The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms protects Canadians’ basic rights and freedoms on a number of protected grounds such as religion, gender, ability and race. Today more than ever, it’s critical that we protect those rights.
Provincial leadership must abide by the Charter. The public has the right to know whether proposed legislation and regulation may violate their rights and freedoms.
This Bill, if passed, would amend the Ministry of the Attorney General Act to require the Attorney General to examine government bills and regulations to determine if the courts would be more likely than not to find the law violates the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The Attorney General would have to report their determination to the Legislature. The Bill mirrors a similar provision in the federal statute.
The Bill would also require the Attorney General to table a report in the Legislature that sets out the potential effects of the Bill on the rights and freedoms that are guaranteed by the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
The Bill would require the Attorney General to make a report in the house regardless of whether the government intends to use Section 33, the Notwithstanding Clause, or not.
It’s time to take politics out of the Charter. When this government is tabling legislation or regulations, they must do so with eyes wide open, acknowledging the full impacts of their actions.
It is critical that Ontario be a leader in protecting our constitutional order and the rights and freedoms of every Ontarian.