Elon Musk and Jordan Peterson blast Trudeau for proposed 'Orwellian' law targeting free speech of Canadians

Since being tabled in February, the Trudeau Liberals' Online Harms Act has been met with criticism, namely from those who have interpreted the section dealing with "hate speech" to mean that the government is seeking to retroactively target people for content they've posted in the past.

Among those who have sounded the alarm over Bill C-63 are Elon Musk and Jordan Peterson, arguing that the new legislation would, if passed, turn Canada into an "Orwellian" nightmare.

"This sounds insane if accurate!" Musk wrote on X, citing a post highlighting the aforementioned threat of retroactive punishment.

"Mr. Musk," Peterson said in response. "It's much much worse than you have been informed: plans to shackle Canadians electronically if accusers fear a 'hate crime' might (might) be committed. It's the most Orwellian piece of legislation ever promoted in the West."

Musk went on to deem Bill C-63 "a terrible attack on the rights of Canadians to speak freely!"

"We have no such rights, sir," Peterson declared. "They were bargained away in the 1980's, with the 'notwithstanding' clause in our constitution, which basically gives the government unlimited power to suspend what should be basic freedoms." 

He suggested that Canadians are "seriously and appallingly asleep at the wheel," not only when it comes to free speech. 

"Our productivity is way below that of you Yankees," he lamented. "The forecast for our next thirty years is growth far below that of other developed countries; our PM hates the energy industry, which is one of Canada's great strengths; the federal cabinet is occupied by delusional, juvenile mountebanks and dreamy Marxist utopians. Not good."

Bill C-63 has not yet been debated in the House of Commons, and even after it is, it must be voted on by members, studied by a parliamentary committee, and dissected by witnesses.