All Canadians have the right to feel safe in their communities and across the country. It is our collective responsibility to ensure that our communities do not allow the promotion of hate.
Tragically, we are seeing an increase in hate and racism experienced by the most vulnerable populations in Canada. The rise of hate, racism, Islamophobia, anti-Semitism, homophobia, transphobia and misogyny and associated extremist ideology is spreading like wildfire.
With hate crimes on the rise across Canada, we must do everything we can to stop the spread of hate, racism and discrimination in our communities across Canada and online. The time for rhetoric is over. Canadians are tired of symbolic gestures. The time for action is now.
It is not enough for governments to recognize the problem, and not take the necessary action to counteract these troubling facts. Canadians want action to combat racism and hate now to save lives and keep people safe.
It is critical that Canada prioritizes and concretely addresses systemic racism and discrimination for a just recovery, where no one is left behind. We must condemn all forms of hate in our communities as it creates unsafe conditions for Indigenous people, Black, Asian and other racially marginalized communities.
MP Peter Julian tabled three bold legislatives tools in this 44th session of Parliament, in order to take concrete and immediate action to combat all forms of hate, discrimination, racism and violence.
Allowing symbols of hate to be sold in stores or publicly displayed is threatening for people who have been, and continue to be, targets of violence and oppression. Bill C-229 would prevent anyone from selling and displaying symbols that promote hatred and violence against identifiable groups.
Motion M-14 is designed to counteract all forms of hate and all forms of discrimination, hate crimes and incidents of hate and includes measures such as: working with provinces, territories, municipalities and community-based organizations to put into place a reporting and tracking system for hate crimes and incidents of hate to ensure accurate tracking; ensuring that comprehensive victim services are available to all those who are victims of hate crimes or hate incidents; working to eliminate harmful images and stereotypes present in media and cinema; and strengthening all legislation against hate and introducing amendments to the Canadian Human Rights Act to ensure that hate speech no longer occurs with impunity.
Private Member’s Bill C-292 would ensure that online communication service providers do not use algorithms and personal information in a manner that results in the adverse differential treatment of any individual or group of individuals based on one or more prohibited grounds of discrimination or on any other grounds. The only way to ensure this is through algorithm transparency.
We all need to keep working together to ensure organized hate groups aren’t tolerated in any way. We must continue to take a strong stand against all forms of hatred and racism.
Call on the Trudeau government and your Member of Parliament to support these legislative initiatives.
