(Ottawa) Federal Justice Minister Arif Virani says he never goes out without his “geolocation-based teleassistance” device. And he doesn’t go anywhere without first informing someone close to him, even when he’s attending public events.
Additionally, Mr. Virani is not only accompanied by a security team from the Department of Justice, but also by a separate team in the House of Commons.
“We are unfortunately at this point in Canadian society at the moment,” said Minister Virani in an interview given Wednesday, as MPs were preparing to leave Parliament Hill for the summer break.
Although Minister Virani said he wishes things were different, he is not prepared to subscribe to the recent suggestion of the head of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), who wanted Ottawa to allow police officers to make it easier to accuse people who threaten elected officials.
“I think there are strong tools in place right now, particularly in the Criminal Code,” Virani said, adding that the federal government already provides police with the resources they need to do their jobs. “I think a combination of the two is […] sufficient to address what’s happening right now.”
Last month, in an interview with The Canadian Press, RCMP Commissioner Mike Duheme expressed his concerns about the increase in threats made against elected officials. He argued that under current Canadian laws, an individual’s behavior often does not meet the threshold required to lay a charge.
Duheme hoped the departments of Public Safety and Justice would work with the RCMP on the possibility of creating a new provision in the Criminal Code to address this growing problem.
An intelligence report recently highlighted how extremist rhetoric linked to personal grievances – and fueled by outright lies and disinformation easily spread online – has “increasingly normalized” threats against politicians. The report also highlighted that violent speeches were often directed against women in public.
Ontario Liberal MP Pam Damoff has announced that she will not run in the next election due to the threats and harassment she has faced. A growing number of MPs, including Conservative deputy leader Melissa Lantsman, have been seen with close protection on Parliament Hill.
Last April, a handful of demonstrators came to Mr. Virani’s Toronto home to protest his government’s response to the war between Israel and Hamas. The minister condemned the actions, saying his wife and two sons “did not deserve to be harassed.”
Pro-Palestinian demonstrations also took place in front of the residence of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mélanie Joly, in Montreal, sparking criticism from MPs on all sides, who felt that such behavior exceeded the limits.
Minister Virani reiterated his message to Commissioner Duheme this week: the government is always open to suggestions to more effectively address the challenges facing the police in this matter.
One approach consists of increasing the units responsible for hate crimes against elected officials and citizens, believes the minister. “There aren’t as many as there should be. »
Mr Virani also cites some provisions in the long-promised Online Harms Bill that would force “web giants” to do more to reduce the harm users are exposed to on their platforms.
The bill also provides tougher penalties for hate crimes – measures that civil society groups and legal experts say could undermine freedom of expression. Minister Virani, for his part, believes that these measures are necessary to prevent online hatred from transforming into physical violence.
“I believe that this bill constitutes a comprehensive response to address the root causes of what is causing the concerns that” Commissioner Duheme raised.
The Commons adjourned its work on Wednesday without having made much progress on this bill, which has not yet been sent to committee for examination, although it was tabled almost four months ago in the House.
