Twitter CEO Elon Musk recently said Canada needs a new government because the Liberals do not care about enacting protections for free speech.
Musk made the comments during a recent Twitter space with Democratic presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in a conversation that touched on government censorship and the Covid-19 pandemic.
Elon Musk calls for a new government in Canada to strengthen & protect free speech.
— Harrison Faulkner (@Harry__Faulkner) June 6, 2023
"You don't have the free speech rights in Canada that you have in the United States. Perhaps a new government in Canada at some point will enact those rights because it is incredibly important." pic.twitter.com/8XNaLls4P3
Musk took the opportunity to highlight Canada as a country lacking in free speech rights. He expressed gratitude for the existing system in the United States and suggested that Canada should enact similar rights in the future.
“It’s easy for people to take for granted the system we have here in the United States, but it really doesn’t exist anywhere else, you know, not even in Canada,” said Musk.
“I’m half Canadian, you don’t have the free speech rights in Canada you have in the United States and perhaps a new government in Canada at some point will enact those rights because it’s really important.”
The controversy surrounding free speech in Canada has gained attention in recent years and has attracted Musk’s attention on several occasions.
Musk has used his role at Twitter to express concern about Bill C-11 and even criticized Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s crackdown on the Freedom Convoy last year.
His comments come shortly after the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) recently announced its return to Twitter after a month-long hiatus.
The decision followed Twitter’s labeling of the CBC and other public broadcasters as “government-funded media.”
The CBC’s editor-in-chief, Brodie Fenlon, confirmed last month that affiliated accounts would become active again, albeit with a reduced presence on the platform.
Critics, including legacy media outlets and journalistic groups, argued that such labels undermined the independence of these organizations.
The CBC receives a significant portion of its annual funding, around $1.2 billion, from taxpayers.
