MPs Vote to Remove Penalties on Free Speech

Ottawa – Yesterday, local MP Scott Reid along with 151 other Conservative MPs approved a bill that will scrap a part of the Canadian Human Rights Act which puts unfair limits on free speech.  Only one Liberal MP voted to approve this bill.  No New Democrats supported it.

 This Bill, C-304, will repeal Section 13 of the Canadian Human Rights Act.

 “Hate speech is appalling and has no place in Canadian society,” commented Scott Reid, “But crimes should be left to courts, where there are rules and procedures that make sure judges can’t find you guilty without proof.”

Section 13 contains a clause that allows the Canadian Human Rights Commission to impose a fine of up to $10,000 with no requirement to prove the individual is guilty of an offence.  The commission only needs to believe that it is ‘likely’ that someone’s self-expression caused somebody else harm.

In addition to a punitive fine, Section 13 allows the Canadian Human Rights Commission to force individuals to refrain from making their opinions known in public, in print, or on the internet.

“Effectively, the Human Rights Commission can enforce gag-orders on someone without even proving that they’ve caused anybody or any group any harm whatsoever,” added Reid.  “That’s why this bill received such enthusiastic support from MPs who believe that freedom of speech is a cornerstone of democracy.”

Bill C-304 was introduced last fall and will now be reviewed by the Senate before becoming law.  The bill is expected to easily pass all votes in the Senate, where the Conservative government’s Senators outnumber the Opposition Senators.

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For further information contact:

Phil Joannou
Communications Assistant to Scott Reid, MP
613-947-2277

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