People's Party of Canada Advocates for Robust Freedom of Expression, Seeks to Roll Back Perceived Government Overreach

[Vancouver BC, September 29

Timothy Knight, PPC BCPA CEO]

The People's Party of Canada (PPC) has established a firm and distinct policy on freedom of expression, positioning it as a cornerstone of a free and democratic society. The party contends that this fundamental right is currently under significant threat in Canada due to government overreach and encroaching censorship, particularly in the digital realm. Their platform calls for a significant rollback of existing and proposed legislation that they argue infringes upon the rights of Canadians to express their thoughts and opinions without fear of reprisal.

At the heart of the PPC's policy is the belief that freedom of expression is essential for open debate, the pursuit of truth, and holding governments accountable.

The party warns of a "tyranny of political correctness" and asserts that Canadians are increasingly self-censoring for fear of social or legal consequences. The PPC's official platform explicitly states that the "rights of Canadians to freely hold and express their beliefs are being eroded at an alarming speed."

A key pillar of their policy is the pledge to repeal what they deem to be legislative infringements on free speech. This includes a commitment to repeal Bill C-11, which grants the CRTC regulatory power over online streaming content, and to oppose any reintroduction of Section 13 of the Canadian Human Rights Act, which previously dealt with online hate speech and was repealed in 2013. The party argues that such legislation opens the door to arbitrary censorship and gives bureaucrats the power to decide what constitutes acceptable speech.

Furthermore, the PPC advocates for a more stringent and narrow definition of "hate speech" within the Criminal Code of Canada. Their proposal would limit the definition to explicit incitement of violence against identifiable groups. This change, they argue, would protect individuals from genuine threats while preventing the weaponisation of hate speech laws to silence opinions that are merely unpopular or offensive to some. The party maintains that the current, broader interpretations of hate speech have a chilling effect on public discourse.

The PPC also takes a strong stance against government-mandated speech, specifically referencing issues surrounding gender identity. The party opposes compelling individuals to use specific pronouns and has been critical of legislation that they believe forces conformity of belief and expression in this domain.

In the realm of online communication, the PPC is a staunch opponent of government regulation of social media platforms. They believe that while private companies have the right to manage their own platforms, the government should not be involved in dictating what content is permissible. The party fears that such government intervention will inevitably lead to the suppression of dissenting or politically inconvenient viewpoints.

In summary, the People's Party of Canada's policy on freedom of expression is characterised by a call for deregulation, a narrowing of legal restrictions on speech, and a strong opposition to what it perceives as government-enforced ideological conformity. Their platform champions a robust and largely unfettered public square where a wide range of ideas, even those considered controversial, can be freely debated.

Federal Bills Spark Debate Over Freedom of Expression for British Columbians Online

A duo of federal legislative proposals, Bill C-9 (the Combatting Hate Act) and Bill C-63 (the Online Harms Act), are poised to significantly reshape the landscape of freedom of speech and expression for British Columbians, particularly within the dynamic realms of social media and online communities. While intended to curb the rise of hate speech and create a safer digital environment, these bills have ignited a robust debate, with critics, including the BC Civil Liberties Association (BCCLA), raising serious concerns about their potential to chill legitimate discourse and dissent.

Bill C-9, in its current iteration, seeks to amend the Criminal Code by creating new hate crime offences and making it illegal to display symbols associated with hate groups in public places, which implicitly includes online spaces. A key provision of this bill is the removal of the requirement for the Attorney General's consent to prosecute hate propaganda offences. Proponents argue this will streamline the justice process and allow for a swifter response to burgeoning online hate. However, for the average British Columbian social media user, this could mean that their online posts—be it text, images, or memes—are subject to police investigation and potential charges with fewer procedural safeguards. The BCCLA has voiced concerns that such measures could have a chilling effect on free expression, making individuals more hesitant to engage in controversial or satirical speech for fear of misinterpretation and legal repercussions.

