Justice Minister Arif Virani says controversial online harms bill to be split in two

Controversial bill to be split

Photo: THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada Arif Virani rises during question period in House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Friday, Nov. 29, 2024.

Justice Minister Arif Virani says the Liberal government will split up its contentious online harms bill, putting a priority on passing measures to fight child sex predators.

Virani says the move will create an opening for a swath of the bill's measures to swiftly pass through the House of Commons before the next election.

The House has been gridlocked for months over a parliamentary privilege debate raging between the Liberals and Conservatives that has prevented most legislation from moving forward.

Virani says the online harms bill will be cleaved into two new packages: one dealing with keeping children safe online, combating sex predators and issues related to revenge pornography.

The second package of measures will deal with Criminal Code and Human Rights Act amendments targeting hate.

Critics have long called on the government to split up the bill to have the most controversial matters debated separately.