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Policing speech is hardly new in Quebec, but Bill 59 would create a new division of “tongue troopers,” to borrow from Mordecai Richler, tasked not with diminishing the presence of unsightly minority languages, but completely eliminating various forms of unpleasant discourse: thought troopers.

Concern about freedom of expression is growing, as the proposed hate speech law would give investigative powers to the pseudo-judicial Commission des droits de la personne et des droits de la jeunesse. This would effectively mirror the vindictive and error-prone system of anonymous denunciation used by Quebec’s original tongue troopers at the Office québécois de la langue française.

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While the OQLF’s misguided mission to magically strengthen francophone culture by diminishing the presence of “competing” languages is offensive and counterproductive enough, Bill 59 aims to eradicate speech the state deems offensive. Policing the content of one’s speech is a much greater threat to democracy than policing the space undesired speech occupies. Based on language in the bill, many mainstream broadcasters of all stripes are already guilty.