Conservative Member of Parliament Garnett Genuis has accused a student group at York University of impeding free speech by refusing to allow him to host an event on campus. However, the university’s student center has stated that politics did not play a role in their decision.
Genuis took to social media to express his disappointment after his event at the Toronto campus was canceled, attributing it to the student union’s decision. While no specific reasons for the cancellation were provided, Genuis labeled it as an assault on free speech.
The president of the York Federation of Students clarified that her group does not have the authority to schedule or cancel events and was unaware of Genuis’s planned event until media inquiries were made. Genuis later clarified that it was the York University Student Centre that denied his event, citing the event format as the reason.
Genuis has been actively engaging with students on various university campuses to discuss issues like youth unemployment and affordability. He emphasized the importance of gathering information for parliamentary purposes, particularly regarding the Conservative youth jobs plan.
In videos from his campus tours, Genuis can be seen conversing with students under a banner questioning their generational well-being. The events are organized in collaboration with campus Conservative groups.
Genuis highlighted that the student center at York insisted on a closed-room setup for conversations with students, which he deemed restrictive and not conducive to open dialogue on various issues.
The executive director of the student center, Jason Goulart, stated that the event was not approved due to booking policies and lack of sufficient details for proper assessment. He affirmed that the decision was not politically driven and invited the organizers to reapply for the event.
When pressed on whether politics influenced the event’s rejection, Genuis suggested that individuals of differing political views should be treated equally in such matters. The initial social media post by Genuis garnered significant attention, with calls for legal action and defunding of York University from some commentators.
A university spokesperson clarified that they were unaware of Genuis’s event plans before the social media announcement and emphasized the institution’s commitment to lawful free expression and facilitating respectful dialogue with various political figures on campus.
Genuis expressed a desire to engage with students at York University in the future.