Evidence of meeting #40 for Health in the 42nd Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was pornography.
A video is available from Parliament.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Bill Casey
I agree, and he's not talking about the legal aspect of it. He's talking about the health impact, which is our area.
Liberal
John Oliver Liberal Oakville, ON
Just on health impact, my hope is that we're looking at evidence-based material here. There will be a tonne of anecdotal self-experience comments, which actually don't constitute the scientific research that would allow us to draw a conclusion about the impact on public health. It really is important that we find the most recent research on this, make sure that it has reasonable scientific merit and has used an evidence-based approach, and come to a conclusion fairly quickly as to whether there is an impact or not.
Again, I think it's important that we get the 2016 research, which I heard two months ago was quite compelling.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Bill Casey
That's a good point, and we should remember that when we're submitting our priority list for witnesses. We want witnesses who have done the scientific research and have something tangible for us. I just looked at some of the latest reports, and as you say, they look compelling.
Is there no further business?
Mr. Davies.
Don Davies NDP Vancouver Kingsway, BC
I'm not sure yet exactly how to interpret this, but if we stay faithful to the wording of the motion, which I think not only we should but we must.... They're asking us to study the public health effects of online violent and degrading...and I think that maybe reinforces what John was saying about not getting dragged down into anecdotal or individual stories, although some of that may actually inform the public health impact in some way.
I think we have to be very cognizant of the public health effects. I agree with what John was saying about being careful to try to get an empirical, scientific, health-based approach, because that's what Mr. Viersen has asked for. If he is asking for a study of the health impacts, which was the purpose of my questions, to understand what he wants to limit this to, then it behooves us as a committee to take a public health approach.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Bill Casey
I agree. I'm just looking through my notes. He mentioned the public health model about eight times. He wasn't asking us to go off on tangents and talk about the legal aspects of it or anything, just the public health impacts, so that's where we'll stay.
Thanks very much, everybody. We'll see you on Thursday.