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Results: 1 - 12 of 12
View John McKay Profile
Lib. (ON)
Thank you, Mr. Chair. It's always a pleasure to see you, virtual or otherwise. Congratulations on your impending birthday.
I have two petitions to present.
The first one is from some concerned Somali Canadians who are concerned about the increasing violence in their homeland. They're asking that the House of Commons adopt a resolution condemning the encouragement of violence through incitement, hate, foreign payments, supporting hate and hostility by militias that may cause instability in a peaceful and stable Somaliland.
The second petition is from 41 signatories from the Canadian Federation of University Women in Scarborough. They're calling upon the government to introduce a bill that would require all judges to take training in sexual assault law, as it is a promise made by the Liberal Party in the last election.
View Marty Morantz Profile
CPC (MB)
I recognize that as well.
I would be remiss if I didn't ask you while you were here about anti-Semitism. I know it's not about the charitable sector directly, but the rise in anti-Semitism is a very serious problem. Recently Tel Aviv University released a report that I was alarmed to see that linked part of the spike in anti-Semitism to COVID, harbouring back to the old anti-Semitic tropes of blood libel and those types of things.
From that perspective, what would your organization recommend for dealing with things like online hate and offline violence?
Shimon Koffler Fogel
View Shimon Koffler Fogel Profile
Shimon Koffler Fogel
2020-05-05 18:04
I think some of the usual suspects have turned back to those historical tropes about Jews, but we should also note that Chinese people, and Asians generally, have been the target of similar attacks.
Your reference to online hate really represents a ripe opportunity for us to exponentially increase our action against it. Everybody has heard about Zoom bombing. That's just one manifestation of using technology to attack, disrupt, harass or otherwise undermine a sense of community and society. I know that increasingly, and largely as a result of the work you've done in the studies you undertook in the last Parliament about online hate and your determination to go forward with that, a lot of these social media companies—giants, really—in the sector have been stepping up to partner with community organizations to get a handle on it and develop strategies to combat it. We cannot relent on that.
There's a need for us to increase our vigilance and get measures with teeth so that there are disincentives for people to flirt with online hate. We have to have a level of vigilance that ensures it doesn't become the repository or the seedbed for new levels of—
View Steven Guilbeault Profile
Lib. (QC)
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.
Committee members and colleagues, I am very pleased to be here with you. I didn't have time to say hello to everyone around the table when I arrived. We are a little pressed for time.
With your agreement, Mr. Chair, and if the committee would like, I could stay longer than the scheduled 60 minutes, if necessary. It's up to you and the committee.
I had started distributing reusable mugs, in the colours of the different parties, as much as possible, but I ran out of time and ended with my colleagues in the Liberal Party. As you know, I'm from the environmental sector, and I think that governments have to make an effort, as do all of us.
We are gathered today on the traditional territory of the Algonquin Anishinabe. I'd like to take a moment to emphasize that this acknowledgement is not merely symbolic but demonstrates our government's commitment to reconciliation with indigenous people. It is in this spirit that we're working with our partners to address key priorities, which, in my mandate, include the implementation of the Indigenous Languages Act, and the establishment of a framework for repatriating indigenous cultural property and ancestral remains.
The Métis nation is celebrating its 150th anniversary this year, a milestone that coincides with Manitoba's entry into Confederation. Our government recognizes the role that the Métis people played in this important moment in our history.
I am accompanied today by the deputy minister of Canadian Heritage, Hélène Laurendeau, and Jean-Stéphen Piché, the senior assistant deputy minister of Cultural Affairs.
I'd like to take a moment to congratulate Ms. Laurendeau and her entire team. We learned recently that the department's annual survey had a historically high response rate. 46% of employees completed the survey, and 93% of them stated that the Department of Canadian Heritage was an excellent workplace. Congratulations, Ms. Laurendeau, Mr. Piché and the entire team.
While I'm offering congratulations, I would like to congratulate you, Mr. Simms, on being elected chair of the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage. Greetings also to the new and returning members of the committee.
I'd like to acknowledge the valuable support I receive from my parliamentary secretaries. Julie Dabrusin, who is returning to this committee as a member, assists me with my Canadian Heritage files, and Adam van Koeverden, who is a member of the Standing Committee on Indigenous and Northern Affairs, supports me in sport files with his lifetime of experience.
Thank you for inviting me to appear before you for the first time.
In November, I had the honour of being entrusted with the responsibilities of Minister of Canadian Heritage. Those who know me know I'm an activist at heart.
