Charter of Rights and Freedoms - 25 years old
Aprilreign posts today about Rights for The Rich only
The Charter of Rights and Freedoms celebrates 25 years but Harper's funding cuts to the Court Challenge Program have made the Charter more inaccessible than ever.
The Court Challenges Program was by no means expensive for the government. It had an annual pool of $2.75 million to help individuals and groups alleging violations of language and equality rights. Recipients of funding included disabled groups fighting VIA Rail for the right to full access to trains and Chinese Canadians seeking compensation for the head tax.
Today, many experts are pessimistic about the future of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms as a tool in battling for equality and fending off unwarranted government intrusions into people’s lives. Like fine champagne, the Charter is in danger of becoming a luxury many never taste.
LINK: TorStar article in full
LINK: F-email Fightback Court Challenges Page
1 comment:
I must disagree with your conclusion that the charter will become a luxury that only few -- it will only become so if we as the people continue to abdicate our responsibility to the courts and the politicians (who abdicate to the courts). Only when there is a good understanding of the Charter by the public, the rights and freedoms therein and there is good public discourse on the values that make up Canada will the politicians and the government stop defering to the courts and start listening to their constituents.
There needs to be this understanding and a good public discussion -- whether it be around gay marriage, abortion, right to die, or any other topic that regular Canadians run and hide from.
It is our responsibility to educate the youth and the voters of today of what their rights are and why they need to speak out on what their values are and what Canada's collective values are or should be.
No more should we put up with milque toast politicians telling us that a topic is off limits because it is contraversial -- because it may be divisive -- this is a cop out we need to have the debate -- otherwise others will make the decisons for us -- decisions based on their beliefs, their values and their lenses.
Sorry got a little carried away.
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