- Member of Parliament
- Member of Parliament
- Independent
- Spadina—Fort York
- Ontario
- Voting Attendance: 62%
- Expenses Last Quarter: $144,966.01
- Government Page
- Nov/6/23 7:06:39 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, my question is why the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada is not acting, taking action to ensure that our hate laws are being upheld. These hate propaganda laws already exist. They can be found in sections 318 and 319 of the Criminal Code of Canada. If the government feels existing laws are insufficient, then let us get to work. Let us create a new criminal offence that specifically targets the glorification of terrorism. Such a call has already been made by B'nai Brith Canada. This will send a strong and very clear message that such behaviour, whether targeted against Jews or any other community, will not be tolerated in our country.
Canadians support the rule of law, not mob rule. Will the Liberal government stand up to escalating violence and anti-Semitism or does someone really have to get hurt before it finally acts?
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- Nov/6/23 7:00:48 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, on October 26, I asked the government to address the alarming incidents of anti-Semitism, intolerance and intimidation being displayed by pro-Hamas supporters.
We are seeing on streets across Canada pro-Hamas rallies calling for the boycott or swarming of Toronto businesses just because they are owned by Jews. That is repulsive.
Last week, we saw the offices of MPs and MPPs defaced. A Jewish woman was physically assaulted after leaving a peaceful rally at Queen’s Park. Only two days ago, for a second time in as many weeks, another Jewish-owned business in my riding was targeted, with an escalation from the first incident of simple harassment of staff and their customers to now vandalism. Next, will they break the windows?
Tragically, we are about to mark the 85th anniversary of Kristallnacht on November 9, the Night of Broken Glass, when Nazis unleashed a wave of violence, vandalism and arson on Jewish-owned businesses, homes and synagogues. They even desecrated Jewish cemeteries.
What is the point of Canada’s hate propaganda laws if they are not enforced? With every incident left unanswered, there is more violence, more intimidating actions and more slogans propagating hate.
It is sadly ironic that November is Holocaust Education Month, a month that provides an opportunity for Canadians to learn about what occurred to the Jewish people under the Nazis. It is to provide an opportunity to learn about anti-Semitism.
Since the October 7 Hamas terrorist attack against Israel, which killed more than 1,400 people and left thousands injured, Canadians have seen a number of pro-Hamas terror rallies on our soil. These rallies have glorified Hamas, a listed terror organization in Canada.
As I noted earlier in question period, we hear genocidal chants at these pro-Hamas rallies, chants such as “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.” That slogan is commonly understood as a call for the ethnic cleansing of Jews and the dismantling of the Jewish state. Furthermore, the chant’s origins are linked to Hamas and is regularly used by Hamas terrorists.
On Oct. 9, at a rally at Nathan Phillips Square, right in front of Toronto City Hall, we heard calls for the Al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, to carry out more attacks in Israel, just two days after its members had massacred over 1,400. In another chant, there was a call for the brigades to blow up Ben Gurion airport. These chants are clear examples of hate speech. They are in clear violation of Canada’s hate propaganda laws.
As noted in a B’nai Brith release on October 10, “According to sources at the rallies, those in the crowd in Toronto embraced and lauded the individual who carried the flag of Hamas and others who displayed placards containing genocidal slogans.”
Enough is enough. I asked the government today during question period why the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada has been silent on such grotesque displays of anti-Semitism and incitement. Even though he was literally up one minute before my question to answer a friendly Liberal question, he was either unable or unwilling to answer mine.
Therefore, I will ask the parliamentary secretary my question. Has the minister discussed with his provincial and territorial counterparts the need to enforce Canada’s hate propaganda laws, yes or no?
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- Nov/6/23 3:16:08 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, Canadians are witnessing the glorification of terrorism and incitement of hatred against the Jewish community at pro-Hamas terror rallies across our country.
At a Queen's Park rally in Toronto, genocidal slogans called for violent acts against innocent civilians. B'nai Brith has reported these rallies that support a listed terrorist organization.
Why has the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada been silent on such grotesque displays of anti-Semitism and incitement? Has he asked his provincial and territorial counterparts to enforce Canada's hate propaganda laws? Canadians believe in the rule of law, not in mob rule.
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- Oct/26/23 3:16:59 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the horrific events in Israel and Gaza should not be used to support a particular cause. Innocent people have been killed. No one should use those deaths to justify more violence. Calling for a boycott of a Toronto business just because it is owned by a Jew is repulsive. Defacing offices of MPs or MPPs serves nothing. Hatred and intimidation do not advance the search for a just and durable peace in the Middle East.
Can the Minister of Public Safety ensure that Canada's hate laws are being upheld and that violent protests are not being permitted?
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moved for leave to introduce Bill C-261, an Act to amend the Criminal Code and the Canadian Human Rights Act and to make related amendments to another Act (hate propaganda, hate crimes and hate speech).
He said: Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to introduce a bill that seeks to combat the growing incidents of hate propaganda and hate crimes and to make it a discriminatory practice to communicate hate speech via the Internet.
Racism remains alive and well in Canada, and it is especially active online. This bill would also amend the Criminal Code and Canadian Human Rights Act to better address online hate speech.
I know hate speech far too well and can provide examples when I have been called a chink and told to die. This bill would reduce such vile attacks on people subjected to racial slurs, some on an almost daily basis.
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