Civil Rights & Liberties
Every member of society is imbued with a number of rights. With them come responsibilities.
Racism & Discrimination
The unity of the human family is not yet becoming a reality. This is due to obstacles originating in materialistic and nationalistic ideologies that contradict the values of the person integrally considered in all his various dimensions, material and spiritual, individual and community. In particular, any theory or form whatsoever of racism and racial discrimination is morally unacceptable. -433, Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church
Conscience & Religion
The Catholic Church emphasizes, among other rights, the right to religious freedom. Emphasis is given to the paramount value of the right to religious freedom: “all men are to be immune from coercion on the part of individuals or of social groups and of any human power, in such wise that no one is to be forced to act in a manner contrary to his own beliefs, whether privately or publicly, whether alone or in association with others, within due limits”. The respect of this right is an indicative sign of “man’s authentic progress in any regime, in any society, system or milieu.” -320, 321 Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church
With euthanasia and medically-assisted death and abortion legalized, it is critical that healthcare providers whose deepest moral convictions tell them that such procedures are wrong, not be forced to participate. Catholic teaching says workers should be safeguarded from suffering any affront to conscience or personal dignity.
It is a grave duty of conscience to avoid cooperating, even formally, with practices contrary to the Law of God.
Freedom of Speech: truth, the press & the media
Information is among the principal instruments of democratic participation. Participation without an understanding of the situation of the political community, the facts and the proposed solutions to problems is unthinkable.
It is necessary to guarantee a real pluralism in the dissemination of information, ensuring that there are many forms and instruments of information and communications. Special attention must be given to the phenomenon of the news media being controlled by just a few people or groups. This has dangerous effects for the entire democratic system… The media must be used to build up and sustain the human community in its different sectors: economic, political, cultural, educational and religious. Society has a right to information based on truth, freedom, justice and solidarity. The essential question is whether the current information system is contributing to the betterment of the human person; that is, does it make people more spiritually mature, more aware of the dignity of their humanity, more responsible or more open to others, in particular to the neediest and the weakest.
A further aspect of great importance is that new technologies must respect legitimate cultural differences. In the world of the media the intrinsic difficulties of communications are often exacerbated by ideology, the desire for profit and political control, rivalry and conflicts between groups, and other social evils. Moral values and principles apply also to the media…. 414-416, Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church
Gender Equity
The feminine genius is needed in all expressions in the life of society. The first indispensable step in this direction is the concrete possibility of access to professional formation. The persistence of many forms of discrimination offensive to the dignity and vocation of women is due to a long series of conditioning that penalizes women, who have seen themselves relegated to the margins of society and even reduced to servitude… An urgent need to recognize effectively the rights of women in the workplace is seen especially under the aspects of pay, insurance and social security. –295, Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church
Property
Private property and other forms of private ownership of goods “assure a person a highly necessary sphere for the exercise of his personal and family autonomy and ought to be considered as an extension of human freedom … stimulating exercise of responsibility, it constitutes one of the conditions for civil liberty.” -171, Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church
The Church’s social doctrine requires that ownership of goods be equally accessible to all, so that all may become, at least in some measure, owners. The world exists for everyone, because all of us were born with the same dignity. Diff1erences of colour, religion, talent, place of birth or residence, and so many others, cannot be used to justify the privileges of some over the rights of all. As a community, we have an obligation to ensure that every person lives with dignity and has sufficient opportunities for his or her integral development. -176, Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church
Not to share our wealth with the poor is to rob them and take away their livelihood. The riches we possess are not our own, but theirs as well… Other rights having to do with the goods necessary for the integral fulfilment of persons, including that of private property or any other type of property, should in no way hinder [this right], but should actively facilitate its implementation. Fratelli tutti, -188-120
Human Rights
The Church also recognizes a number of Human Rights, including “the right to life, an integral part of which is the right of the child to develop in the mother’s womb from the moment of conception; the right to live in a united family and in a moral environment conducive to the growth of the child’s personality; the right to develop one’s intelligence and freedom in seeking and knowing the truth; the right to share in the work which makes wise use of the earth’s material resources, and to derive from that work the means to support oneself and one’s dependents; and the right freely to establish a family, to have and to rear children through the responsible exercise of one’s sexuality. The Church also emphases rights to adequate housing; clean water, and secure, nutritious food; education and access to culture, transportation, basic health care. – 151-166 Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church
Individual Responsibilities
“In human society to one man’s right there corresponds a duty in all other persons: the duty, namely, of acknowledging and respecting the right in question.” “Those, therefore, who claim their own rights, yet altogether forget or neglect to carry out their respective duties, are people who build with one hand and destroy with the other. -156 Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church
Subsidiarity
Subsidiarity is the principle that each element of society should serve its proper purpose, and support others in serving theirs. One consequence of this principle is that each individual, and smaller groups of people, should be allowed to make for themselves all the decisions that can responsibly be left to them, rather than to larger groups or greater authorities. This is one of the fundamental social teachings of the Church, since it helps to ensure that each individual is empowered to find his or her own way to God.
