SoVote

Decentralized Democracy

House Hansard - 220

44th Parl. 1st Sess.
September 19, 2023 10:00AM
Context: House Hansard - 220 - Sep/19/23
Mr. Charlie Angus (Timmins—James Bay, NDP)
  • Sep/19/23 2:14:22 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, recently I crossed a new Rubicon in 23 years of public service. I had to ask the OPP to come and answer phones at my office because we were being overwhelmed with threats of violence against me, my staff and my family. Welcome to public life in 2023, where death threats and intimidation are becoming part of the playbook of the far right. It is not just politicians: We are seeing death threats against journalists, school board trustees and medical professionals. What is bubbling up in the conspiracy swamps of 4chan, Reddit and X is increasingly crossing the line into real life. Call it “pitchfork politics”. It represents a serious threat not only to public safety but also to the very nature of democracy itself. These extremists make these threats because they can get away with it. It is time to mandate the RCMP to establish a registry of online domestic extremism. The RCMP needs to have the resources to identify the sources of any threat, to make contact with them and to keep track of them in a public registry. Democracy is in a very fragile place, and we need to work together to keep people safe and our system working.
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Context: House Hansard - 220 - Sep/19/23
Mr. René Villemure
  • Sep/19/23 8:26:24 p.m.
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Mr. Chair, I thank my colleague for her important question. The people who came to testify before the Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics told us that, first, they wanted to be heard and, second, they wanted to be believed. When people tell me they have gone to the RCMP only to be rebuffed and have no one believe them, this tells me that there must be more of an effort to listen to them, to hear what they are saying and to see what can be done. Looking away is the best way to see nothing. I think we need to make an effort to communicate and open a dialogue with the diaspora communities. That dialogue cannot take place over loudspeakers or through the media; we need to make contact and be sincere.
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Context: House Hansard - 220 - Sep/19/23
Ms. Elizabeth May (Saanich—Gulf Islands, GP)
  • Sep/19/23 9:07:11 p.m.
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Mr. Chair, I have a question for my colleague and friend from Rivière-du-Nord. The matter is clear. We now understand that the victim of this terrible murder, Mr. Nijjar, had been warned by police and by CSIS that he was being threatened and was not safe. I am going to say this in English. It is late. I am very troubled that our security forces and the RCMP were unable to keep Mr. Nijjar safe. As to this aspect, I wonder if my friend from Rivière-du-Nord has any thoughts or comments. It strikes me as a failure of our security services, and I wonder if he feels the same.
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