Canada, which is known the world over for its embrace of near-pure democracy, is leading the race to the bottom, so to speak, as a new legislative proposal to criminalize certain speech as "hateful" and which carries a fine of as much as $40,000, edges closer to passage.
PJ Media reported in recent days:
...Canada’s Liberal Party, headed by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, proposed new legislation to criminalize “hate speech” online, punishable by a CA$50,000 fine (roughly $40,000), paid to the government. Government officials, including the attorney general and the minister of public safety, announced the new bill [days ago].
[The AG] introduced amendments to Canada’s Criminal Code, the Canadian Human Rights Act, and the Youth Criminal Justice Act. Lametti and his allies justified their Orwellian move by claiming that “hate speech” online can turn into “offline hate.”
“Canadians expect their government to take action against hate speech and hate crimes. These legislative changes would improve the remedies available to victims of hate speech and hate crimes, and would hold individuals accountable. The actions we are taking today will help protect the vulnerable, empower those who are victimized and hold individuals to account for the hatred they spread online,” David Lametti, minister of justice and attorney general, said in a statement.
“Too many people and communities in Canada are harmed and victimized by hate speech, which is often amplified and spread online. Online hate can turn into offline hate with devastating impacts on communities and families," the Justice Department explained noted further in a statement. We have a responsibility to victims to take action to combat hate online and continue to build a more inclusive Canada,” the Justice Department explained in a statement."
Granted, Canada doesn't have a 'First Amendment' per se, but the country is a liberal democracy, and historically all forms of speech except the obvious problematic speech like slander and libel were permitted and even encouraged. However, like their southern neighbors in the United States, Canada's liberals are today more like leftists in the mold of authoritarian regimes and, as such, are becoming increasingly tyrannical to enact public policy without going through the legislative processes.
The measure, Bill C-36 will:
- amend the Canadian Human Rights Act to define a new discriminatory practice of communicating hate speech online, and to provide individuals with additional remedies to address hate speech;
- add a definition of “hatred” to section 319 of the Criminal Code based on Supreme Court of Canada decisions; and
- create a new peace bond in the Criminal Code designed to prevent hate propaganda offences and hate crimes from being committed, and make related amendments to the Youth Criminal Justice Act.
The bill also empowers Canadian citizens to bring lawsuits against anyone who uses "hate speech" online. If a member or panel of the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal finds someone guilty, it can order the accused to stop engaging in "the discriminatory practice" while taking steps to ensure it doesn't happen again; it can order the accused to compensate up to $20,000 “to any victim personally identified in the communication that constituted the discriminatory practice,” or order the accused person to “pay a penalty of not more than $50,000 to the Receiver General” if the tribunal “considers it appropriate” considering “the nature, circumstances, extent and gravity of the discriminatory practice.”
Some see the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal as little more than similar panels in leftist states like Colorado, where a commission ordered a Christian baker to make a cake for gay and lesbian couples against his will. It took the U.S. Supreme Court to stand up for his First Amendment rights, but the little Nazis on the Colorado tribunal have continued to harass the baker anyway.
There should not even be laws against 'hate speech.' Back in the day, we called out speech we didn't like with debate, not censorship and criminalization.
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