Holocaust denial could be criminalized in Canada with a new proposed bill. But would it work?

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This week, Conservative MP Kevin Waugh introduced a private member’s bill to amend the criminal code by prohibiting Holocaust denial. It came the same week NDP MP Peter Julian introduced a similar amendment that would ban hate symbols like swastikas and Confederate flags. That both sprung up shortly after the trucker convoy arrived in Ottawa—in which swastika-bearers and Holocaust deniers mixed with activists protesting vaccine mandates—is no coincidence.

But would any of this legislation actually work? Does it violate freedom of expression? Would it actually lead to a reduction in hate crimes? Waugh joins from his office in Ottawa to explain his bill. Then the hosts speak with Julius Grey, a prominent Jewish human-rights lawyer in Quebec, about the legal implications.

Plus, for Jewish Disability Awareness, Acceptance and Inclusion Month, Ilana chats with Maayan Ziv, a photographer with muscular dystrophy who is a prominent activist for inclusivity in the arts, technology and infrastructure.

What we talked about

Credits

Bonjour Chai is hosted by Avi Finegold, Ilana Zackon and David Sklar. Michael Fraiman is the producer. Andre Goulet is the technical producer. Our theme music is by Socalled. The show is a co-production from The Jewish Learning Lab and The CJN, and is distributed by The CJN Podcast Network. Find more great Jewish podcasts at thecjn.ca.