Liberal deputy House leader is distancing herself from the contents of a petition she sponsored, which critics are saying could stifle independent journalism and be used to prevent Canadians from seeing the consequences of failed Liberal policies.
Arielle Kayabaga, London West’s Liberal MP, sponsored a petition to the government of Canada, which calls for a new law making it an offence to “knowingly record in public” anyone who is “experiencing” homelessness, a mental health crisis, “significant impairment” from drugs and alcohol, or “experiencing another prescribed circumstance that substantially increases the person’s vulnerability to exploitation or serious harm from public exposure.”
The petition, which was opened September 10, 2026, was started by a Regina, Saskatchewan resident, Callie Parisien and sponsored by Kayabaga, posits that recording such individuals and publishing the footage could “increase stigmatization” and “allow those that mean them harm to find them.”
Some commentators online argue that if the petition were enacted into law, it could be used by Liberals to “hide their failures” and ban street journalism that exposes the cultural decay in Canada.
When asked to respond to the criticisms of the bill, a spokesperson for Kayabaga said that an MP’s role is simply to “help facilitate public participation in the democratic process” by “allowing the petition to be published and considered through Parliament’s established procedures.”
Despite this, Kayabaga represents a riding in a different province than the originator of the petition.
“Authorizing the publication of a petition does not mean that the Member of Parliament is the author of the petition, nor does it require the Member to endorse every statement or recommendation contained within it,” Kayabaga’s spokesperson told Juno News. “The House of Commons specifically recognizes that Members may authorize petitions without necessarily agreeing with the opinions or requests set out in them.”
The spokesperson said Kayabaga believes that Canadians have the right to raise issues that matter to them and to have their voices heard through democratic institutions.
“By authorizing petitions that meet the parliamentary requirements, she helps ensure that Canadians can participate in that process and bring their concerns before Parliament,” she said. “The decision to authorize publication should therefore be understood as support for the public’s ability to engage with Parliament and not as a statement on every aspect of a petition’s content.”
Kayabaga did not respond when asked if she endorses the contents of the petition.
