Canada is not immune to violence against elected officials

(Ottawa) The assassination attempt on former U.S. President Donald Trump has rekindled the debate over the safety of elected officials in Canada. Spitting in the face, broken windows and burning garages: incidents against federal MPs and even senators are increasing to the point that their number has exploded in recent years. Analysis.

How big is the problem?

There were 65 times more incident reports opened in 2023 following threatening behaviour towards elected officials than in 2019, according to Sergeant-at-Arms Patrick McDonnell. The House of Commons’ top security official told the House procedure committee in May that the number had increased from eight to 530 in four years. “It’s mostly online harassment, but there have also been instances of harassment in person and at various events,” he said.

Some voters are no longer content to vent their spleen on social media. Former Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino was spat in the face last month by a man who followed him to his office in Ottawa. The man is part of a group of “Freedom Convoy” supporters who have never really left Wellington Street. They regularly protest outside the West Block, hurling abuse at elected officials who pass by – sometimes even Conservative MPs.

THE Yukon Star reported in June that Liberal MP Brendan Hanley’s garage had been set on fire. In May, it was his Ontario colleague Vance Badawey who had one of the windows of his residence smashed by a man with a baseball bat. Ministers Mélanie Joly and Chrystia Freeland have both been confronted in person by citizens.

MP Pam Damoff has decided not to run in the next election after receiving death threats. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said in a radio interview Monday that he asked for security after receiving threats himself. Even senators are getting a taste of it. CBC reported in February that members of the upper house had been given panic buttons.

Whose fault is it ?

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh said Monday he’s concerned about the polarization of political debate. “We should be able to speak out, we should be able to say we don’t agree with a policy that really bothers us, but we shouldn’t treat our political opponents as enemies.”

Poilievre condemned the violence but rejected the idea of ​​”self-censorship.” “My criticisms of the prime minister are entirely reasonable and are about his policy agenda,” he said on Global News radio when reminded by host Alex Pierson that he had called Justin Trudeau a nutcase. “We’re not going to let the shooter [américain] stifle our debate [public]. »

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has blamed the way right-wing politicians are portrayed, saying it has fueled the tense atmosphere in the United States and called on progressive politicians to “be careful with their language.” Earlier this year, Steven Guilbeault accused her of inciting violence after she asked American talk show host Tucker Carlson to put the environment minister “in his crosshairs.”

In Ottawa, we have lost count of the number of times the Speaker of the House of Commons has had to intervene during question period because the debates have been so tense since the arrival of Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre. The invectives are flying from both the Conservative and Liberal benches.

This polarization is fueled by the fact that people can post vitriolic comments online “in a matter of minutes,” says former Conservative senator Vern White, who also served as Ottawa’s police chief and assistant commissioner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP).

The sergeant-at-arms admitted to being powerless in the face of these virtual threats. “Either the social media platforms do not respond to our calls, or they respond to us and tell us that they will study the situation, but nothing is done,” he lamented.

What can be done?

“We need three things: more resources and better tools for law enforcement, that social networks are quicker to remove content that incites hatred and violence and, finally, as politicians we must look in the mirror and moderate our speech,” pleads former minister Marco Mendicino. He suggests, among other things, creating a protection zone around constituency offices to keep protesters at a certain distance.

Vern White, who was once followed through the streets of Ottawa by a man shouting insults at him, also believes action is needed.

RCMP Commissioner Mike Duheme is calling for a change to the Criminal Code to make it easier to lay charges. Justice Minister Arif Virani says “provisions that deal with threats and intimidation” already exist. Police already have the legislative tools to intervene in some cases, according to former police chief and senator Vern White.

“We have to challenge them to explain to us why they can’t investigate or lay charges,” he says. In his opinion, the possibility of ending up with a criminal record would be a much greater deterrent than the fine of up to $1,500 adopted unanimously in Quebec by the National Assembly in June. For now, the House of Commons plans to offer police protection to elected officials and candidates during the next election.

With Joël-Denis Bellavance, The Pressand The Canadian Press