Anti-hate groups fear delay of law

A coalition of advocacy groups is urging the federal government to stick with its promise to take immediate action on online hate speech and to include steps to tackle the issue in Tuesday’s throne speech.

The coalition members say they want ministers to treat such a law as a matter of urgency amid fears that concerns over its wording could stall its progress for years.

The Liberals promised during the recent federal election that legislation addressing online hate would be a priority in the new parliamentary session, set to get underway on Monday.

Shortly before Parliament adjourned ahead of the September vote, the Liberal government tabled a bill targeting extreme forms of hate speech online.

That proposed legislation, known as Bill C-36, attracted criticism from the Opposition Conservatives and others who expressed concern that it could curb freedom of speech or be difficult to enforce.

That bill ultimately died on the order paper when Parliament was dissolved.

Canadian Heritage and the Department of Justice say they’re working on ways to address the issue and note the solution could involve more than one bill.

In recent months, according to the Heritage Department, the government has been consulting on how to frame fresh legislation on online harm.

Justine Lesage, a spokesperson for Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez, said Bill C-36 was part of a major push by the government to tackle hate speech.

“The bill doesn’t work on its own,” she said, adding tackling online harm continues to be “a priority for the government.”