Prime Minister Justin Trudeau intends to lead a battle to abandon the idea of verifying the age of fans of pornographic websites, which is supported by Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, but also by a majority of federal MPs.
The Liberal leader directly attacked Thursday the bill drafted by Quebec senator Julie Miville-Dechêne, which proposes to limit young people’s access to sexually explicit material by forcing age verification on certain websites. The day before, Pierre Poilievre reiterated his support for this idea.
“ [Pierre Poilievre] proposes that adults give their identity cards, and their personal information, to questionable sites, or create a digital identity document to surf the Internet as they wish,” chanted Justin Trudeau from the Nova Scotia, in an impromptu speech in English launched after his press briefing was over.
Bill S-210 received much broader support than just Pierre Poilievre’s troops. After the Senate, it was also supported by the Bloc Québécois, the New Democratic Party (NDP), the Green Party, and fifteen elected Liberals at second reading. This support is more than sufficient to have the text adopted in Parliament, given the context of a minority government.
Promise of a law
Never mind, Justin Trudeau announced the tabling “soon” of his own bill on online harm. Such legislation was promised within the first 100 days of the Liberal mandate, which began in the fall of 2021. Among the many twists and turns that delayed its tabling is the change in the minister responsible, from Heritage to Justice.
Justin Trudeau insinuated Thursday that what his government is proposing is more “serious” than S-210. He gave some hints about its contents, which he presents as his way of “keeping kids safe online.” This will include measures against the sexual exploitation of children, online bullying, and “distress linked to mental illness experienced by young people”.
Without having been able to read the Liberal text since it has not yet been revealed, Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre argued on Wednesday that the government intends to label as hate speech “all those who criticize its radical program on childhood.” which he later described as “woke”.
Mr. Poilievre then launched into a long accusatory tirade towards Justin Trudeau, called a “practicing racist” who has “hate in his heart” and whose contribution to the fight against racism should be limited to reflecting on the reasons having pushed to paint his face at costume events in the past.
Issue turned partisan
“It’s not Pierre Poilievre’s bill, it’s Julie Miville-Dechêne’s bill, who is an independent senator! » reacted the author of the bill, stung when Le Duty informed her of the Prime Minister’s criticism.
Senator Miville-Dechêne insists that her legislative proposal does not create a threat to privacy, since it allows the age verification mechanism — a technical question — to be specified by regulation. Other countries have adopted the approach she advocates.
“No one in the world has found anything better than age verification so that children cannot have access to millions and millions of images, often violent and degrading,” she says on the phone. . “I don’t understand why the government wants to defeat this bill. »
The senator says she is optimistic to see the text adopted even if the Prime Minister opposes it, but would also welcome its content being adopted by the promised Liberal bill.
S-210 must still be examined by the Standing Committee on Public Security and National Security this spring, which could modify it, before returning to Parliament to be put to a vote again. In an email to Dutythe Bloc Québécois also reiterated its support for the text.