Thread by @AndrewLawton

At the Standing Committee for Justice and Human Rights, where @NewWorldHominin @MarkSteynOnline and @thejohnrobson are testifying on online hate at 8:45. Watch live here: parlvu.parl.gc.ca/XRender/en/Pow…

A Liberal MP has introduced a motion striking comments made by Michael Cooper last week from the official record, citing the “discriminatory” nature of them. Unreal. Literally wants to erase speech from transcript.

NDP member speaking in favour of motion. Says he’s not against people having ideas, but rejects some ideas being given a public platform.

John Brassard, Conservative MP, says this motion is a “stunt.” NDP says it’s not because there was an “attack on a witness” last week in committee.

Motion to scrub Michael Cooper’s citation of Christchurch manifesto passes along party lines. Conservatives all abstain rather than voting against it.

NDP MP Garrison is now filibustering, asking why this committee meeting is being televised. He knows witnesses only have until 9:45 to speak. He’s making it so they have no time.

NDP has introduced motion to suspend television broadcast of this meeting. Again, every minute spent discussing this is a minute taken away from @MarkSteynOnline @NewWorldHominin and @thejohnrobson.

All committee members, including the Conservatives, just voted to suspend television broadcast of testimony by @MarkSteynOnline @NewWorldHominin @thejohnrobson. Unbelievable.

17 minutes after scheduled start, witnesses are finally speaking. Starting off with @NewWorldHominin.

John Robson arguing before committee that censorship is never the answer to reprehensible ideas. “Truth has nothing to fear from the exchange of ideas.”

Robson says exposure to hateful ideas is necessary for Canadians to understand them, to combat them.

“Free speech lets us discover unexpected truths.... It’s a vitally important human right.” -John Robson

Mark Steyn is up. Starts off by taking aim at the “defenestration” of former committee vice chair Michael Cooper.

Mark Steyn reminds committee he testified against section 13 in 2009, 10 years ago. Was dangerous then.

Section 13 created “dank, fetid dungeon of pseudo-justice.” -Mark Steyn

Steyn quotes Lord Moulton, says a society is judged by the realm of manners. What law-abiding citizens decide to do without the force of state. Self-regulation, including of speech.

“Free speech is hate speech and hate speech is free speech. It’s for the speech you revile. The alternative to free speech is approved speech.” -Mark Steyn

Steyn says “The biggest threat to free speech...is an alliance between government and big tech.”

Conservative MP Barrett leading off questions, starts with asking John Robson what should be done in response to online hate. Robson says people should not put it out.

Barrett asks Steyn about his experience with section 13 and the “utility of legislation like that.” Steyn says Canadians aren’t hateful people, so in effect it was cause without a problem. Resulted in fishing expeditions.

Liberal MP Colin Fraser starts with questions to Lindsay Shepherd. Says free speech and consequence-free speech are not the same. Asks Shepherd about YouTube interview about she did with show that has also had white supremacists as guests.

Fraser asks if Shepherd thinks free speech comes with a responsibility to condemn. Shepherd says she’s not here to defend personal record, citing argument made by committee last week that personal histories are not germane to testimony.

Nathaniel Erskine-Smith starts with an Eid blessing. Asks Mark Steyn whether he regrets anything he’s said about Muslims.

“I’m willing to debate you. I’m willing to debate Nasseem. I’m not willing to go along with the big shut-up.” -Steyn to Liberal MP Erskine-Smith.

Erskine-Smith asks witnesses whether there has been any impropriety in application of criminal code on speech in last 50 years.

Robson says basis of his argument is that speech shouldn’t be regulated so fruitless to discuss best way to do a bad thing.

NDP MP Randall Garrison now up. Says this panel is “challenging” because he lives in “the real world.”

Garrison says panel is minimizing impacts of hate speech. Says as a gay man none of the panelists understand what he and other minorities experience in “the real world.”

Garrison isn’t actually asking questions of witnesses. He’s simply filibustering again. No platforming through parliamentary procedure?

Garrison looks at the clock. He literally made it so none of the witnesses had added time. Pathetic.

Liberal Ali Ehsassi is now up. Asks Lindsay Shepherd whether racism and sexism are destructive to society. She says yes, with a caveat that it depends on his definition.

Ehsassi turns to Steyn. Asks whether infamous Maclean’s piece “The future belongs to Islam” is “obnoxious” or “alarmist.” Steyn says that piece has already been adjudicated and he won.

“I’m not here to justify to you words I’ve used on TV in the United States.” -Steyn to Liberal MP Ehsassi.

Heated between Ehsassi and Steyn. Important display of the divide on these issues. It’s a shame no televising took place thanks to coalition of Liberals, Conservatives and NDP.

Committee is now voting to cancel television broadcast of afternoon session with Google spokesperson. Funny, the NDP guy wands this one televised. Everyone else supported motion.

Some additional thoughts, now that I'm back at my hotel.

@BenShapiro and @JonHaidt were also invited to appear before the committee by the Conservatives.

The Conservatives were initially enthused about this, but given last week's controversy with Michael Cooper and the left-wing attacks against Lindsay Shepherd's participation, they tried to minimize the impact of today's hearing.

The Conservative MP asked a general question of Robson and a general question of Steyn, letting both of them speak at length in response until time ran out. Nothing was asked of Shepherd by the Conservatives.

Remember that the Conservatives voted in FAVOUR of the motion to cancel stream of video of the witnesses they invited to the committee.

The feckless NDP member of parliament used his entire time to speak about his own experiences, watching the clock to make sure there wasn't a moment for any of the witnesses to chime in. This is his prerogative as an MP, but that doesn't make it right.

At least the Liberals, harsh as their questions may have been, gave the witnesses an opportunity to respond.

My column and recap about today's meeting of the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights, and its strange relationship with free speech. andrewlawton.ca/the-justice-co…

A point about today’s meeting: Committee chair and Liberal MP @AHousefather was respecting committee rules and members’ vote when he suspended to have the cameras shut off. It wasn’t his call to do so. In fact, it was he who requested the session be televised in the first place.

Similarly when Housefather said the motion to scrap videography was not debatable, that wasn’t a judgement call on his part but rather the rule for that type of motion.