Letter to the Editor
Editor,
It is becoming obvious to most Canadians that the Conservative party is not a fan of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The charter compels the Supreme Court of Canada to evaluate government policy and laws in context of the Charter to determine their compliance and thus their legality. This requirement of the Charter also seems to have put the Conservatives at odds with the Supreme Court.
Many recent stories in the media document this discord.
But recently, Larry Miller, (dubbed the “Keeper of the Flame” by his Conservative caucus colleagues as the voice of principle and straight talking) expressed the Conservative view quite candidly in an article in the National Post, written by John Ivison.
Says Larry:
“I’m all for rights and freedoms but the Charter complicates things. Pierre Trudeau did this wilfully and deliberately, taking rights away from the majority to protect the minority. The Charter of Rights puts all the lawmaking decisions into the hands of the Supreme Court and to me, that is not what democracy is about.”
http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/2014/07/14/john-ivison-conservatives-warn-of-diminishing-
This Conservative view of Larry’s concerns me.
I would be very interested if Larry could describe the rights that the Charter and the court have taken from the majority and given to the minority.
If Larry has read the Charter he should find that the rights granted to all Canadians are fundamental inalienable rights of people (not corporations) who live in Canada.
The “majority” (whoever Larry thinks this is) have the same rights under the Charter as do the “minority”.
Do the Conservatives really think, as Larry seems to think, that a “majority” should have the option under parliamentary law to deny basic rights to a minority?
If so… They clearly do not have the values held by the majority of Canadians.
Dave MacDougall, Meaford
