Evidence of meeting #119 for Canadian Heritage in the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was point.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Hedy Fry
I know you do, but if you're going to filibuster, I may have to let the witnesses know they can leave.
Conservative
Conservative
Philip Lawrence Conservative Northumberland—Peterborough South, ON
I do believe it would be wise at this point to allow the witnesses to leave, as I don't believe this is an easy or simple conversation.
Conservative
Philip Lawrence Conservative Northumberland—Peterborough South, ON
Thank you.
As I was saying, given the charged nature which we currently live in, with the division that unfortunately is a real scourge on our great country, I think it's important that we parse our words very carefully. As I said, I believe that specifically we should be calling out Islamophobia as well as anti-Semitism.
I was just talking about the Liberal member, Anthony Housefather, as well as our Melissa Lantsman and Marty Morantz—
NDP
Niki Ashton NDP Churchill—Keewatinook Aski, MB
—I have a point of order.
I think it's pretty clear that we're witnessing a filibuster on a motion to study the rise of the far right. The far right is clearly anti-Semitic. It is clearly Islamophobic. This is exactly what we want to look into, so I don't understand why the Conservatives are wasting our time and why we don't get to the vote on this motion.
If they believe that they want to look into anti-Semitism, then let's see them vote for this motion, and let's cut this filibuster. We're wasting the witnesses' time. We're all wasting our time.
Conservative
Conservative
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Hedy Fry
I'm sorry. I'm the chair. I will rule on whether it's a point of order or not.
Ms. Ashton has a point of order because she's referring us to get back to the order of what we're doing, which is to discuss a motion.
I must say, Mr. Lawrence, that you're drifting as far from that motion as possible. I think she's calling for us to get back—
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Hedy Fry
—to the order of the motion. Thank you.
Thank you, Ms. Ashton, for your point.
Now, Mr. Lawrence, you may continue.
Conservative
Philip Lawrence Conservative Northumberland—Peterborough South, ON
You can characterize this however you want, Chair, but you can read back the comments in Hansard. We are talking about racism, anti-Semitism, Islamophobia. It's all in here, and that's what I'm talking about.
Quite frankly, I think my comments are constructive, and I would actually welcome the conversation of whether we should include directly, in this proposed study, Islamophobia, because I believe that to be a scourge. Certainly, in talking to many of my Muslim friends, they have also commented to me that they don't necessarily feel safe.
Mr. Noormohamed, in this very committee, recounted his own experience growing up that he often felt like he was judged just because of his faith. I don't think anyone should live that, and I think that including it specifically within this study is absolutely critical.
Getting back to my original point, though, which is what I was going to get to, is I have heard Mr. Mendicino, Mr. Carr, Mr. Housefather, amongst many other Liberals talk about the scourge that is anti-Semitism. Of course, I've heard Conservatives call it out, including Mr. Morantz,Ms. Lantsman and our leader, Mr. Poilievre. However, I think, if we're going to have a four-meeting study on this, that we do understand some of the background.
I do want to add a little bit of context with respect to anti-Semitism in Canada. Canada actually has the fourth-largest Jewish community in the world, with over 390,000 Jews. Many of the folks I know of Jewish heritage or Jewish religion, however you wish to characterize it, have direct roots to the Holocaust. I myself am actually of part Jewish heritage as well, on my grandmother's side. When you hear the stories of the Holocaust survivors and how the storm that eventually came to be the Holocaust in Germany arose, they are horrific. Others might question why I want to include anti-Semitism in this study, but I think it's critically important.
Here's just a brief look into the world of folks of Jewish heritage. Here is what has happened in very recent history: vandalism, graffiti, circulation of hate propaganda, intolerant and racist language in places like Twitter, and comments on web forums and blogs. There have been bomb threats against Jewish schools and community centres, including not very far from where we are. We've heard of the intimidation of Jewish students even on our university campuses, which are there to be places of safety and of growth; and yet our Jewish students often, unfortunately, feel unsafe.
I'll continue here. There has been significant progress, and I would hate to see that reversed, as the last six months, since October 7, have been extremely challenging for our country. We've seen a rise of both Islamophobia and anti-Semitism. I think that needs to be, quite frankly, a focus of the study, if we want to study hate in our country. For example, police—
Liberal
Michael Coteau Liberal Don Valley East, ON
I would just ask the member to add Islamophobia and anti-Semitism to the motion, and let's move forward. I think that's what he's getting at.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Hedy Fry
Well, I had originally asked the member if he had an amendment. I'm hoping we will get an amendment from him, because he's made his point.
Conservative
Conservative
Philip Lawrence Conservative Northumberland—Peterborough South, ON
I have the floor for as long as I want. That's how that works.
Liberal
