If Canadian politics were ice cream, they would be sugar-free liquor flavors. There are three seemingly different choices: chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry, which may not taste like what they represent and leave an artificial aftertaste.
We have the Conservative Party, the Liberal Party, and the New Democratic Party; just as ice cream lovers might choose flavors based on their mood or preference, Canadian voters choose the party that best represents their values and aspirations. There are other parties, but their popularity is akin to that of licorice. Those who like them really enjoy them; however, most people don’t even bother to sample.
Our system is very vanilla. Canada is a constitutional monarchy and parliamentary democracy. We have a king and a prime minister. No chancellor, no electoral college, no Second Amendment. Our northern neighbors do not have the reporting and drama of American two-party politics, and while things can get heated, we measure it in Celsius, so it doesn’t seem that bad.
Since 1982, our reasonable Charter of Rights and Freedoms has determined that our freedom of expression is not absolute. If the Charter can be shown to be reasonable in a free and democratic society, certain restrictions can be imposed. This means that Canadian law may impose limits on expression when necessary, such as to prevent hate speech, public safety, or other rights and freedoms.
Recently, the Liberal Party introduced the Online Harms Bill ( C-63 ), which aims to expand regulations on online expression and increase criminal penalties. It will establish a Digital Safety Commission that will focus on content related to child sexual exploitation and bullying, incitement to violent extremism or terrorism, and fervent hatred.
The timing of the bill couldn’t be worse.
On top of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s popularity, his Liberal government is in hot water for exceeding approximately CAD 59.5 million on the ArriveCAN app, a simple application used by the Canada Border Services Agency to facilitate customs and immigration declarations and group vaccine requirements for travelers during the pandemic. This…