It's time for an advocate to strike the legislation down, so that citizens can exercise their right to express political thought and opinion in a free and democratic society
In the face of new advertising laws, political free speech needs an advocate
This column originally appeared in Maclean's
Political free speech is in need of a champion in Canada--and new advertising laws in two of Canada's most populous provinces prove it.
In 2016, Ontario broadened the definition of political advertising to de facto include any and all political speech. Any individual or organization in Ontario that spends more than $500 to publicize their position on an "issue that can reasonably be regarded as closely associated with a registered party or its leader" is now engaging in political advertising. In 2017, Alberta made a similar move, though the province's threshold is $1,000, and its definition of political advertising is slightly different, but similarly broad--including messages that "[take] a position on an issue with which a registered party [or politician] is associated."