Families, Individuals, and Civil Society
It is impossible to promote the dignity of the person without showing concern for the family, groups, associations, local territorial realities; in short, for that aggregate of economic, social, cultural, sports-oriented, recreational, professional and political expressions to which people spontaneously give life and which make it possible for them to achieve effective social growth. This is the realm of civil society… This network of relationships strengthens the social fabric and constitutes the basis of a true community of persons, making possible the recognition of higher forms of social activity.
The political community is established to be of service to civil society, from which it originates… This vision is challenged by political ideologies of an individualistic nature and those of a totalitarian character, which tend to absorb civil society into the sphere of the State. The political community and civil society are not equal in the hierarchy of ends. The political community is essentially at the service of civil society and, in the final analysis, the persons and groups of which civil society is composed.
The State must provide an adequate legal framework for social subjects to engage freely in their different activities and it must be ready to intervene, when necessary and with respect for the principle of subsidiarity, so that the interplay between free associations and democratic life may be directed to the common good. -185, 417, 418 Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church
Subsidiary governments: provinces, municipalities, territories, & Aboriginals
The principle of subsidiarity is opposed to various forms of centralization, bureaucratization, and welfare assistance, and to the unjustified and excessive presence of the State in public mechanisms… Just as it is gravely wrong to take from individuals what they can accomplish by their own initiative and industry and give it to the community, so also it is an injustice and at the same time a grave evil and disturbance of right order to assign to a greater and higher association what lesser and subordinate organizations can do. -185, Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church
Civil Liberties
Conscience & Religion
The Bloc states that the National Assembly passed Law 21 on secularism because the separation of religion and state is a fundamental element of the Quebec identity. Quebec’s choices in matters of living together belong to Quebec. Ottawa has no right to take Quebecer’s money to directly or indirectly dispute such laws
The Bloc undertakes to oppose any will of the federal government to contest the right of Quebec to make its own choices in matters of secularism and living together.
The Bloc advocates introduction of a bill prohibiting offering or receiving public services with a covered face, including the exercise of the right to vote and during citizenship ceremonies.
Gender equity
The Bloc advocates an improved Strategy for Women in Entrepreneurship, in particular by simplifying tax measures for part-time entrepreneurs (such as the tax return, for example). It would also ensure that programs provide them with adequate funding.
The Bloc also advocates
– enacting legislation to establish the inclusion of women-owned businesses in supply chains and in public and private bidding processes
– ensuring that Quebec receives the necessary transfers to improve its own initiatives relating to support, training and networking for women entrepreneurs.
Racism, Truth & Speech, Privacy, & Property
The Bloc has released no official statement concerning its policies on racism, truth & free speech, privacy, or private property
Housing
The Bloc states that Quebec would be better served by being solely responsible for its own social and affordable housing.
The Bloc advocates:
-increasing the budget allocated to the construction, renovation and transformation of social and affordable housing
– gradually increasing investment in social housing to 1% of annual federal revenues, or $ 3 billion, and seeking unconditional cash transfers from the federal government in order to increase efficiency and continuity in the operation of Quebec programs
– introduction of tax credits for intergenerational housing allowing for energy efficient renovations, the development of multigenerational residences and other renovations allowing people with diminishing autonomy to stay in their homes.
– seeking a fair share for Quebec in homelessness programs, that is, more than 23%.
Clean Water, Food Security
The Bloc has released no official statement concerning its policies on clean water or food security.
Participation & Subsidiarity
The Bloc has released no official statement concerning its policies on the responsibilities of the individual to contribute to or to participate in society.
Social & Civic Institutions
The Bloc has released no official statement concerning its policies on the rights of social or civic or institutions.
Provinces, Municipalities & Territories
The Bloc states that it works exclusively for Quebec, that it is not accountable to big western oil companies, Bay Street Banks, or anti-choice lobbies.
