Canada Proposes House Arrest for Potential Hate Crime Risk

Facts

• Under the Online Harms Bill set forth by the Liberal Party of Canada, a set of provisions includes proposed steep penalties to combat online abuse — including house arrest for people at risk of committing hate crimes.¹
• House arrest procedures would involve electronic tagging, compulsory drug testing, and a communication ban if a judge sees the potential for a future hate crime.²
• Awaiting parliamentary approval, the bill also seeks to regulate live streaming and social media platforms, which will be required to remove banned content within 24 hours.³
• If passed, the legislation — which defines hatred as 'the emotion that involves detestation or vilification and that is stronger than disdain or dislike' — will amend Canada's Criminal Code and the Canadian Human Rights Act.⁴
• The new bill reportedly makes 'victims of 'hate speech'' eligible to receive compensation of up to $20K, while it's expected to add a 'stand-alone hate crime' component that would be punishable with life imprisonment.⁵
• Canada's Justice Minister Arif Virani has defended the tougher proposed law, arguing that the country needs to respond to the rise in hatred against victims in Jewish and Muslim communities.⁶

Sources: ¹The Telegraph, ²Spectator (UK), ³BBC News, ⁴Mercator, ⁵Mind Matters and ⁶CTV News.

Narratives

• Right narrative, as provided by Toronto Sun. It's ironic that a global liberal icon like Prime Minister Justin Trudeau would conjure up such a dystopian proposal as the proposed Online Harms Act. There's no desperate need for such an autocratic law in a peaceful and prosperous nation like Canada. However well they may package it to make it palatable, Canada's parliament must reject this intrusion into personal liberties outright.
• Left narrative, as provided by The Globe and Mail. If Canada must remain the haven of peace that it largely still is today, the country must buffet itself from a rising tide of hatred and hate speech. The proposed new law is a step in that direction and sets the bar deliberately high for the provisions that have drawn criticism — including life sentences for serious hate crimes. Nothing will be allowed to jeopardize free speech in Canada and vulnerable communities must also be protected.

Predictions