We must avoid following in the footsteps of the United States, which has embraced far-right authoritarianism.
Editorial
Canadian Anti-Hate Network
The media cycle has churned for months with news about Donald Trump, our relationship with the United States, and tariffs. How Canada protects its sovereignty when our neighbour has embraced far-right authoritarianism seems to be the defining issue of this election, which will be held on April 28
While the Canadian Anti-Hate Network is nonpartisan, we are also committed to providing factual, high-quality information about far-right movements, which harbour racism and other forms of hate. These movements are incompatible with our multicultural democracy.
This election feels different because Trump is showing us the consequences of letting the far-right influence politics and, eventually, lead them. People on both sides of the border, especially people targeted by hate, are worried for the future. As it stands, it feels very unsafe to even try to cross into the United States.
We are concerned that the incoming Prime Minister, whoever it may be, won’t understand that this threat isn’t just an economic one. That they won’t protect us enough from our newly hostile neighbour—or worse yet, embrace the politics dividing the US.
We already have candidates at every level echoing Trump and blaming “wokeness” for all sorts of issues. They are signaling their opposition to anti-racist initiatives like DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion). They tacitly, or explicitly, endorse the targeting of transgender and gender nonconforming people, because people with strong anti-2SLGBTQ+ sentiment make up a voting bloc. Some will advocate for restrictions (at best) or criminalization (at worst) on abortion.
Attacking “wokeness” has become a way to make anything progressive sound sinister without needing more of an explanation.
This playbook succeeded in the USA.
Taking over local governments and Republican Party positions has been a generational project for the American far-right, including Christian nationalists. Far-right Canadians want to emulate that success. While Christian nationalists in Canada have been engaging youth for a long time, we are seeing new training seminars that are more professional and open to nonbelievers – as long as their politics are aligned.
Progressives are being out-organized by highly driven and highly focused far-right movements infiltrating our politics. They are managing to put aside their differences of opinion so that they can do the most important thing – win.
The far-right is pumping money into this election. There is an entire ecosystem of far-right news media pushing propaganda, and fringe media and influencers spreading misinformation and disinformation, sometimes with paid ads.
During the 2022 municipal elections in multiple provinces, the races were flooded with candidates for school board trustee who ran on a single issue: eliminating “critical race theory,” “gender ideology,” and any policies perceived as progressive or “woke” from education.
We are worried that this leads to the erosion of policies that protect 2SLGBTQ+ persons, especially transgender and gender nonconforming persons and youth.
Immigration is also at the forefront of the election. Entertaining the false belief that immigrants are taking jobs and housing, eroding social trust, and somehow even replacing white people, is downright dangerous. And yet, there are candidates who will do just that.
“One in six Canadians say they have definitely or possibly been the target of a hate incident in the past year,” according to a survey by the Canadian Race Relations Foundation.
Conspiracy theories surged in popularity during the pandemic as people struggling with lockdowns, restrictions, and conflicting information were fed misinformation on social media. Inside those spaces, where conspiracy theories were being spread, many people started to be exposed to far-right propaganda. The consequence of all this was the so-called Freedom Convoy in 2022.
According to polls done in 2022 and 2023, about 15% of Canadians believe in at least one far-right conspiracy theory. These beliefs, sometimes alleging sinister and wide-ranging plots, may shape a person’s politics. Some candidates encourage these conspiracy theories themselves.
Canada’s far-right movements and political discourse seem to be only a few steps behind the United States over the past several years – and we can see where we’re being led.
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.”