The Bloc Québécois undertakes to use its weight in the House of Commons to serve Quebeckers. If we had the balance of power, we would only support projects that are in the interest of the Quebec nation – only to make gains for Quebeckers.
The Bloc advocates:
– repeal of Parliament’s Clarity Act, which states that, in the case of a referendum about the secession of a Canadian province, the House of Commons has the power to determine afterwards whether the question was clear enough and whether the obtained majority was large enough for the result to be accepted, The party advocates replacement of the Act with Quebec’s Bill 99, which stipulates that Quebecers may determine unilaterally how to exercise their right to choose their political regime, including sovereignty, and that the winning option in a referendum is whichever obtains 50% of the votes plus one.
– re-assessment of equalization payments to address inconsistencies in treatment of Hydro-Québec and Ontario’s Hydro One, specifically on the basis of exclusion of revenues derived from delivery of electricity within the provinces
Civil Rights
The party states that:
– the right to life is the first human right
– freedom of Speech is the second and is essential if we are to defend any human rights
– all Canadians deserve equal treatment under the law
The party advocates ending frivolous “human rights” cases; taxpayers’ money should not be used to promote the agenda of special-interest groups
Conscience & Religion
The party advocates:
– freedom to practice all religions as long as the are not harmful to others. The freedom of religion does not protect female genital mutilation, honor killings, forced marriages, multiple wives, etc.
– restoring protection from assisted suicide and euthanasia. We want to kill the pain, not the patient
– better access to palliative comfort care, and conscience protection for health care professionals; no Canadian should be forced to violate his or her conscience
Freedom of speech; Truth, the press & the media
The party states that:
– freedom of speech is the second most important human right, next to the right to life
– without Freedom of Speech, we can’t defend any human rights
– most major media in Canada, including state-funded CBC, are biased against a Christian worldview and policies
The party advocates:
– using our voices and our freedom to defend our freedom – “use it or lose it!”
– de-funding CBC and confronting the issue of media bias
Gender Equity, Privacy, Private Property
The party has released no official statement concerning its policies on gender equity, privacy, or the right to hold private property.
Right to Arms
The party states that
– when guns are outlawed, only outlaws will have guns
– violent crime is the problem, not firearms
he party advocates the right of peaceful, law-abiding citizens to own and use rearms for hunting, sport and self-defence
Housing, Clean Water, Nutritious Food
The party has released no official statement concerning its policies on the right to housing, clean drinking water, or nutritious food.
Participation & Subsidiarity
Individual Responsibilities
The party has released no specific official statement concerning its policies on individual responsibilities.
Provinces, Territories, & Municipalities
The party has released no official statement concerning its policies on the rights or responsibilities of provinces, municipalities, or territories.
Civil Rights & Liberties
Racism & Discrimination
The party states that Canada’s multicultural society is a valued reality, and believes that all Canadians should adopt common Canadian values such as equality, democracy, and the rule of law.
The party advocates ensuring that each cultural community is able to enhance and contribute to Canada without discrimination or barriers.
Conscience & Religion
The party advocates:
– a right of faith-based institutions to refuse use of their facilities to individuals or groups holding views contrary to their beliefs
– exclusion of discrimination based on faith beliefs from forms of discrimination under the Human Rights code
– rights of religious organizations to refuse marriage contrary to their beliefs
– banning values tests for eligibility to participate in government programs, restricting only organizations that spend more than 10% of their resources on political activities
Freedom of speech; Truth, the Press & the Media
The party believes that compelled speech of any form is a violation of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms
The party advocates:
– freedom of speech for all Canadians
– to ensure rights of free expression in post-secondary institutions, adding a commitment to free speech and academic freedom to research support grant applications
– focusing the CBC on its core function of public broadcaster
Gender equity
The party advocates:
– full participation of women in social, economic, and cultural life
– equal pay for equal work
– condemnation of gender selection abortions
Privacy
The party advocates requiring internet users to get consent to collect data in plain language
Private Property
The party advocates legislation to ensure that full, just, and timely compensation will be paid to those deprived of personal or private property as a result of any federal government action.
Housing
The party states that all Canadians should have a reasonable opportunity to own their own home and have access to safe and affordable housing.
