OTTAWA, June 15, 2022

Today, the Minister of Canadian Heritage, Pablo Rodriguez, delivered opening remarks at the Public Policy Forum’s Canadian Citizens’ Assembly on Democratic Expression, taking place from June 15 to 19 in Ottawa. This year’s Citizens’ Assembly will hear viewpoints from a representative group of citizens on the core elements of a successful legislative and regulatory framework on online safety.

The Minister shared that the discussion of the Citizens’ Assembly will build upon the excellent and rigorous work of the expert advisory group on online safety that was launched on March 30 and concluded its weekly meetings on Friday, June 10. Over the last ten weeks, experts brought their knowledge and experience to provide advice to the government on a legislative and regulatory framework on online safety. Worksheets and summaries of their deliberations were posted online, and Canadian Heritage will publish a final summary on the group’s work, which will outline their findings and conclusions. This final summary will be available in the coming weeks.

The Minister encouraged the participants at the Citizens’ Assembly to reflect on the outcome of the expert advisory group discussions on online safety in Canada as they are undertaking their own deliberations. He emphasized the importance of a diverse citizens’ perspective as each participant in the Citizens’ Assembly brings their own personal values, experiences and understanding of Canadian society to the table.

Throughout the summer, Canadian Heritage will hold more engagement activities that will seek further input from Canadians, Indigenous Peoples, and key stakeholders on harmful content online to help inform a legislative and regulatory response that supports an inclusive, free and safe online space for all Canadians.

Canadians should be able to express themselves freely and openly without fear of harm online. The issue of harmful content found online is both a critical and complex issue that calls for an approach that balances freedom of expression, protection of privacy, and online safety. Minister Rodriguez reiterated the government’s commitment to get this right and to engage Canadians in a thorough, open, and transparent manner every step of the way on the road to tabling legislation as soon as possible.