While hate speech is abhorrent and must be condemned, Bill C-36 will cause a whole new set of harms. The balance is all wrong, and this legislation should be rethought entirely.”
The original version of this release can be found here.