The party advocates:
– broad-based tax relief, income support programs, and tax incentives to encourage home ownership
– action by all governments to solve and address homelessness
– tax incentives for private builders, to provide low-income urban dwellings
Clean Water
The party has released no specific official statement concerning its policies on the right to clean drinking water.
Food Security
The party states that food being a basic necessity of life, the government should place high priority on ensuring a safe, secure and sustainable supply.
The party advocates:
– national self-sufficiency in food, and encouragement of diversity in food products
– ensuring that agriculture in Canada is both economically and environmentally sustainable
Participation & Subsidiarity
Individual Responsibilities
The party has released no specific official statement concerning its policies on individual responsibilities.
Participation in Civil Society
The party advocates lowering the threshold for qualifications for the Search and Rescue Volunteer tax Credit.
Provinces, Municipalities & Territories
The party advocates:
– restoration of balance between powers of federal, provincial, and territorial governments, including limited federal spending powers in areas of provincial jurisdiction
– reformation of Canadian federalism, to consolidate Quebec’s place within the constitution, alleviate alienation of Western Canadians, improve long term partnerships with aboriginal peoples
– convening a meeting of provincial premiers to establish a comprehensive and effective inter-provincial trade agreement.
– implementation of equalization payments to create enable provinces and territories to provide public services at comparable levels of taxation
– expanding the Red Seal program to recognize common trade credentials across provinces and harmonize apprenticeship requirements
– when the federal budget has been balanced, allowing Territories to keep revenue from sale of natural resources, as the provinces do
Civil Rights & Liberties
Racism & Discrimination
The party believes that consensual sexual freedom is a fundamental human right and that acceptance and celebration of LGBTQI2+ people and identities are essential for genuine social justice and equity. The party affirms that gender identity is each person’s individual experience of gender, that everyone has the right to define and freely express their gender, and that intersex people have the right to live with complete bodily autonomy.
The party advocates:
– repealing all federal laws and policies that are discriminatory on the grounds of sexuality, including Section 159 of the Criminal Code, and that refer to intersex reality as a defect, aberration, or by any other derogatory terms
– establishing a funding program within Health Canada to support community-based organizations offering targeted LGBTQI2+ youth’s mental health and well-being programs, including suicide prevention, peer support, coming out, and counselling
– funding community-driven education and awareness programs that lead to a greater understanding of intersex realities and the diversity of sexualities and gender identities, and referral programs to direct for trans*, non-binary and Two Spirit people to appropriate services
– ending the discriminatory blood ban
– banning and condemning the practice of medically unnecessary surgeries on intersex children.
– banning and condemn the practice of conversion therapy, in all its forms
– ensuring access to comprehensive sexual health care and gender affirming health care, including hormone
– treatments and blockers, and gender confirmation surgeries
Conscience & Religion
The party has released no official statement concerning its policies on freedom of conscience or religion.
Freedom of speech; Truth, the press & the media
The party has released no official statement concerning its policies on freedom of speech, truth, or the media.
Gender equity
The party advocates:
– as a key to establishing equality in the workplace for women, providing universal child care
– to combat gender-based violence, in collaboration with women’s and Indigenous organizations, develop a comprehensive Canada-wide plan of action – with a timetable and dedicated funding – to eliminate violence against women, girls and gender-diverse people
– implementation of all the recommendations of the Inquiry on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls
– increasing access to shelters by investing $40 million over four years in the Shelter Enhancement Program, providing more than 2,100 new and renovated spaces in first-stage shelters and hundreds of spaces in transition houses
– ensuring that trans*, non-binary, and Two Spirit people, without undertaking surgeries, are able to alter their sex designation on all federally-issued official documents, consistent with their gender identity
– working with social services, community supports, emergency shelters and other frontline organizations to ensure that all LGBTQI2+ young people are cared for and protected
– ensuring that the national census is designed to reflect the diversity of sex and gender and ask appropriate questions to ensure adequate, safe and effective data collection
– requiring accessible facilities in all federal buildings, including gender-neutral washrooms, changing facilities, etc. while also re-affirming trans, non-binary and Two Spirit people’s right to use whichever facilities with which they identify
Privacy
The party states that according to the Privacy Commissioner Canada’s privacy legislation is falling behind the norm in other countries.
The party advocates:
– enacting requirements that the Communications Security Establishment and CSIS get warrants before intruding on Canadians’ communications
– prohibiting the routine surveillance of Canadians who protest against the government and the sharing of protesters and NGO staff information with the National Energy Board, and others
– significantly increasing the powers of the Privacy Commissioner, in particular to protect identity and personal data, and to enforce privacy laws
– requiring companies to grant access to all information they hold on an individual, and to delete personal information from company databases when requested by that person, to ensure individuals have the “right to be forgotten.”
