Certainly.
The listing of terrorist entities is one tool that is available to the Government of Canada.
In 2019, as you may recall, the Government of Canada added the international neo-Nazi network Blood & Honour and its armed affiliate Combat 18 to the list.
Operationally, those listings contributed to the removal of the groups’ online presence. This meant that social media platforms that had previously sold group-affiliated merchandise banned any associated accounts. Additionally, Canadian service providers also shut down affiliated websites.
Earlier this year the government placed 13 new groups on the terrorist list, including an additional four IMVE groups: the Russian Imperial Movement, Atomwaffen Division, The Base, and the Proud Boys. Being listed as a terrorist entity can carry significant consequences. Although it is not a crime to be listed, once listed, an entity falls under what are defined as terrorist groups in the Criminal Code, which apply to several terrorism offences, including recruitment, training, travel and terrorist financing. A listing, therefore, may help support criminal investigations by the RCMP that could trigger potential charges. A listing may also trigger non-criminal measures such as the deregistration of a charity or the inadmissibility of a foreign national into Canada.
A broad Government of Canada approach is taken to identify entities to prioritize for listing. This work is then further supported by criminal or security intelligence reports, which are ultimately independently reviewed by the Department of Justice to ensure that entities meet the threshold test as set out in the Criminal Code. It is important to note here that the legal criteria are not restricted to groups that actually commit violent acts. The threshold also applies where there are reasonable grounds to believe that an entity attempted, conspired for or counselled the commission of a terrorist activity.
In order to ensure that the listings process is balanced and fair, there are several safeguards built into the regime. A listed entity may request that the Minister of Public Safety recommend to the Governor in Council that it be removed from the list. This can happen at any point. The Criminal Code also allows for a review of the minister’s decision by the Federal Court. Finally, there is a statutory requirement to review each entity on the list every five years to ensure that it merits continued listing.
We recognize that addressing the ideologically motivated violent extremism threat is not only an enforcement or technological issue.
The Canada Centre for Community Engagement and Prevention of Violence leads the Government of Canada’s efforts to prevent and counter radicalization to violence. The centre provides funding to support the efforts of researchers and frontline practitioners to understand, prevent, and counter radicalization to violence in Canada through its grants and contributions program.
The Government of Canada is actively working with Five Eyes partners and G7 allies, the technology industry, experts, and civil society to more effectively counter ideologically motivated violent extremism in the online space.
Canada is also a signatory to the Christchurch Call to Action to eliminate terrorist and violent extremist content online.
Our government will thus continue to bring the full range of resources we have to bear in dealing with this issue and to keep our communities safe from violent extremism.
Thank you. I will now turn the floor over to my colleague, Mr. Hahlweg.