OTTAWA – POLITICS – The federal Conservatives are taking the federal Liberals to task over the Government of Canada’s “Online Censorship” legislation, as the Conservatives call it.
In a media release issued late Thursday the Conservative state, “Liberals are cancelling Canadian Heritage Committee meetings in a desperate attempt to avoid talking about their online censorship bills. C-18 censors the news Canadians can see, and C-11, the online censorship bill.
“The Liberal-NDP government has an agenda to restrict free speech and the freedoms of Canadians. Throughout the summer, and as a direct result of C-18, news organizations were forced to remove news content from online platforms.
“This committee’s work is paramount to exploring government overreach in censoring what Canadians can see, hear, and post online. By removing the opportunity to discuss the broad sweeping impacts of the Liberals’ censorship bills, C-11 and C-18, they are censoring the committee that can investigate their far-reaching impact.
“Due to the government’s decision to implement Bill C-18, despite being warned of the harm it would cause, Canadians have lost access to important news sites, and dozens of local news outlets have been forced out of business. This legislation is absolutely disastrous, and Canadians deserve answers. The committee needs to meet as soon as possible to discuss the fallout of the Liberals’ mismanagement.
“Canadians have a choice when it comes to what they see and hear online: The Liberal-NDP government that censors online content or common-sense Conservatives that will uphold fundamental freedoms. I am calling on the NDP-Liberal coalition to affirm freedom of speech, get to work, and let the Heritage Committee stand up for the freedom of all Canadians.”
