OTTAWA (LifeSiteNews) – The Canadian government under Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has promised to ram through many pieces of controversial legislation before the new year, including some targeting free speech and internet rights.
Government House Leader Mark Holland said Monday that the Liberals have many bills to get through in the 20 sitting days left in the House of Commons before the Christmas break.
He then made a threat that his party will not “tolerate a lot of obfuscation or political games.”
According to Blacklock’s Reporter, Holland said bills such as the controversial C-10 have already had “significant debate” both “in and out of the chamber in some cases.”
“I think Canadians expect us to hit the ground running,” he claimed.
The Trudeau government in recent months attempted to pass laws that many have called out as attacks on free speech, internet and parental rights.
However, after Trudeau called an election in August, the most controversial legislation, those being Bills C-36, C-10, and C-6, despite passing in the House of Commons, died.
Bill C-10, known as “An Act to Amend the Broadcasting Act,” drew fire for its targeting of user-generated content on social media platforms. It failed to pass the Senate during the last day of debate on June 29, before the upper chamber broke for the summer.
Bill C-36 was introduced by Justice Minister David Lametti just before Canada’s House of Commons closed for summer break. It is titled “An Act to amend the Criminal Code and the Canadian Human Rights Act and to make related amendments to another Act (hate propaganda, hate crimes and hate speech).”
It targets bloggers and social media users for speaking their minds. If passed, the bill would theoretically allow a tribunal to judge anyone who has a complaint of “online” hate against them to be in violation of the new law.
Bill C-6, often referred to as a “conversion therapy” ban, has been called a “disgraceful” attack on parental freedoms by family groups.
The bill passed Canada’s House of Commons in late June with full support from the Liberal, New Democrat, Green, and Bloc Quebecois MPs. Only 63 Conservative Party (CPC) MPs voted against the bill, with 51 in favor of it.
Recently, as well, Canada’s federal government released plans to create a “Digital Safety Commissioner” who would have the power to shut down websites deemed a threat to “democracy” and to promote content deemed “harmful.”
Canadian senator says he finds Bill C-10 ‘Orwellian’
In a recent interview, Nova Scotia Senator Michael MacDonald said that he has “a lot of problems with a handful of elites deciding what you can see and what you can read.”
“We already have laws on objectionable content,” adding that he finds Bill C-10 “Orwellian.”
MacDonald was one of the few senators who called out Erin O’Toole’s Conservative Party of Canada’s poor showings in the 2021 election. He said it is now “necessary” to review O’Toole as party leader.
Pablo Rodriguez, Canada’s new Heritage Minister, said Tuesday that “C-10 is a top priority,” adding that he is in “discussions with stakeholders” about it.
Rodriguez told a reporter this week that C-10 has “nothing to do with free speech.”
“I mean, as I always said before, my door is always open. I had an initial discussion with my Conservative counterpart, and I think we can work together to make this happen,” Rodriguez said.
In October, Rodriguez promised that the Liberals would “table important bills in the first 100 days and that includes the broadcasting bill.”
During the final debate of Bill C-10 this summer, well-known Canadian author and Senator David Adams Richards, who was appointed by Trudeau in 2017, blasted the controversial legislation in an impassioned speech.
“I will always and forever stand against any bill that subjects freedom of expression to the doldrums of governmental oversight, and I implore others to do the same,” Richards said.
“I don’t think this bill needs amendments; I think, however, it needs a stake through the heart.”
Canadian Senator Pamela Wallin also took aim at how Bill C-10 was pushed through Canada’s House of Commons. She said it was passed in “kangaroo-court” style, and in late June vowed to fight its passage in the senate chambers.