Housefather tweet, https://twitter.com/AHousefather/status/1564431723148066817

Housefather tweet, https://twitter.com/AHousefather/status/1564431723148066817

News

Silent No More: Liberal MP Anthony Housefather Calls on All 338 MPs to Speak Out on Anti-Semitism and Ensuring No Government Funding for Anti-Semite

My post yesterday focused on the government’s multiple failures with regard to providing funding to an anti-semite as part of the Canadian Heritage anti-hate program. It examined the department’s failure to conduct proper due diligence, the failure of most Liberal MPs to speak out, and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Canadian Heritage Chris Bittle’s since deleted tweet that suggested I was racist when I expressed concern about silence from government ministers such as Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez.

One of the most notable aspects of the post was the emphasis on how it has been left largely to Jewish MPs such as Anthony Housefather and Ya’ara Saks to say something about the issue. While there have been a few other responses to media or constituent questions, pro-active statements have been shockingly missing. That reality may have sparked Housefather to issue a call for all 338 MPs to speak out.

Housefather tweet, https://twitter.com/AHousefather/status/1564431723148066817

The fact that Housefather’s caucus colleagues such as Bittle have actively defended Rodriguez remaining silent on the grounds that it “isn’t his file” is incredibly disheartening and arguably disqualifying for the ongoing work on online hate. Indeed, today Mark Goldberg argues:

A department that couldn’t react in a timely way to “reprehensible and vile” statements made on a single platform (Twitter) by one of their own paid consultants has little credibility to introduce legislation seeking regulatory oversight of all online content in Canada.

And lest anyone think the silence isn’t being noticed in the Jewish community, consider the comments last night from former Liberal MP (and current President and CEO of the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center) Michael Levitt, who described himself as utterly disheartened by the lack of a public response.

 

Levitt tweet, https://twitter.com/LevittMichael/status/1564424879667036162

All MPs can stay silent no more.

7 Comments

  1. Easily one of the most bizarre scenes I have witnessed in Canadian politics. From the total lack of questions or coverage from “mainstream” news media and their journalists (in the context of their quite fulsome coverage of other recent hateful acts), to the lack of commentary from many politicians and their adjacent activists who vigorously claim to be “anti-racist” on virtually every other issue.

    I would love to know the inside story on how this has allo been playing out at within the relevant Ministry, and within the Liberal caucus. There is clearly something bigger afoot here – and it is becoming more frightening every day this saga continues.

  2. I must not be silent. This is first and foremost a serious incident of antisemitism. There must be serious action taken by Canadians and the current federal government to ensure that the perpetrators of these antisemitic acts face sanctions.

    However the failure of the MSM and the current federal government to deal with this mess in an open and honest manner, without moral courage or any sense of dignity, is utterly reprehensible.

    The very least that is needed is for all the MPs to denounce the antisemitic acts, and for an independent investigation into how the federal government mishandled this situation for such a long time. Hundreds of thousands of Canadian taxpayer dollars has been handed to these vile perpetrators and that needs to be explained.

  3. Good post , thank you for sharing with us.lesson plans

  4. Not surprising from this government.

    An agregious act of anti semitism.
    Hurts new comers as well as those of us who are multi generational.
    But no official comment?

    Wow
    Minister should go…

  5. Pingback: Collusion for a good cause • Telecom Trends

  6. We’ve all heard the saying, “Silence is golden.” But what does that really mean? Silence can be a positive thing, but it can also be a negative one. It can be a sign of confidence or a sign of weakness.

  7. Pingback: PMO knew and said nothing • Telecom Trends