More could have, and should have, been done in the last 10 years.
Editorial
Canadian Anti-Hate Network
Far-right movements are growing, in part, because people’s basic needs aren’t being met. People have genuine economic anxieties about income inequality, the housing crisis, food insecurity, and more. The far-right offers simple answers to these complex problems: us vs. them narratives that scapegoat communities that experience racism and other forms of hate.
Far-right movements gave us Donald Trump – his first presidency led to an explosion of far-right movements and politics internationally. His second is a proof-of-concept that is establishing itself as even more disastrous and damaging not just to the American people, but to the world. The pain and worry being felt by Canadians amidst this trade war and 51st state talk isn’t just about the USA vs. Canada, it’s about the far-right vs. all of us.
The Liberal Party had 10 years in government to tackle this increasing threat. It should have been a priority before pandemic conspiracy theories and the spaces they circulated in put far-right propaganda in front of so many more Canadians, culminating in the so-called Freedom Convoy.
A proposed Online Harms Bill was supposed to deal with online hate and terrorism, in addition to crimes against children, and put some minimum standards of responsibility on social media companies. However, the bill languished while the government held consultation after consultation. In December, the Liberals split the bill, separating the proposed plan to deal with online hate speech from the less contentious parts meant to implement measures to deal with harms against children. Proroguing parliament means that the bill was put on hold again and would have to be re-introduced.
The far-right will only be defeated when we have firmly defined Canadian values as multicultural ones, and borne those out in our day to day relationships in our communities and with our neighbours. When Canada keeps its promises to Indigenous peoples, and to newcomer communities who have arrived because our reputation is that of a welcoming country. When people’s basic needs are being met so that far-right narratives hold no purchase.
We will face opposition to these goals from regressive forces at home and abroad. The United States has a powerful cultural influence on us, and the global shift towards authoritarianism has emboldened the far-right everywhere. We must recognize and counter those influences, especially far-right propaganda that crosses our borders, online, likely millions of times a day.
While those are medium and long-term goals, The Canadian Anti-Hate Network also has immediate recommendations for whoever forms the government following the April 28 election. It is our hope that our next group of MPs recognize the impact hate and the far-right have on our democracy and society.
CAHN offers these five recommendations as specific items that can be progressed quickly, and which would make a large and positive impact:
Leaders were not able to take questions from journalists after last night’s debate because of incidents involving Rebel Media and Ezra Levant.
Six of the 17 reporters who asked questions came from Rebel News, True North, or Juno News.
Around 200 people protested against candidate Andrew Lawton for what an organizer called his “history with Islamophobia, racism, homophobia, and misogyny.”
