The countdown has begun. Justin Trudeau’s (new) government team has only 99 days left to keep certain promises written in black and white in the Liberal Party of Canada’s electoral platform. Overview of the progress promised by February 2022.
Pablo Rodriguez, Canadian Heritage. The elected Montrealer, who takes over the reins of the Department of Canadian Heritage after having held them between 2018 and 2019, must organize a summit on assistance to artists shaken by the COVID-19 pandemic in addition to tabling three bills.
It will first have to dust off the Broadcasting Act in order to submit the giants of the Web to it no later than 100 days after the formation of the Cabinet. Bill C-10, signed by its predecessor, Steven Guilbeault, drew strong criticism from the conservative opposition, which saw it as an attack on freedom of expression online. Sent to the Senate at the very last minute, the bill died on the order paper when the election campaign began.
Mr. Rodriguez will also have to draft and present two other bills: a first aimed at ensuring the sharing of revenues between the giants of the Web and the Canadian media, according to the Australian model; a second aimed at countering hatred online. The Trudeau government announced at the beginning of the summer that it would hold consultations on its desire to force social networks to remove all illegal content from their platforms within 24 hours – including images of child sexual exploitation, speeches inciting to violence and terrorist propaganda.
Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Official Languages. The new Minister responsible for Official Languages also has 100 days to pass a bill, this one dealing in particular with “the substantive equality of French”. Seeing it as a “priority”, Mme Petitpas Taylor, however, did not commit to it being identical to the bill unveiled by his predecessor, Mélanie Joly, just before the summer break in the Commons. She says she has to meet with her deputy ministers first.
David Lametti, Justice. Reappointed as Minister of Justice, Mr. Lametti must resuscitate two bills: a bill aimed at criminalizing conversion therapy, and another aimed at abolishing mandatory minimum sentences for one or the other. of 20 criminal offenses. “We promised to act within the first 100 days. I cannot guarantee that this is “copy and paste” [du projet de loi C-22, qu’il avait déposé sous l’ancienne législature], but it can be ‘cut and paste’, ”Lametti said Wednesday.
Ahmed Hussein, Housing, Diversity and Inclusion. As Minister of Housing, Mr. Hussein will for his part have to designate a “federal defender of the right to housing”. In his role as Minister of Diversity and Inclusion, he must establish a federal action plan to “better support LGBTQ + people and build a society promoting equal rights and opportunities”.