Madam Speaker, as I am on the heritage committee, I know the topic of free speech is now very alive and part of what we are doing. Have members ever heard of Hyde Park in London? It is famous for “Speakers' Corner”, where anyone can come to speak about whatever topic they like.
The heritage minister recently indicated that he intends to introduce legislation to regulate speech on the Internet. Hate speech is already illegal in Canada and has been for years. The Criminal Code makes it illegal to incite violence and promote hatred. I have received many communications from my constituents expressing interest about what this plan might look like.
The minister's intentions are probably great, but this needs to be approached very carefully, with input from members of all parties. Freedom of speech and religion are a crucial foundation of our country's democracy.