Complementing this is Bill C-63, the Online Harms Act, which places new responsibilities on social media platforms to manage and moderate "harmful content," a category that includes hate speech. This bill would compel platforms to establish user-friendly mechanisms for flagging and removing content that violates their terms of service, which must align with the bill's standards. For British Columbians, this will likely result in more aggressive content moderation by social media companies. While this may lead to a reduction in genuinely harmful material, it also raises the spectre of over-censorship. Algorithms and content moderators, operating under the pressure of avoiding hefty fines, may err on the side of caution and remove content that, while perhaps offensive to some, constitutes legitimate political or social commentary.

The combined effect of these bills could create a complex and potentially restrictive environment for online expression in British Columbia. An individual's post could be flagged by other users and removed by a platform under the rules of Bill C-63, and simultaneously be reported to law enforcement, potentially leading to a criminal investigation under the more easily initiated process proposed in Bill C-9. This two-pronged approach, critics argue, could empower both state and corporate actors to unduly police online speech.

While the goals of combating hate and ensuring online safety are widely supported, the methods proposed in Bill C-9 and Bill C-63 have significant implications for the digital free speech of British Columbians. The debate continues as to whether these bills strike the right balance between protecting citizens from harm and upholding the fundamental right to freedom of expression in the increasingly important public square of the internet.

This video provides a critical perspective on the Liberal government's anti-hate crime bill, with concerns raised about the potential impact on the right to protest, which aligns with the freedom of expression issues discussed in the article. Watch a news report on the criticisms of the anti-hate crime bill.

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PPC sources

https://www.peoplespartyofcanada.ca/issues/freedom-of-expression#:~:text=What%20some%20people%20find%20politically,%E2%9C%93

https://www.peoplespartyofcanada.ca/news/press-release-maxime-bernier-vows-to-protect-canadians-free-speech-online#:~:text=%E2%80%9CThe%20rights%20of%20Canadians%20to,who%20are%20social%20media%20users.

https://www.peoplespartyofcanada.ca/issues/freedom-of-expression

https://www.peoplespartyofcanada.ca/news/press-release-maxime-bernier-vows-to-protect-canadians-free-speech-online#:~:text=A%20PPC%20government%20will%20repeal,to%3A%20media%40peoplespartyofcanada.ca

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Other sources

Squamish Chief

https://www.squamishchief.com/national-news/hate-crime-bill-could-criminalize-protests-civil-liberties-group-says-11245264#:~:text=Vibert%20Jack%2C%20litigation%20director%20at,necessary%20for%20a%20functioning%20democracy.%22

CCLA

https://ccla.org/press-release/ccla-bill-c-9-risks-criminalizing-peaceful-protest/#:~:text=%E2%80%9CThe%20new%20offence%20criminalizing%20the,decision%E2%80%9D%2C%20said%20Bussi%C3%A8res%20McNicoll.

Parl.ca

https://www.parl.ca/DocumentViewer/en/45-1/bill/C-9/first-reading#:~:text=(a)%20repeal%20the%20requirement%20that,symbols%20in%20a%20public%20place%3B

The Catholic Register

https://www.catholicregister.org/item/2843-combatting-hate-bill-includes-christians-justice-ministry-affirms#:~:text=Adding%20a%20specific%20hate%2Dmotivated,amendments%20to%20the%20Criminal%20Code.

Department of Justice Canada

https://www.justice.gc.ca/eng/csj-sjc/pl/charter-charte/c63.html#:~:text=In%20order%20to%20combat%20harmful,harmful%20content%20on%20their%20platforms.

Blakes

https://www.blakes.com/insights/canada-bill-c63-online-harms-act-targets-harmful-content-on-social-media/#:~:text=This%20duty%20requires%20social%20media,standard%20of%20conduct%20and%20a

National Public Relations

https://www.national.ca/en/perspectives/detail/finding-a-balance-between-online-safety-and-freedom-of-expression-unpacking-the-online-harms-bill/#:~:text=With%20the%20term%20%E2%80%9Chate%20speech,%2C%20leading%20to%20over%2Dcensorship.

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