Rex Murphy: The Liberals’ monstrous internet-control bill is sure to be revived – National Post

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The governments desire to rummage through your online presence and issue edicts on your musings has merely suffered a temporary halt

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Would-be Lord Overseer of the Internet, journalism consultant and (in his spare time) Heritage Minister Steven Guilbeault experienced a petty setback recently.

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The Senate shut its doors before Mr. Guilbeaults desperate and arrogant overreach into communications and internet control, Bill C-10, could be passed.

To summarize: at least for the moment, you may still safely fire up your webcam to express your disappointment and concern in a YouTube video that there appears to be a whole church-burning frenzy out West.

You may do this, again, just for the moment, without worrying that some apparatchik in Mr. Guilbeaults office, or some backroom Liberal bureaucrat, ponders whether any or all of these messages should be allowed.

Steven Guilbeault experienced a petty setback recently

Pierre Poilievre, the Conservative MP who was one of the most vivid in opposition to C-10, executed a little online jubilato of his own over the news. I wish for no downpour on Mr. Ps parade.

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But be aware, Sir. The Liberals may have been frustrated in their first go at communications control, but should there be an election (which seems very likely), and should they win (which seems ever-so-sadly likely as well), they will exhume the monstrosity from the order paper cemetery, attach the electrodes, call for lightning, haul down the electric lever, and the sad, horrifying creature will walk again.

The governments desire to rummage through your online presence and issue edicts on your musings has merely suffered a stay, a temporary halt. Do not confuse that with any idea it has abandoned the ambition to wander where it has no business. The setback will only make the next attempt more dedicated and energetic.

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From all signs, such as the millions being distributed to Algoma Steel, and the appointment of the first Indigenous person to the governor generals office, an election is about to be called.

It looks seriously as if the government wants no space or time between the end of the pandemic and a rush to the polls. No space or time in other words to do something of a review of its handling of the COVID menace; no space or time in particular to give some accounting of its gargantuan spending during the same period the greatest spending ever during a time of the weakest Parliament and the least oversight. And finally, no space or time to survey how many thousands of businesses have gone under, how many jobs lost, and the psychological turmoil that was the inevitable consequence for those thus affected.

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It would be, at the very least, a small charity to give Canadians a respite from politics to regain so to speak their footing after this extremely challenging time, some time to accommodate moving back to something like normal, before asking them so precipitately to go to the polls. But apparently, such is not to be the case.

Doubtless recent polls showing the Conservative opposition weak and unprepared for an election, which is its own fault, is encouraging a decision to drop the writ early. Even news that Jagmeet Singh is a TikTok Superstar (I really cannot believe that headline, it out-Babylon Bees The Babylon Bee) will not spread undue alarm in the PMO strategy shop.

Likewise the comic-opera the Green party is currently running for the publics amusement and distraction, a kindly gesture in a time of anxiety, will not likely move them beyond their two-seat status.

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Charity has little scope in political strategies, and should the Liberals scent that a majority is within reach if they go quickly, then quickly they will go. If such proves to be the case I expect we will hear of grand designs; no doubt this weeks announcement of high frequency rail connecting the great cities of central Canada is just the first of many glorious initiatives.

But what I predict we will not hear is any unequivocal, definitive statement that the Liberals efforts to monitor and control internet communications, to set out guidelines for news and reporting, are no longer part of their priority agenda. If reporters let them, if they go unquestioned on this policy, I expect they will not speak of it at all, let alone give it any highlight in whatever platform they put forward.

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Of all the issues Canadians should be concerned with, that of potential government control over information, communication and news reporting is cardinal. There is always at least some hope that with unfettered reporting, the various scandals, sloppiness and misguided policies can meet with some exploration and even pushback. Extend the governments reach over communication and news and there follows a central injury to the politics of a democracy.

Which is why the victory of the Senates shutdown before passage of the infamous C-10 is but a frail and temporary one, and any celebration dangerously premature. The Liberals have clearly indicated where they want to go on this, and should they get a majority, they shall go there.

National Post

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Rex Murphy: The Liberals' monstrous internet-control bill is sure to be revived - National Post