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Video is available online http://parlvu.parl.gc.ca/Parlvu/ContentEntityDetailView.aspx?ContentEntityId=5071 On Monday, October 5, 2009, journalist Mark Steyn and Blogger Ezra Levant testified before the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights. During their hour long testimony, they blasted internet censorship and Section 13 of the Canadian Human Rights Act. The testimony by Steyn and Levant was great and covered many of the abuses of the Canadian Human Rights Commission and their ilk. There was some testimony about the Lustig (Ouwendyk) decision concerning Richard Warman’s actions, but it appears that there might be a misreading of that decision.
At no point did Lustig made any determinations on the constitutionality of Section 13. The Tribunal in Ouwendyk ruled that Mr. Warman’s posting on Stormfront and VNN are “..both disappointing and disturbing.” Further Mr. Warman’s postings “…could have precipitated further hate messages in response.” The only positive decision on the constitutionality of Section 13, was in the Lemirecase. Where Member Hadjis found that “that s. 13(1) infringes on Mr. Lemire’s freedom of expression guaranteed under s. 2(b) of the Charter, and that this infringement is not demonstrably justified under s. 1 of the Charter.” “I call on this Parliament to assert its oversight role and to compel a full inquiry onto the commission; its investigators, and their membership of nazi websites; their conflicts of interest; their contamination of evidence, and their relationship with Richard Warman. Section 13’s underlying philosophy is incompatible with a free society. And its use by agents of the human rights commission has been corrupted and diseased beyond salvation. It is time for the people’s representatives in parliament to defend real human rights and end this grotesque spectacle.” Mark Steyn
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