I never commit halfway to the causes I believe in. Over the past few months, I have been able to draw many parallels between the field of environmentalism on the one hand and arts, culture and sport on the other. I've met passionate, dedicated people in organizations big and small, who often have to juggle all kinds of factors to successfully get their work done. It is, above all, a very close-knit community. I've already met representatives from more than 375 organizations in five provinces, from the Atlantic to the Prairies, and I'll have the privilege of meeting with other fascinating people in the coming weeks, in British Columbia, Saskatchewan and Yukon.
I know this dynamic well, and I'm already working to support that community with all the energy I'm known for.
My responsibilities go far beyond promoting culture and sport. First, I'd like to touch on a number of topics in my speech, and then I'll be happy to answer your questions about the mandate the Prime Minister has given me.
As parliamentarians, we all have a mandate to fight climate change. That is clearly stated in the Speech from the Throne and in every minister's mandate letter, not to mention that, last summer, the House passed a motion on climate emergency.
From my first meetings with the culture and sport community, I've observed a real willingness to take positive action to make our cultural and sport organizations even greener. I personally want to help all Canadians who want to move forward in that direction. We have some inspiring examples.
One of the world's biggest sport events wants to be part of the solution: the Olympic and Paralympic Games have developed sustainable practices for the Tokyo games this summer.
The Canada Games Council has signed a framework agreement on sport for climate action, an initiative of the United Nations and the International Olympic Committee.
Closer to home, the Canadian Museum of Nature is already raising awareness about climate change by reminding us that nature is one of Canada's most precious resources. The Prime Minister has asked me to work with them and other national museums to raise even more public awareness of climate change.
My work with museums doesn't stop there. I'm also going to ensure that our museum policy is aligned with the 21st century. Because our museums are exceptional showcases of Canadian history and culture, their collections must be accessible to everyone.
One of my priority files, which you heard Ms. Yale and Ms. Simard speak about on Monday, is the modernization of the Broadcasting Act. Our government understands that a strong, equitable and flexible broadcasting system is crucial to meeting the expectations of Canadians and the challenges of the digital age. To that end, urgent action is needed.
We have reviewed the report of the Legislative Review Panel. And I am hopeful that we can present a broadcasting bill in the House in the next few months.
I can assure you that we will not be regulating the news media, and that we will preserve a strong and independent information sector, as well as a free and open Internet.
The Broadcasting Act has an impact on several organizations in my portfolio, as they include a large audiovisual component that feeds the digital environment: the National Film Board, Telefilm Canada, CBC/Radio Canada. These are all independent organizations that keep us informed, provide us with high-quality content and contribute to our shared identity. We are proud to support them.
I'd like to emphasize that CBC/Radio Canada is an essential part of Canada's media ecosystem and a key contributor of Canadian content. As part of the modernization of the Broadcasting Act, we're looking at ways to strengthen the regional mandate of our national public broadcaster.
The news media environment is changing, and we are responding to the call of our newspapers with all the rigour necessary to ensure their independence. This is the very foundation of a healthy democracy. We have introduced tax measures, and we are injecting $10 million a year to increase news coverage in underserved communities.
We will also invest up to $172 million over five years to stabilize the Canada media fund and ensure the success of our creative industries in the digital age.
Finally, I am working closely with the Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry on a number of issues that are closely related to the information sector. This includes actions to ensure a safe and secure environment free of hate and bias on social networks—a subject you seem interested in exploring further.
We could also mention protecting Canadians' personal data, or updating the Copyright Act.
Having written three books, the last of which dealt with the positive and negative impacts of digital technologies, I'm quite interested in the issue of copyright. In this regard, I'd like to thank members of this committee from the 42nd Parliament for taking time to review the Copyright Act and the remuneration of artists and the creative industries. Your recommendations now allow us to consider how those who shape our culture can fully benefit from their work.
Before moving on to another topic, I'd like to touch on the work that has been done so far under the Creative Export Strategy. This is an important initiative that continues with Global Affairs, as well as with all our partners at the Frankfurt Book Fair, and in various past and future international missions.
Canadian cultural content is among the best in the world; we need to promote it internationally and allow our creators to profit from the international market.
Now let's venture into the world of sport. I really enjoy immersing myself in this world. I can count on a parliamentary secretary, Adam van Koeverden, who has a long track record in the world of sport. The member of Parliament for Brome—Missisquoi, who sits on this committee, can also testify to the benefits of sport, as she is an Olympic cyclist. It's kind of rare to have two Olympic athletes on one committee. I think we're very fortunate.
