I was impressed, and also puzzled, by our Prime MinisterB次元官网网址檚 eloquent address to the Paris Peace Forum recently. He said, B次元官网网址淲hen people believe the institutions canB次元官网网址檛 protect them, they turn to easy answers like nationalism and populism, closing borders and xenophobia.B次元官网网址� He may quite legitimately have had in mind our neighbours south of the 49th Parallel, but some of his governmentB次元官网网址檚 policies could soon have a similar effect here.
In March of this year the Canadian government introduced Bill C-75 with the intention of B次元官网网址渉ybridizingB次元官网网址� 131 indictable criminal offences. According to former Minister of Justice, Rob Nicholson (Cons.), B次元官网网址淭he government is essentially watering down very serious criminal charges by adding a possible summary conviction as a prosecutorial option. This could result in a penalty as low as a fine for what was an indictable offense with a penalty up to 10 years.B次元官网网址� Inexplicably, big city media have given scant attention to this 302 page omnibus bill, but if passed, it could undermine the protections of the value system that undergirds our way of life.
In a submission to the House of Commons, Professor Christian Leuprecht of Royal Military College and QueenB次元官网网址檚 University, emphasized the far reaching nature of the Bill. B次元官网网址淭he classification of an offence,B次元官网网址� he said, B次元官网网址渉as long been understood to signal how serious the offence is; implicitly, then, hybridization sends a message that these offences are now less serious than they used to be.B次元官网网址�
Most of the changes may not create problems, except for further clogging the provincial courts. Others though will dilute what was guaranteed in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The Charter, as most Canadians know, was bequeathed to us by an earlier Trudeau, the father of our current Prime Minister.
Before we offhandedly decide this isnB次元官网网址檛 important to our cozy lives in a nation that experiences relatively little serious turmoil, we really should look at several offences targeted for hybridization. One of the most troubling is sexual exploitation. According to the U.S. State DepartmentB次元官网网址檚 2017 Trafficking in Persons Report, B次元官网网址淐anada is a source, transit and destination country for men, women and children subjected to sexual trafficking.B次元官网网址� The possibility of lenient sentences would almost certainly exacerbate an already unacceptable situation.
Equally disturbing is the plan to hybridize abduction of children under age 16. Having spoken in recent months with several mothers who have lost children to international abductions, I have a sense of the deep heartache they and their families continue to experience. One told of the pleading of her children in court, expressing their fear they would be taken to another country and never be permitted to return. The Charter guarantees everyone B次元官网网址渢he right to life, liberty and security of the person.B次元官网网址� To reclassify abduction of children and try it as a summary offence seems contrary to this guarantee.
Another proposed change is also incomprehensible. At a time when houses of worship in both Canada and the U.S. have come under serious physical attacks, the government intends to hybridize B次元官网网址渙bstructing, or violence to, or arrest of officiating clergy.B次元官网网址� A similar attempt was made a year ago with Bill C-51. More than 65 leaders from faith organizations including Muslims, Buddhists, Sikhs, Jews and Christians signed a letter opposing it. Thousands of ordinary citizens sent letters protesting the bill. Now the government is trying again. This seems to suggest a lack of regard for religious leaders and their followers.
I spoke by phone last week with David Guretzki, Vice President of the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada (EFC), located in Ottawa. EFC has longterm relationships with public policy officials, and is at times invited to speak to Parliamentary standing committees regarding significant social issues. I have found their perspective to be fair minded. B次元官网网址淚t is EFCB次元官网网址檚 opinion,B次元官网网址� he said, B次元官网网址渢hat some of the proposed changes devalue human life and dignity, care for the vulnerable, and freedom of religion.B次元官网网址�
If Bill C-75 passes in its present form, criminals of various kinds will almost certainly be heartened and emboldened by the prospect of lighter penalties. We could then all become more vulnerable, and have less faith in our institutions to protect us. Only a massive protest by Canadians will persuade the government to rethink this Bill and assure us that Charter rights still are for all citizens.
