Amanda Todd's Mother Urges MPs to End Filibuster on Bill C-63 to Protect Children from Online Abuse

Amanda Todd's Mother Urges MPs to End Filibuster on Bill C-63

Carol Todd, mother of Amanda Todd who died by suicide after being cyberbullied, is urging MPs to end the filibuster that is holding up Bill C-63. This bill would force tech companies to swiftly take down online child-abuse material.

Ms. Todd has been waiting for 12 years for legislation to tackle the exploitation of children online. She is frustrated that the bill may not become law before the election due to the filibuster.

The Amanda Todd Legacy Society and dozens of other organizations, including children's hospitals, have signed a letter urging MPs to end the delay. They are concerned that the bill will run out of time before the coming election.

Ms. Todd said, "The filibuster that is happening right now and holding everything up, it's so frustrating. It's just wasting time. I've waited 12 years for this because on Day 1 of Amanda's death I knew that things needed to change in terms of laws and legislation."

Lianna McDonald, executive director of the Canadian Centre for Child Protection, said she was "incredibly concerned and very frustrated" by the holdup of the bill. She hopes the NDP will help end it.

Taylor Owen, director of the Center for Media, Technology and Democracy at McGill University, called on the NDP to help unblock the parliamentary logjam by supporting a motion to end the filibuster. He said the filibuster is putting Bill C-63 "in jeopardy" and the best way to ensure its passage is to split it, removing controversial changes to the Criminal Code and Human Rights Act.

Chantalle Aubertin, spokesperson for Justice Minister Arif Virani, said "for a month now, the NDP and the Bloc Québécois have allowed Parliament to be ground to a halt by Pierre Poilievre's childish tactics."

NDP House Leader Peter Julian said "the only parties that are holding the House of Commons in paralysis mode are the Conservatives and the Liberals."

Andrew Scheer, Conservative House Leader, said Justin Trudeau could immediately end the paralysis by releasing documents, as ordered by Parliament.