For several years now, our government has been working harder to make sport safe, welcoming and accessible to everyone. A great deal of work has been done, and continues to be done, to raise awareness about concussions, harassment and discrimination. I'm delighted to pick up the torch. Sport is a great school of life. It teaches us team spirit, good citizenship and the joy of healthy competition. We also have extraordinary examples of determination and perseverance in top athletes like Bianca Andreescu and Laurent Duvernay-Tardif.
I will continue to help the Canadian sport community build a healthy society where all young people, especially indigenous youth, can see themselves reflected and feel that they're part of something. In this Olympic year, we can expect great moments that inspire pride. I know that in my house, my family will have their eyes glued to the screen. I'll even have the privilege of being present for the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
We can all be proud of the incredible work of our athletes. They have been training for a long time to get to Tokyo and secure a place on the podium. We'll all be cheering them on this summer, united and proud to see the maple leaf so well represented.
Mr. Chair, esteemed colleagues, thank you for your attention. I'd be pleased to answer your questions.
View Anthony Housefather Profile
Lib. (QC)
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Mr. Minister, Ms. Laurendeau, Mr. Piché, it is a pleasure to welcome you to our committee.
In the last parliament, I had the pleasure of chairing the Committee on Justice and Human Rights. In that setting, we did a study on online hate. That study was requested by a number of groups, all over Canada, specifically in the Jewish, Muslim, and gay and lesbian communities. There were a number of groups in Quebec as well as in the other provinces. We considered the broad strokes of the problem.
When we were coming out with recommendations, we came out with recommendations on education, on defining hate online, and making sure that we applied definitions across the board so we could properly track online hate. We suggested certain civil remedies that might be restored to the Canadian Human Rights Act.
One of our recommendations has found its way into your mandate letter, Mr. Minister, which relates to regulating online platforms. Now because we were doing a large study, we did not come out with specific recommendations related to monitoring online platforms. We simply said that was one of the tools we needed to use to tackle online hate.
Of course, when I'm speaking of online hate, what I'm speaking of are all of the elements that are criminalized in Canada, whether it's hate speech, solicitation of children online, etc., to encourage providers, such as Facebook, Twitter, Google, etc., to take this down, take it offline.
Mr. Minister, I'm going to be proposing to the committee that we do a study on this issue. I am wondering, if this committee comes forward with serious recommendations, would you consider those recommendations when making the decision on how to proceed with the work that's given to you in your mandate letter? Maybe you could also share with us how you see this issue.
View Steven Guilbeault Profile
Lib. (QC)
Thank you very much, Mr. Housefather.
The question interests me greatly. I was very pleased to see that it was one of the points in my mandate letter. I was saying earlier, in my speech, that my last book dealt with the impacts of digital, both positive and negative. I have studied this issue a lot, and what other governments around the world have done to regulate digital platforms.
Some have the idea that we are going to create a new area of law and apply it to digital, whereas what we are looking to do is use the law that we already have and find tools to apply it online.
There are things that we do not tolerate in real life, but that we tolerate on the Web. We do not yet have the means and the tools we need to respond on the Web as we would in real life.
I hope sincerely that the committee will accept your proposal. We look very favourably on being able to take sustenance from your thoughts on the matter. I do not see why we should permit digital platforms to continue keeping illegal content online, such as hate speech, radicalization, incitement to violence, child exploitation or the creation of terrorist propaganda. It is unacceptable and, in Canada, we must give ourselves the tools we need to solve those problems.
View Anthony Housefather Profile
Lib. (QC)
I completely agree with you because, in Canada, there are limits to freedom of expression, and the courts have already established that those provisions in the Criminal Code are justifiable in Canada. Those things may go beyond the freedom of expression according to the Charter and the reasonable limits mentioned in its section 1.
I am very happy with your openness, Mr. Minister. I would like to ask another question.
On a number of committees, we do studies. When we do them, we want them to be independent and we also want them to be considered by the minister responsible when we have measures to propose. Some ministers are very good and some ministers are not so good.
When the committee does studies on online hate and other matters, will you be reasonable and really read what they contain? Will you try to consider the points that the committee has raised?
View Steven Guilbeault Profile
Lib. (QC)
Let me say two things.
First, it is important to recall what we are trying to do with digital platforms. You talked about the whole matter of freedom of expression. Our courts have very well defined the fact that freedom of expression has reasonable limits in certain cases. What is true for freedom of expression here is just as true on digital platforms. Canada is not going to take over the controls of the Web, not at all, but the reasonable limits that apply in life must also apply on digital platforms. We believe in freedom of expression just as much as we believe in net neutrality.
