Freedom Flyer 22
the official newsletter of the
Freedom Party of Ontario
December 1992
Highlights of Freedom Party's Address
to the Ontario Human Rights Code Review Task Force
The following comments and recommendationshave been excerpted from the minutes of the Task Force's transcripts of proceedings as they took place on April 13, 1992 at the Sheraton Hotel in London, Ontario. Representing Freedom Party at the
day-long event were Fp leader Robert Metz and Fp Ontario Secretary Robert Vaughan.
- Vaughan:
- "As a private citizen, I would feel more secure and at ease
having a judge who has experience in making such crucial decisions
and who has been chosen for his objectivity. I would be more secure
in dealing with a judge than with the (Tribunal) Commissioners
because I am not sure of their qualifications and why they were
chosen by the government."
- "I believe children are inherently non-discriminatory when it
comes to things like race, colour, or creed, and things of that nature.
To start talking about discrimination at such a young age I think would
confuse the children, to say the least."
- "If you were to develop a program of education or
communication with children regarding discrimination, I think that the political
overtones of things like human rights - and it is a political issue,
and an ideological one when it comes to our government - well, this
belongs in the area of political discussion and these things should be
kept for those attending, if not university, then the senior grades in
high schools."
Metz:
- "Repeatedly we see the term 'human rights' used (by the task
force), although it is never defined in terms of what I would call rights
- what we typically know as freedom of association, speech,
conscience and religion, and the basic fundamental freedoms we are
accustomed to knowing are our rights. Instead, the term 'human
rights' within the context of (the task force) is being used to describe
one thing only, and that is the denial of one particular right
(freedom of association) when it is applied to certain criteria,
namely, the denial of the right to discriminate on the 15 prescribed
criteria that are listed here."
- "If I were to go by these (15) bases of discrimination, I would
argue that the government does all the discriminating. I am not
saying whether any of these criteria are right or wrong - some are
right, some are wrong - but I am saying that governments do
discriminate on the basis of the criteria (being prohibited)."
- "For example, let us take citizenship.
Did you know that 1985 was the last time
that non-citizens were allowed to vote in
Ontario?..."
- "Respecting creed, it is well known
that various established churches and religions receive tax-free status..."
- "Regarding marital and family status, they are routinely taken into account
when talking about family law and tax rules
that affect both the outcome of court settlements and the determination of taxes
payable."
- "Regarding records of offences,
courts routinely use them to determine the
sentencing of repeat offenders..."
- "We can talk about (government
discrimination on the basis of) race,
ancestry, place of origin: from our immigration
restrictions to the establishment of our
native reservations and to the forced
collection of racial statistics and the
enforcement of quotas."
- "When it comes to colour, it is always
governments that are constantly preoccupied with the term "visible minority" and it
is government that is using this particular
criteria of discrimination in its enforcement of
systemic discrimination."
- "Sexual orientation? I cannot count
how many times in Canada I have seen
magazines and literature catering to homosexual
interests routinely seized by Customs Authorities and by police. Places where
homosexuals have voluntarily associated
have, over the years, been raided by the
police many times. It is government that is
doing the discriminating - and the persecution."
- "Regarding (discrimination against
those in) receipt of public assistance,
Canadian and provincial law routinely affords
special privileges to such recipients. Somehow, someone who is receiving public
assistance is not subject to the same rules as the
rest of us."
- "Regarding age: Ontarians under 18
cannot vote, even though they may know
more about the issues than those over 18.
Ontarians under 19 cannot legally consume
alcohol, even though they may be fully
responsible. Ontarians under 16 cannot
obtain a driver's license even though they
may be able to drive."
- "Let's not start on a path of reverse
discrimination that cannot be stopped until
it is too late."
e-mail
Page
last updated on April 30, 2002