Evidence of meeting #131 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 hate.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Hedy Fry
We'll go to the second round of questions for five minutes, please. We'll go to the Liberals and Jennifer O'Connell.
Ms. O'Connell, you have five minutes.
Liberal
Jennifer O'Connell Liberal Pickering—Uxbridge, ON
Thank you, Madam Chair.
Through you to the minister, thank you for being here today.
Mr. Jivani spoke about what's on Twitter, so let's talk about a few things that are also on Twitter.
We've talked a lot here, from all colleagues, about the increasing rise in anti-Semitism and Islamophobia. Certainly Holocaust denialism is something I have never seen before like this. When members of the Conservative Party dine with German politicians who actually, within their party, believe the Holocaust was a hoax.... I wonder if Conservatives, who care a lot about what happens on Twitter, posting and amplifying hateful rhetoric toward the Jewish community and still sit in the front row of Conservative benches.... There has been no retribution or reprimand for promoting people who share hateful Holocaust denialism.
I wonder if you think that is helpful in the reduction of the anti-Semitic hate we're seeing in this country.
Liberal
Kamal Khera Liberal Brampton West, ON
Thank you, Ms. O'Connell.
I think we're all shocked. That's why I find it a bit rich every single time Conservatives members get up and talk about hate when their own members actively meet with neo-Nazis from Germany and still do not denounce and apologize for that. The fact that their own leader will go and meet with the white supremacists of Diagolon, which we know is an organization that fundamentally believes that people like you and I, Madam Chair, do not exist in Canada—
Conservative
Conservative
Dan Albas Conservative Central Okanagan—Similkameen—Nicola, BC
Madam Chair, I expect that when a minister comes here, they're going to behave with such decorum that we can have a discussion around the topic at hand, instead of trying to bring disorder to this area.
I would ask you, Madam Chair, the same way we would ask the Speaker in the House, to encourage members to remember that—
Liberal
Conservative
Dan Albas Conservative Central Okanagan—Similkameen—Nicola, BC
—we are all honourable members, and not to use their pedestal to throw such aspira— Such rhetoric—
Conservative
Conservative
Conservative
Dan Albas Conservative Central Okanagan—Similkameen—Nicola, BC
—and is simply throwing out things that cause disorder.
Madam Chair, I believe this goes against the whole purpose of this meeting.
Liberal
Liberal
Kamal Khera Liberal Brampton West, ON
Madam Chair, thank you.
I think my honourable colleagues needs to realize that there are consequences to their actions. There are consequences to the actions that the leader and members of the Conservative Party take. When their leader actively puts hashtags on his YouTube videos that attract men who hate women, it has consequences. When he meets with a far-right extremist and does not denounce that, it has consequences. Diagolon is an organization that fundamentally believes that you and I, Madam Chair—people of colour—should not exist in Canada. That has consequences. When they meet with German neo-Nazis and do not denounce that, it has consequences for people on the ground.
It is shameful for the Conservative members to sit there and pretend they care about hate in this country when they know, within their own caucus, there are people who court far-right extremism, which has real consequences for people on the ground. We have seen that in our communities. We have seen how, unfortunately, lives have been taken away. There are consequences to hate.
They need to apologize to Canadians and denounce such hate when it occurs in this country.
Liberal
Jennifer O'Connell Liberal Pickering—Uxbridge, ON
Thank you, Minister.
I'll follow up on recent meetings between Conservatives and those who distribute hate on our streets, which their question spoke about off the top.
Mr. Cooper, another MP in the Conservative Party, was just a couple of weeks ago seen meeting with those who were protesting and holding up Russian flags. They were really comfortable—
Conservative
Kevin Waugh Conservative Saskatoon—Grasswood, SK
Mr. Cooper did not meet with them. He was at a restaurant when those individuals were there.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Hedy Fry
Kevin, you can't answer that. This is a point of order.
What I see here is this: When we allow questions to be asked about members—people like Mr. Housefather—and name groups as hate groups, I think it is fair game to ask questions about other groups considered to be hateful, and about who meets with them. I think this is a reasonable question to ask.
Ms. O'Connell, go ahead.
Liberal
Jennifer O'Connell Liberal Pickering—Uxbridge, ON
Thank you, Madam Chair.
They opened that door and that's precisely why I am raising these questions.
Mr. Cooper met with groups in Ottawa that we saw, first-hand, were spreading disinformation about queer kids and trans people in this country—a level of violence that the Conservatives, in particular, have not raised....
Can you speak about hate towards our queer kids and how, once again, meeting with individuals who spread such hate on our streets only emboldens them and does not reduce hate or create a culture of inclusivity?
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Hedy Fry
Thank you.
Minister, I will give you 30 seconds to answer that, because I took off the time for the points of order and the discussion on the floor.
Go ahead. You have 30 seconds.
Liberal
Kamal Khera Liberal Brampton West, ON
Thank you, Madam Chair.
My colleague is absolutely right. There are consequences to hate. If you leave it unchecked, it has real consequences on the ground.
As Ms. O'Connell mentioned, seeing members of Pierre Poilievre's Conservatives meeting with groups that incite hate within communities has consequences for people on the ground.
They need to apologize to Canadians. They need to denounce these acts, because Canadians deserve better. Lives are at stake.
Thank you, Madam Chair.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Hedy Fry
I'll now move to the Bloc Québécois and MP Champoux.
You have two and a half minutes, Martin.