Tory ministers on defensive over criticism of terror bill
Blaney invokes Holocaust, downplays concerns about free speech on day one of hearings
OTTAWA— Public Safety Minister Steven Blaney repeatedly invoked the Holocaust Tuesday as he sought to justify the Conservative government’s tough new antiterror provisions to curb radical speech.
“The Holocaust did not begin in the gas chamber; it began with words,” said Blaney as he and Justice Minister Peter MacKay claimed new bans on the “promotion of terrorism” are necessary to protect Canadians from a “jihadist threat.”
Blaney’s remarks came on the first day of hearings as a Commons committee began its detailed study of Bill C-51, the proposed Anti-Terrorism Act 2015.
Several academic critics say the new ban on “promotion of terrorism” could chill legitimate dissent or speech, noting for example it could apply against an individual urging support for rebels fighting Russia’s incursions in Crimea or eastern Ukraine.
Blaney and MacKay scoffed at such notions and “so-called experts,” insisting the “real” threat is from “radical jihadists” and is evolving fast.
Blaney said “jihadist terrorists” have “declared war” on Canada “simply because these terrorists hate our society and they hate our values.”
MacKay said current hate laws are not sufficient to target the “corrosive” effect of jihadist propaganda and law enforcement agencies need power under C-51 to delete websites or remove printed material that encourages or incites others to terrorist acts.
New Democrat MP Randall Garrison challenged Blaney for using “overinflated rhetoric,” saying “there is no equivalence to anything we’re talking about here today to the Holocaust.” He urged Blaney to withdraw his remarks.
But Blaney dug in, repeated his contention about the Holocaust, and said, “Hate begins with words.”
However, Blaney appeared to ignore the fact that the key purveyor of anti-Semitism that preceded the genocide of more than six million Jews was the German state, the Third Reich, itself.
Blaney referred to the Rwandan genocide “that began on the radio and contributed to a horrible genocide.”
In that case, the incitement to genocide of 800,000 of Rwanda’s Tutsi minority population was led by Hutu extremists within Rwanda’s government and political elite, not terrorist or insurgent groups.
Blaney said it’s important to call things by their name: “If it’s a cat, it’s a cat,” he said in French. “Extremist speech, language that goes against Canadian values, hateful language has no place in Canada,” he said, adding police should be able to disable any Internet site hosted in Canada that sponsors or promotes “jihadism, and tells us to kill the infidels wherever they are in the world; I believe that goes against Canadian values.”
Asked by reporters why he referred to the Holocaust, Blaney gave a rambling answer that ended with: “We have to take into account that now the terrorists are targeting everyone. And that’s why we need Bill C-51, to protect Canadians against this general threat by terrorists.”
Asked if Canada’s Muslims should fear they’re being targeted by the bill, Blaney said “actually, this bill is targeted (sic) all terrorists, and all communities should be happy and welcome this bill because it will better protect the freedom and rights of every Canadian.”
Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau said later that it is another example of the Conservative government “betting on the politics of fear.”
The bill also contains sweeping new powers to expand the no-fly list, to allow CSIS to disrupt suspected terrorist activity, and new authority for 17 federal agencies and departments to share information on Canadians. It would ease the RCMP’s ability to get a court order to restrict the movements and behaviour of terror suspects by lowering the legal thresholds required for “peace bonds” and terror “recognizances.”
The two ministers sought to clarify several provisions that have been the subject of widespread criticism, but repeatedly rejected calls for parliamentary or additional oversight.
Blaney said a new broader definition of threats to national security (which includes interference with “the economic or financial stability of Canada” or with critical infrastructure) will apply only when it comes to information-sharing provisions. Blaney said it would not be used when it comes to CSIS’s exercise of its new powers to disrupt activities of suspected threats to national security. The spy agency would use its new powers against threats to national security as they have been defined in the CSIS Act for the past 30 years, he said.
Blaney and MacKay said neither the disruption powers nor information-sharing provisions would be used against “lawful” protest, advocacy or artistic expression. MacKay said the bill “does not include lawful or unlawful protest, dissent or stoppage of work unless there is intention to cause death or serious bodily harm, endanger someone’s life, or cause risk to the safety of the public.” RCMP Commissioner Bob Paulson “clarified” for the committee his statement Friday that Parliament Hill gunman Michael Zehaf-Bibeau could have been charged under current anti-terrorism laws. Paulson said Tuesday he was referring only to the events of that day. That is, had Zehaf-Bibeau not been shot and killed he would have been charged with terror offences under existing law. But Paulson did not want that interpreted, as it was by the NDP and others, as a suggestion that the new bill was not needed. He said he welcomed C-51’s information-sharing provisions and easier access to peace bonds.