Please review the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms for anyone that may not have done so previously. This charter was enacted in 1982 and signed by our then Prime Minister, Pierre Elliott Trudeau.
The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Click to enlarge.
“We must now establish the basic principles, the basic values and beliefs which hold us together as Canadians so beyond our regional loyalties there is a way of life and a system of values which make us proud of the country that has given us such freedom and such immeasurable joy.” P.E. Trudeau
Through this charter, everyone has the following fundamental freedoms:
- freedom of conscience and religion;
- freedom of thought, belief, opinion and expression, including freedom of the press and other media of communication;
- freedom of peaceful assembly; and
- freedom of association
“These freedoms are set out in the Charter to ensure that Canadians are free to create and express their ideas, gather to discuss them and communicate them widely to other people. These activities are basic forms of individual liberty. They are also important to the success of a democratic society like Canada. In a democracy, people must be free to discuss matters of public policy, criticize governments and offer their own solutions to social problems.”
https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/services/how-rights-protected/guide-canadian-charter-rights-freedoms.html
“Many of the measures introduced as a result of COVID-19 limit individual rights in some way, and we are beginning to see court challenges on diverse legal grounds. The question is whether the limitation on rights are justified based on the information the government has available to it at the time.”
https://www.facetsjournal.com/doi/10.1139/facets-2020-0070
“In a way, this pandemic is a wake-up call that our fundamental rights and freedoms can be so easily tested under trying circumstances. Without a deliberate and long-term commitment to human rights, any future adversities will further aggravate existing inequities and vulnerabilities in our society.”
https://edmontonjournal.com/opinion/columnists/opinion-covid-is-a-wakeup-call-that-rights-and-freedoms-can-be-tested-in-a-crisis
As well and seemingly a contravention of the Canadian charter is Bill C-10 that the Liberal gov’t is trying to quickly enact which would extend the powers of the CRTC to control what is posted on YouTube and other social media channels and also a limit on online video content. “This is a blatant attack on freedom of expression in Canada,” stated MP Tom Lukiwski. In his column published in this edition of the Moose Jaw Express/MooseJawToday.com, Lukiwski cites University of Ontario Professor of Law as saying, “In a free democratic society, we don’t subject basic speech to regulation in this way.” The former director of the CRTC even stated, “Granting a government agency authority over legal user generated content, particularly when backed up the government’s musings about taking down websites — doesn’t just infringe on free expression, it constitutes a full-blown assault upon it, and, through it, the foundation of democracy.”
It is in the best interest of all Canadians to maybe take note of some of the freedoms that are being slowly eroded. In the instance of free speech, a good place to start would be to send a letter to the Heritage Minister Steven Guilbeault as was suggested by Lukiwski. Read Lukiwski’s column in this edition and send your own letter to the minister in opposition of Bill C-10 to [email protected].
“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.” Edmund Burke
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the position of this publication.
