Freedom Flyer October1997 Cover

Freedom Flyer 32

the official newsletter of the
Freedom Party of Ontario

October 1997




REFERENDA REPORT DISAPPOINTING

TORONTO (September 24, 1997) - In an official dissenting opinion on behalf of the Freedom Party of Ontario, Fp leader Lloyd Walker responded to the Ontario government's Final Report On Referenda, calling it "a set of badly flawed recommendations."

On September 11, 1996, both Walker and Fp president Robert Metz addressed the Standing Committee on the Legislative Assembly on referenda. Their endorsement of referenda was quite restrictive. Subject to the condition that a referendum's outcome cannot infringe upon fundamental freedoms, they supported the use of referenda on two issues only: constitutional amendments and issues of taxation. (See Freedom Flyer #30, Nov/96.)

"However," says Walker, "the government's final recommendations far exceed those restrictions, and place freedom and individual rights at risk."

In his written report, Walker identified eight major areas of concern, including the glaring omission of any principle or rule "that would protect individual rights and freedoms from being curtailed by referenda."

Walker also contends that the government's report failed to differentiate between binding and non-binding referenda, that it still allows tax increases to circumvent the referenda process, and that it recommends nothing to prevent a minority of voters from imposing their view on a majority --- or vice versa.

"The extended use of referenda as supported in the government's final report will not make Ontario a better place to live," concluded Walker. "It will only serve to place our freedoms and individual rights in jeopardy."

GET THE DETAILS! Copies of Walker's report, entitled Our Ontario, Our Freedom Of Choice --- In Jeopardy, are available online or in print. Follow this link for details of how to get in touch with us.




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