Conservative MP Arnold Viersen and Nate discuss legislation on porn platform protection, social conservative views on abortion, collaboration in politics, legislative efforts against non-consensual images online, social ramifications of online platforms, advocacy for the pre-born, personal anecdotes, and the intersection of social conservatism and libertarianism in political discourse.
Arnold Viersen advocates for legislative measures to protect individuals from exploitation on porn platforms through Bill C270.
Viersen's social conservatism influences his stance on pro-life causes, reflecting a commitment to traditional values in the political landscape.
Deep dives
Arnold Viersen's Advocacy Against Exploitation on Porn Platforms
Arnold Viersen, a conservative MP, and Nate Erskine-Smith discussed their efforts against exploitation on porn platforms focusing on instances where individuals' images or videos are used without consent. Viersen's proposed Bill C270 aims to address these issues arising from their committee work, highlighting the need to stop such exploitation. The discussion delved into their shared advocacy for protecting people from harm caused by non-consensual content on platforms like Pornhub and MindGeek, with Viersen leading efforts through legislative measures.
Motivation Behind Addressing Exploitation Online
Viersen and Erskine-Smith shared their motivations for addressing exploitation online, recounting experiences like the Rehtaeh Parsons tragedy that spurred Viersen's interest in protecting individuals from abuse and exploitation. The correlation between pornography consumption and an alarming rape culture led Viersen to engage in legislative actions like the M47 bill focusing on public health effects and accountability measures for online platforms sharing explicit content without consent.
Bill C270: Protecting Against Non-consensual Images
Bill C270, introduced by Viersen, seeks to strengthen protections against non-consensual images, especially for underage individuals, by requiring platforms to verify and maintain age and consent records of persons appearing in videos. The bill proposes a reverse onus approach, shifting the burden of proof to platforms posting videos to ensure compliance with age and consent laws, emphasizing commercial entities' responsibility in safeguarding individuals.
Navigating Social Conservatism and Legislative Action
Viersen's social conservatism aligns with his advocacy for pro-life causes and ensuring protections for the preborn. Despite potential conflicts within a diverse caucus, Viersen maintains a consistent stance on issues such as same-sex marriage and abortion, reflecting a commitment to traditional values while navigating legislative action within a broader political landscape.
Nate is joined on this episode by Conservative MP Arnold Viersen. They talk about his legislation to protect people on porn platforms, his social conservative views and advocacy on abortion, and the role of social conservatism in today’s Conservative Party.
In the interest of full transparency, Nate invited Arnold on the podcast to talk about C-270. However, Arnold had introduced a petition to protect the preborn in early May, and has a history of advocacy against abortion. So Nate also asked him questions about his social conservatism, and only after a half hour conversation about his legislative work on pornography. Arnold emailed Nate to say he felt ambushed and that he would not have come on the podcast.
We’re posting the whole thing, unedited, and you be the judge.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.uncommons.ca
Get the Snipd podcast app
Unlock the knowledge in podcasts with the podcast player of the future.
AI-powered podcast player
Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features
Discover highlights
Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode
Save any moment
Hear something you like? Tap your headphones to save it with AI-generated key takeaways
Share & Export
Send highlights to Twitter, WhatsApp or export them to Notion, Readwise & more
AI-powered podcast player
Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features
Discover highlights
Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode