When Fp member Ray Monteith of St. Thomas, Ontario, first saw Freedom Party's issue paper on Sunday closing legislation ("Never on a Sunday?"), his immediate reaction was to see what he could do to have it distributed at outlets of stores who were 'flouting the law' by opening on Sundays in his community. We were initially reluctant to do that, since the issue paper in question was not really designed for the purpose he had in mind.
But Mr. Monteith felt strongly enough about the plight of Ontario retailers wishing to open on Sunday that he convinced us an effort to distribute information on Ontario's Sunday closing laws would be worthwhile. He was right.
The result of our efforts was Freedom Party's pamphlet entitled "It's your choice ... even on a Sunday". Within a week of its publication, Fp members and supporters made the choice to volunteer to work on Sundays by handing out over 5,000 brochures to shoppers as they left grocery stores and other retail businesses open in defiance of the Retail Business Holidays Act.
Thus, on Sunday, December 7th, and on Sunday, December 14th, Freedom Party volunteers were posted at exits of major A&P and Miracle Food Mart foodstores in London, St. Thomas, Metro Toronto, Mississauga and Oakville.
The ultimate purpose of our information campaign was to promote the concept of Sunday shopping as a matter of personal choice, and to counter the prevailing belief that such choice infringes on the rights or interests of those who would choose not to shop on Sundays. Naturally, by distributing our pamphlet directly to Sunday shoppers, our message was reaching a basically "sold" audience who would hopefully maintain the memory of our supporting their right to shop into the next election. At the same time, of course, we were providing them with philosophical and pragmatic ammunition to discuss the issue with their friends and co-workers.
It was, and is, our hope that a restoration of freedom of choice in Sunday shopping would see the abolishment of the Retail Business Holidays Act, which Freedom Party regards as a repressive piece of legislation aimed at restricting the retailer's right to his or her own property.
Media interest in our campaign was, to say the least, phenomenal. During the two weeks prior to the Supreme Court's ruling on the issue, Freedom Party's campaign received the attention of the Toronto Sun, the Globe & Mail, Ottawa Citizen, CKO Radio, CBC Radio, the St. Thomas Times-Journal, London Free Press, Windsor Star, CKEY Radio (Toronto), all London radio stations, CKCO-TV (Kitchener), CFPL-TV (London), and media as far away as the national edition of the Globe & Mail, Calgary Sun, and Halifax Mail-Star who picked the story up off the wire services.
The campaign was most effective. Phone inquiries, memberships, and funds were all generated by the campaign literature and the media attention surrounding it.
Freedom Party will continue to promote the concept of freedom of choice in Sunday shopping by promoting the abolishment of Ontario's Retail Business Holidays Act and by expanding its information campaign.
The concept of private property in Ontario has never been more threatened than it is today. With governments at every level reaffirming their right to our property, the stage is being set for a truly fascist authoritarian style of government.
This is not to be unexpected. Since the theory of socialism (government control and ownership of property and services) has never worked in practice, governments in Canada have found themselves having to resort to fascist measures (government control of private property and services) in a desperate political effort to create the illusion that they can provide all the benefits they promise us each election. Rent controls, the ban on 'extra-billing' by doctors, and of course, Sunday closing legislation are but a few of the clear-cut examples of this process in Ontario today.
Until Ontarians are fully alerted to the dangers of this political process, it's not likely that the trend will soon reverse itself. Of course, Sunday closing legislation represents only the "tip of the iceberg" in that process, but it's a "tip" well worth chipping away.
That's why Freedom Party's involved --- and why you should get involved too!
FREEDOM PARTY OF ONTARIO CONDEMNS SUPREME COURT DECISION RESTRICTING FREEDOM OF CHOICE IN SUNDAY SHOPPING!In light of its admission that Sunday closing legislation does indeed "infringe" on the rights and freedoms protected by the Canadian Charter of Rights & Freedoms, the Supreme Court of Canada has arrived at the worst of all possible decisions in concluding that the Retail Business Holidays Act is constitutionally valid. The decision, announced on December 18, 1986, places in doubt the validity and worth of the constitution itself. It was only two years earlier that the same court invalidated the federal Lord's Day Act on grounds that it was, believe it or not, "a form of coercion" that violated the constitutional guarantee of freedom of religion. With its current reversal of that principle, that guarantee can no longer be claimed to exist. The ruling has established a dangerous precedent: it allows the rights of some individuals to be restricted for the convenience and personal preference of others --- in this case, those who do not wish to work or shop on Sundays. With this subjective premise established as a basis for creating laws, the future of Canada's entire legal system has been placed in jeopardy. Mass disrespect and contempt for our laws will be virtually inevitable. As a political alternative, Freedom Party stands alone in defending the individual's right to choose for himself whether or not to shop on Sundays. In this regard, the Supreme Court's ruling is ironically positive news for Freedom Party, since Fp will gain the support of those who feel they have been betrayed by the parallel policies of the Liberals, New Democrats, and Conservatives. |
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last updated on January 7, 2004
