I supported the first part of Bill C‑63, which deals with the whole issue of children. There are some very good things in there but, strangely, not a word about age verification or pornography, which are nonetheless a major source of harm associated with social media. I'm very disappointed. No matter how many times I'm told that the commission that will be set up one day might decide that age verification is the right way to go, it doesn't reassure me. This is all setting us back.
For me, this is a pressing public health issue. For the past 15 to 20 years, our children have been subjected to unrestricted pornography, and it's changing the way they view sexuality. Sexuality should be a wonderful thing, and I'm all for healthy sexuality, but that's not what pornography shows. I understand that it's legal for adults, but it was never meant to be consumed by children or used to teach them about sex.
Not only does it take away all their dreams and any mystery, but it also makes them adopt appalling behaviours that are more violent. According to a study that completely blew my mind, over 47% of young men and women say that sexual relationships are necessarily violent, and that girls expect it. Look where we've ended up.