Despite vigorous protests from the entertainment industry and groups such as North American Man-Boy Love Association (NAMBLA), the Commons Justice Committee unanimously approved Bill C-128 which places strict measures on child pornography.
An official from Canadians for Decency, a group which lobbies to restrict pornography, said she was “elated” by the decision. Dolina Smith called the legislation “better and more far reaching than we had ever anticipated.” The organization worked with Liberal MP Tom Wappel to push the bill’s passage.
The new law, which has been applauded by family-based organizations, makes it illegal to possess, sell, produce or distribute magazines, films, videos or computer-generated images which advocate or portray children pornographically.
Those caught producing, selling, distributing or importing such pornography would receive up to ten years in prison. Possession of such material would carry a five-year prison term.
NAMBLA, a group of men who advocate having sex with children and promote this through their magazine, will likely be shut down.
A coalition from the entertainment industry argued before the Justice Committee that the bill’s provisions went too far. Among those arguing against Bill C-128’s passage were the CBC, the Canadian Film and Television Production Association, the ACTRA performers’ guild, the National Association of Film and Video Distributors, the Canadian Civil Liberties Association and various groups of artists and writers.
These groups claimed that the enforcement of such a law would threaten legitimate expression and left it to police to define what is explicit.
“Contemporary art, antiquities, photographic heritage could be unnecessarily lost from the public collections and from the public domain as a result,” warned John McAvity, executive director of the Canadian Museum Association.
However, decency groups across the country feel that this is exaggeration and that many of the works banned under the new legislation will not be missed.
