Thank you very much for that question.
Freedom of political expression is one of the foundational values in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, so we should be very careful in passing electoral legislation that restricts freedom of political expression. Since disinformation and misinformation now are so prevalent and are deliberate tactics, frankly, often by foreign actors, state or non-state actors, who are hostile to Canadian democracy, these are very pressing problems.
Bill C-65 has clarified some of the offences that exist, partly from the Elections Modernization Act, where there was some ambiguity. The language was broad, but it wasn't clear that deepfakes necessarily were covered. It has clarified that, so I think that is quite welcome.
Where I might have a different view from my fellow witness today is on section 482.01. Again, I'm a constitutional law professor. I start from the point of view that we should absolutely protect freedom of political expression. However, one of the tactics around the globe, by actors hostile to democracy, is to try to undermine confidence in the electoral system by spreading disinformation about the quality of the election, about how it is administered. Therefore, section 482.01, I think, is a useful attempt to try to address some of those concerns.