Honourable senators, as someone who spent many years of her life in the world of journalism, I care deeply about freedom of speech in our public discourse; and although the news cycle has moved on, the matter remains simply too important to let it pass unnoted.

Last week, the Prime Minister convened a meeting of political leaders to discuss the rail blockades and protests that are crippling our economy. But the leader of one political party was “disqualified” from participating in a discussion of the nation’s business because his views were different — even though they reflected those of the elected representatives of the Wet’suwet’en people.

Former U.S. President Harry Truman warned of this:

Once a government is committed to the principle of silencing the voice of opposition, it has only one way to go, and that is down the path of increasingly repressive measures . . . and creates a country where everyone lives in fear.

So many of our great thinkers, philosophers and politicians have opined on the fundamental importance of free speech. Linguist Noam Chomsky was crisp:

If we don’t believe in freedom of expression for people we despise, we don’t believe in it at all.

Or JFK, who said:

We are not afraid to entrust the American people with unpleasant facts, foreign ideas, alien philosophies, and competitive values. For a nation that is afraid to let its people judge the truth and falsehood in an open market is a nation that is afraid of its people.

I could go on, but I think the point is clear: This is a very slippery slope. If you don’t like what someone has to say, turn the channel, cancel your subscription, take a tech break or take your earpiece out. You don’t have to agree with me, but please do not deny my right to say it. Don’t disqualify me because you disagree.

Listening is the ability to be changed by the other. Let’s try that more often. The test of any democracy is the freedom of citizens to criticize their leaders, so do battle with bad ideas by offering better ones. Let us not “disqualify” dissent or difference; let’s learn from it. Thank you.