Second, I can tell you already that the report on the review of the Copyright Act, which the committee submitted in the last parliament, is providing my department and my team with much food for thought.
I solemnly commit before you to give the recommendations that you provide to me all the consideration they deserve, on the regulation of platforms, or on any other subject that may appear important to you.
View Heather McPherson Profile
NDP (AB)
Okay, perfect. Thank you.
I have one more thing on a different slant. The report makes some recommendations on the rights of Canadians and enhancing trust. Could you talk about where you see the rights of Canadians in terms of hate speech and how you would recommend we deal with that? As a politician in Canada, I can tell you that it's pretty rampant.
Janet Yale
View Janet Yale Profile
Janet Yale
2020-02-24 16:12
We addressed it in a number of different ways. We certainly have to balance the rights of individuals to freedom of expression. We spent some time already talking about the importance of free speech.
There's freedom of expression on one side and illegal content on the other. What's the grey matter in between which is about misinformation, fake news, whether it's collectively targeted or targeted towards individuals?
It certainly wasn't explicit in our terms of reference to deal with that. Many of these issues transcend domestic boundaries because they're platform providers that operate globally. We really felt that it was important for the government, in effect, to undertake a separate initiative to look at what the right legislative and regulatory model is to address the social harm issues. These are the issues associated with misinformation, targeted bullying, sexist comments, all of that content that doesn't actually cross the line into illegal content where the Criminal Code applies, but is something that requires real effort to understand how that works. In a world of big data and artificial intelligence, in particular, what is the responsibility of those platform providers for the content that they allow to be shared or disseminated online?
That question of what's called “intermediary liability” is one that is evolving internationally and where we think the government needs to take direct actions through a separate process.
View Anthony Housefather Profile
Lib. (QC)
Okay. I think everyone has a copy now.
I would like to talk about why I am making this motion.
In the last Parliament, the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights published a report asking that “the Government of Canada establish requirements for online platforms and Internet service providers” to ensure that we have rules to combat hate and crime online. In the mandate letter issued to the Minister of Canadian Heritage, he is asked to create those rules. I believe that it is important for the committee to study the matter and make recommendations to the Minister on the best way to proceed.
If possible, Mr. Chair, I will read my motion and we can discuss it at the next meeting of the committee.
Whereas the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights studied the issue of online hate in the previous Parliament and in recommendation 8 recommended that the Government of Canada establish requirements for online platforms and Internet service providers with regard to how they monitor and address incidents of hate speech and the need to remove all posts that would constitute online hate in a timely manner; whereas the Minister of Canadian Heritage has been asked in his mandate letter to establish such requirements; whereas hate speech and other expression prohibited by Canada's Criminal Code, such as incitement of violence, incitement of genocide, creation or distribution of terrorist propaganda and exploitation of children, have been deemed by our courts to either not be expression protected under section 2 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms or speech that can be validly restricted in Canada under section 1 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms; and whereas it would be advisable for the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage to study how to best implement such new regulations, including a review of what foreign jurisdictions such as Germany have done in this regard, be it resolved that the Committee study the creation and implementation of new regulations for online media platforms and Internet service providers requiring them to monitor, address and remove content that constitutes hate speech and remove any other content which is illegal in Canada or prohibited by the Criminal Code, such as incitement of violence, incitement of genocide, creation or distribution of terrorist propaganda and exploitation of children, in a timely manner; that the committee hold at least no less than four meetings on this subject with relevant witnesses; and that the Committee report its findings to the House of Commons.
I would note that I addressed the concerns that I know many of my colleagues have about free speech in this area, and I've made it very clear that the issues we're dealing with are criminal in nature, are prohibited under the Criminal Code, and thus are not covered as freedom of expression under the Charter of Rights. Because the minister has this in his mandate letter, I think it would be appropriate for the committee to weigh in and hear from witnesses prior to such time as the minister comes out with his recommendations. If my colleagues have any questions over the course of the next few days before our next meeting on Monday, they should not hesitate to come and see me.
Feel free to come and see me. I will very gladly answer your questions.
Thank you.
View Scott Simms Profile
Lib. (NL)
Is there any other discussion or debate?
Seeing none, are we ready for the question?
(Motion agreed to)
Is there any further business?
Do we have agreement to adjourn the meeting?
Some hon. members: Agreed.
The Chair: Thank you, everybody, for your confidence.
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