Wednesday, September 23, 2009

court challenge program

Hi friends
The first nations communities have relied heavily on the court challenges program to sort out many issues surrounding the unfair treatment of women and children in our communities. That was till the Harper Conservatives canceled this very important program.
The court challenges program is at the heart of democracy.
Although the court challenges program has been in effect since 1978; it primarily addressed minority languages (section 93-133) of the constitution act 1867 and to fund such challenges. Then in 1982 this mandate was expanded to take in (sections 16-23) around language laws to provide education in minority languages where warranted and to have minority languages in court proceedings.
Then again in 1985 it was expanded to include equality for all section 15 of the Charter of rights and freedoms..

There have been many lawsuits initiated on the provision of the Charter. These involve individuals on one side and usually government departments or agencies on the other. The imbalance between these opposing parties in financial, technical and human resources, constitutes serious impediment to those who might wish to claim benefit of section 15, thus reducing the effectiveness of resorting to the courts as a means of obtaining redress.
P ALIMENTARY COMMITTEE ON EQUAL RIGHTS.
Which Mr. Harper used himself back in the year 2000 to challenge the Liberal Government's cap on third party spending.

Mr. Harper became P.M. in 2006 and has since canceled the Court Challenges program. A case of some being more equal than others perhaps? It doesn't fit the Conservative Government's ideology. I guess democracy isn't in this Governments ideology, nor does it seem to be in the official opposition parties either.
As a citizen of a supposed democracy where do I turn when I disagree with my government?... or is that even still allowed?

If history has taught us nothing else, let us try to remember the wise words of Pastor Martin Niemoller (1892-1984)...First they came for the communists and I did not speak out-because I was not a communist; Then they came for the socialist and I did not speak out -because I was not a socialist; Then they came for the trade unionist and I did not speak out- because I was not a trade unionist; Then they came for the Jews and I did not speak out- because I was not a Jew; Then they came for me-and there was no one left to speak out for me.

Let your voices be heard on this very important issue. Write your represenatives in parliment and have YOUR say.
regards Debra

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