'It’s about human decency': London MPP introduces act to prevent graphic flyer distribution
London, Ont. took the lead, and now a local MPP wants the province to follow suit.
London North Centre MPP Terence Kernaghan re-introduced the Viewer Discretion Act (VDA) at Queen’s Park Monday.
The VDA is a private member’s bill that will ensure graphic images delivered to residences are concealed in an envelope with a warning label.
“This would require that images of this nature would be concealed in an envelope with a clear warning label indicating what their contents are,” said Kernaghan. “People would have the choice whether or not they choose, or choose not to engage with this type of material.”
He compares the act to video games, music, or movies which all have warning labels if there is explicit content.
“I was literally put into a situation where my grief came back,” said Katie Dean, who first received a flyer in her mailbox in 2012. “I have suffered a loss, and this triggered my trauma.”
In 2020 when Dean heard these flyers were making their way around neighbourhoods in London, she took action.
“Something needs to stop as so many people are being traumatized,” said Dean. “Children are finding these images and they are having nightmares.”
She formed the Viewer Discretion Legislation Coalition (VDLC) and started advocating to London City Council to have a by-law passed prohibiting the unsolicited distribution of these images.
She was thrilled when London passed the by-law on May 4, 2022, and now others are jumping on board.
“Woodstock just passed the same bylaw a couple of weeks ago,” said Dean. “St. Catharines is working on the same by-law and even Calgary. So it's very exciting. If we could do it provincially we wouldn't have to deal with all the municipalities we could just do it one lump sum provincially.”
Like London’s by-law, the VDA would also require the name and address of the person distributing the material, and a warning label on the outside of a sealed envelope.
“We're not taking away your freedom of expression,” said Dean. “We're just asking you to put them in envelopes for you deliver them with a viewer discretion warning.”
Kernaghan is hoping this will be brought forward to second reading, then committee stage and third reading to become law.
“Nobody believes that children should be inflicted with these gory, problematic images,” said Kernaghan.
He’s received support from the official opposition and constituents from municipalities across the province, and believes the VDA should be passed.
“It is a nonpartisan issue,” said Dean. “This is literally just about human decency.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Federal employees will be required to spend 3 days a week in the office
Starting in September, public servants in the core public administration will be required to work in the office a minimum of three days a week. The Treasury Board Secretariat says executives will need to be in the office four days per week.
Concerns about plexiglass prompt inspections at some Loblaws locations in Ottawa
Inspections are underway at more than one Loblaws location in Ottawa after complaints were filed about tall plexiglass barriers.
OPP officer said 'someone's going to get hurt' before wrong-way Hwy. 401 crash
As multiple Durham police cruisers were chasing a robbery suspect on the wrong side of Highway 401 Monday night, an Ontario Provincial Police officer shared his concerns, telling a dispatcher, "Someone's going to get hurt."
Five human skeletons, missing hands and feet, found outside house of Nazi leader Hermann Göring
Archeologists have unearthed the skeletons of five people, missing their hands and feet, at a former Nazi military base in Poland.
Poilievre returns to House unrepentant for calling Trudeau 'wacko,' Speaker not resigning
An unrepentant Pierre Poilievre returned to the House of Commons on Wednesday to pepper the prime minister about his drug decriminalization policies after being booted the day prior for refusing to take back calling Justin Trudeau 'wacko' over his approach to the issue.
Liberal MP says she's leaving politics over disrespectful dialogue, threats, misogyny
Liberal MP Pam Damoff says she won't run again in the next federal election, saying she has experienced misogyny, disrespectful dialogue in politics and threats to her life.
Toddler of Phoenix first responder dies after bounce house goes airborne
A two-year-old child died after a strong gust of wind sent the bounce house he was in airborne and into a neighbouring lot in central Arizona, the Pinal County Sheriff's Office said.
Canada's most wanted fugitive arrested in P.E.I. in connection with Toronto homicide
A suspect in a fatal shooting in Toronto’s east end last summer has been arrested in Charlottetown, just one week after he topped a list of Canada’s most wanted fugitives.
Plane overshoots runway at airport in St. John's, N.L., no injuries reported
Investigators from the Transportation Safety Board of Canada are headed to St. John's, N.L., after a plane overshot a runway at the city's airport this afternoon.