Newsletter

April 2010

Would-Be Prior Restraint

The actions of François Houle, the University of Ottawa’s vice-president
academic and provost, who has attempted to impose self-censorship on Ann
Coulter, a U.S. conservative talking head, are an affront to his claim that the
university welcomes "meaningful exchanges of ideas." Mr. Houle’s e-mail warning,
in advance of her scheduled talk last night, is offensive on any number of
levels, not least for the national platform it has given Ms. Coulter.

Mr. Houle’s outline of possible legal ramifications, the worrying implication
that free speech in Canada is carefully circumscribed, in effect
government-regulated, and his finger-wagging admonition to maintain "respect and
civility," militate against the sanctity of free expression in places of higher
learning and serve to embarrass his institution.

Ms. Coulter responded with good humour, mocking Mr. Houle by alleging he had
targeted her as a member of an identifiable group, suggesting she had been made
into a victim of a hate crime and therefore would be filing a complaint with the
Ontario or Canadian human rights commission alleging as much. "I’m sure the
human rights commission will get to the bottom of it," she said to a cheering
audience in London, Ontario, the night before her scheduled Ottawa appearance.

It is unlikely, however, Mr. Houle will see anything amusing in this. And if she
actually follows through with her threat, it could mean that Canadians will be
seeing and hearing a lot more from Ms. Coulter as she wages her campaign to
bestow free speech on a grateful nation. We will have only Mr. Houle to thank.

The idea that the Mounted Police might be sent in pursuit of Ms. Coulter over
her overwrought brand of conservative oratory is, of course, silly. What is not
is the fact that Mr. Houle has evidently taken it upon himself to serve as the
arbiter of what constitutes "civilized discussion" in a university. These are
awesome powers to invest in an academic bureaucrat, which raises worrying
questions about limitations on thought and expression at his institution.