The Liberal Party of Canada is plunging into an intense discussion right at its convention in Montreal. They are taking on the big ones—electoral reform, social media, and keeping the youth safe from online death spiral. Currently, party members are deeply engaged in a study of 24 policy resolutions. These proposals promise to recalibrate important corners of Canadian governance and improve online safety.
One prominent resolution advocates for the establishment of a citizens’ assembly tasked with designing the “most suitable form of proportional representation” for Canada. This proposal brings renewed hope and attention to the movement for electoral reform. Former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau campaigned on doing this back in 2015, only to backtrack on it completely. A third resolution would require candidates to receive at least 50 percent plus one vote in order to win their elections. This could be done through using ranked choice ballots or alternative run-off systems.
That would mark the first major use of a similar electoral provision by the federal government, with the last example coming in 1943. The current discussions signal a renewed interest in reforming the electoral system, highlighting the importance of ensuring that every vote counts.
The convention’s aims go beyond free expression to tackle urgent issues related to social media and the use of artificial intelligence. A resolution from Quebec proposes banning individuals under the age of 16 from accessing “all AI chatbots and other potentially harmful forms of AI interaction,” including services like ChatGPT. We support this new proposal to safeguard young users from the nascent but serious risks that immediately come with AI technologies.
Prime Minister Mark Carney underscored the need for a social media “age of majority” to be established. This key move comes as a part of government efforts to produce new main legislation to target online harms. Another resolution seeks to implement a law similar to one passed in Australia, which would set a “minimum age of 16 for creating social media accounts.” This important measure would help ensure that companies are held accountable for developing measures to keep underage users from obtaining accounts.
In addition to all these digital safety measures, another big resolution urges the feds to get busy. We believe that the government should use its disallowance power to veto provinces that attempt to go around Charter rights with the notwithstanding clause. Provinces—Quebec in particular—have used this clause in the past. Quebec’s controversial Bill 21 was criticized for violating individual rights. Alberta further used the clause to force teachers back to work before opponents had a chance to legally challenge them.
In an interview with CBC News, Sean Fraser, the federal cabinet minister responsible for this deal, urged restraint in exercising disallowance. He stated, “I have no intention of invoking disallowance to kibosh provincial laws,” while emphasizing the importance of respecting provincial autonomy. He wanted an honest conversation to happen, and that’s what’s so necessary about these critical discussions.
“I think this is something that merits an open and considered debate in Canada.” – Mark Carney
The call for a digital safety body is another key resolution aimed at monitoring compliance with online regulations, conducting audits, issuing notices, and applying penalties to combat online issues that affect Canadian youth. Cyberbullying, online extortion, and exposure to a wide range of hateful content are increasing risks young people face in our new virtual world.
Sharon Sommerville, another state party member, expressed excitement about the tone and impact that all these resolutions could have. She highlighted that though they are not mandatory, they are not binding, they reopen important dam debates starting on these crucial subjects.
“In terms of the institution of the party, there’s not a lot you can do about it because these resolutions aren’t binding, but it brings the conversation back to the table again and that’s a good thing.” – Sharon Sommerville
The Liberal party’s resolution on AI technologies raises important issues about their effect on young people. It states that “these technologies have been shown to limit desire for interaction with peers, pushed some young people into sexual conversations and have even recommended suicide to vulnerable youth.”
As the convention continues, every discussion illustrates the Liberal Party’s commitment to addressing today’s challenges. They work on issues ranging from electoral reform to protecting youth in our new digital age. The winners and losers of these debates will be felt in legislative sessions to come and will help mold public policy on multiple fronts.
