Conservative MP Calls Campus Event Cancellation an Attack on Free Speech

Conservative MP Garnett Genuis is raising concerns about what he describes as “further attacks on free speech” after an event he was scheduled to host at York University in Toronto was not approved to proceed by the university’s student centre.

Genuis announced on social media on Jan. 7 that an event on jobs and youth unemployment he was set to host at York University on Jan. 9 had been cancelled. He initially attributed the change to a decision by the university’s students’ union, the York Federation of Students, but later clarified that it was made by the York University Student Centre.

“I’m pretty surprised. We’ve done the same event concept at universities in 4 provinces without incident,” Genuis said.

“York students who want to talk about jobs and unemployment should please contact my office,” he added. “I still want to hear your stories.”

Genuis later said he had heard suggestions to hold the event despite the centre’s decision but chose not to, so as not to affect the local students helping to arrange it. “I’m always ready to deal with controversy, but I don’t want to leave someone else holding the bag,” he said on Jan. 8. “So bottom line–I expect to be back at York, but not this Friday.”

Genuis hosted a similar event on Jan. 8 at Dalhousie University and is set to hold another at the Toronto Metropolitan University on Jan. 9. The events are described as an “open discussion” with the MP and seek to raise the question with students, “Are you better or worse off than your parents’ generation?”

Jason Goulart, executive director of the York University Student Centre (YUSC), told The Epoch Times that the event was not approved because booking policies and event request procedures were not met, and that the decision “was not politically motivated in any way.”

“Our booking policies are applied equitably to all student clubs and external organizations looking to hold events and promotional tabling in our spaces regardless of content or affiliation,” Goulart said. “We found that this particular booking simply did not satisfy our requirements.”

He added that those wanting to book the event could reapply, but approval would depend on meeting the centre’s requirements.

When asked to clarify the type of requirements that were unmet, Goulart said that organizers “simply did not provide enough detail for us to adequately assess the type of programming, appropriate channels and venue required.”

In noting that the decision had been made by the student centre instead of the students’ union, Genuis described the student centre as a body “notionally controlled by students” and not by the university’s administration, suggesting that the decision was in part made by student representatives.

The YUSC is run by a management team responsible for day-to-day operations. It comprises a number of roles, such as executive director, human resources manager, and projects and relations coordinator. The governance and strategic direction for the centre are overseen by a board of directors, which is composed of student union representatives, university students, and stakeholders.

Somar Abuaziza, president of the York Federation of Students and a member of the YUSC board, told The Epoch Times that she was not aware of MP Genuis’s event until the union began receiving media inquiries following the MP’s social media statement. She said the union doesn’t have the authority to approve or deny space bookings, which are managed by the YUSC and York University’s Temporary Use of University Space (TUUS) office.

Yanni Dagonas, spokesperson for York University, told The Epoch Times that the university was not aware of Genuis’s event until his social media announcement, as the booking was made through the student centre, which follows its own policies and procedures for events.

“York University is committed to the principles of lawful free expression,” Dagonas said.

“We welcome respectful dialogue and have hosted Members of Parliament from across the political spectrum on our campuses,” he added. “Event organizers are welcome to make requests for temporary use of university space using applicable university procedures.”