I understand that the CPC does not like any suggestion that spreading lies is bad and should stop. There is, however, a huge problem when a party has nothing but spin and lies to offer, and a huge army of misinformation sites and bots to help them spread their falsehoods. 1/12
If Canadians are to be able to know what is actually happening in the country, we need to somehow curtail the increasing habit of certain politicians and the "media" and so-called news sites that support them to propagate misinformation. 2/12
The truth is important. Many Canadians, unfortunately, are getting their information from unreliable and even distinctly malevolent sources. Advertisers selling everything from cars to dish soap to medicine have to stick to certain rules. 3/12
They must not misrepresent their product. They must not tell lies about their competitors. The makers of one brand of soap can't make an ad saying their competitor's soap will give you skin cancer, for example. It is not allowed. 4/12
These rules for advertisers exist, in good part, to protect consumers. They protect consumers from "snakeoil salesmen". They protect consumers from disappointment and potential harm. To some extent they also protect others in the same market from being falsely maligned. 5/12
So why are our politicians not constrained in the same way? How is it that politicians can say things that are untrue about their competitors? We, the Canadian public, are every bit as much consumers of the government we choose as we are of cars and breakfast cereal 6/12
The government we elect affects our lives. Governments at various levels affect how are children are educated, how our illnesses & injuries are treated, how are roads are cleared of snow, how public transportation runs, what employers must do for employees in terms of safety 7/12
What services are available to help us in crises, what our justice system is like, if we will receive help if we run into difficulty in another country, and indeed how the world sees us. 8/12
Electing a representative at any level of government is a serious matter. We deserve facts, not wild claims, upon which to base our decision. And yet, strangely, we currently have no mechanism to make our politicians and their media supporters tell the truth. 9/12
Or at least not make things up. Politicians can sue others for libel and defamation, but it doesn't happen often. The side being sued usually tries to make the plaintiff out to be, at best, a wuss, a bad sport, not tough enough to have terrible lies spread about them. 10/12
It's no wonder that it's hard to get good people to run. I really think it is high time that there were some rules about misinforming the public. And it is not a violation of anyone's right to expression, just as our truth in advertising standards are not a violation. 11/12
We need a well-functioning democracy where people can get the true information they need to make crucial decisions, like who to vote for. We need to stop the spread of misinformation, fake news, and slander. 12/12