– establishing a parliamentary inquiry to recommend modernizing privacy laws governing the burgeoning “internet of things”
– creating mandatory data breach reporting for all government departments, companies, banks and political parties
– regulating Facebook, Twitter and other social media platforms to ensure that only actual people, with verifiable identities, are able to publish on those platforms.
– prohibiting cyber surveillance and bulk collection of data by intelligence and police agencies.
– requiring internet service providers to release data only when required to do so by warrant, or in verifiable emergency situations.
– require political parties to follow the Privacy Act, without exceptions.
Private Property
The party has released no official statement concerning its policies on the right to private property.
Housing
The party advocates:
– appointing a Minister of Housing, to strengthen the National Housing Strategy and oversee its implementation in collaboration with provincial ministers, with a target of 25,000 new and 15,000 rehabilitated units annually for 10 years
– increasing the National Housing Co-Investment Fund by $750 million for new construction, and the Canada Housing Benefit by $750 million for rent assistance for 125,000 households
– enhancing federal contributions toward housing through direct investments, changes to tax policies, and lending and granting programs
– creating a national Co-Op housing strategy to encourage more development of co-operative housing
– eliminating the first-time home buyer grant
Clean Water
The party has released no specific official statement concerning its policies on the right to clean drinking water.
Food Security
The party states that:
– industrialization of food projection has resulted in the ownership by transnational corporations of most of Canadian food supply and agriculture, and causes extreme air and water pollution, with elevated risk of food contamination, with high wastage rates of the food supply, while family farmers increasingly relay on off-farm income to survive
– industrial agriculture contributes nearly ¼ of all climate-changing gasses, and about 8% in Canada, with harmful use of fertilizers, pesticides, and deforestation
The party advocates shifting to mostly local organic production system for both crops and livestock to reduce pollution, help restore the soil, and improve food security and conditions for farm animals.
Participation & Subsidiarity
Individual Responsibilities
The party has released no official statement concerning its policies on individual responsibilities.
Participation in Civil Society
The party has released no official statement concerning its policies on the obligation to participate in civil society.
Provinces, Municipalities & Territories
The party advocates:
– to support the model of collaborative federalism, working with and ensuring fair treatment for provinces, territories, municipalities and Indigenous Peoples by establishing a Council of Canadian Governments to set higher order policy priorities, with the goal of policy coherence to optimize public spending
– to support municipal government, building on improvements implemented by the Harper and Trudeau governments by giving municipal governments a seat at the policy-making table through the Council of Canadian Governments
– encouraging the use of City Charters which give greater autonomy to cities
– reducing interest rates charged to municipalities by the Canadian Infrastructure Bank
– institutionalizing federal transfers to municipalities through the creation of a Municipal Fund
– allocating one per cent of GST to housing and other municipal infrastructure on an ongoing basis to provide a consistent baseline of funding
Civil Rights & Liberties
Racism & Discrimination
The party believes that gender equity and diversity are fundamental to a thriving and successful country that reflects Canadian values and achieves its potential, that the country’s economic future depends on all people having equal opportunity to reach their potential, regardless of gender or other identity characteristics.
The party advocates:
-equal opportunities and diversified paths in education and skills development, at home and abroad., and equal and full participation in the economy
– elimination of gender-based violence and harassment, promotion of security of the person and access to justice
– gender equality in leadership roles and at all levels of decision-making
– proactive measures to eliminate discrimination and ensure that all workers are treated equally
– allocating $15.6 million to promote diversity in federal government employment
– allocating $6.6 million for a legislative task force to study modernization of the Employment Equity Act
– allocating up to $221 million for Canada’s first-ever Black Entrepreneurship program, including $53 million for a national ecosystem fund to help Black business owners access funding, capital, and mentorship, and $6.5 million to create and sustain a Black Entrepreneur Knowledge Hub, to be run by Black-led community and business organizations
– launching a pilot program to open government procurement bidding opportunities for black owned/operated businesses
– allocating $33 million over three years to support a 50-30 challenge to promote women, racialized Canadians, LGBTQ2 Canadians, people with disabilities, and Indigenous people in business leadership
Conscience & Religion
The party states that:
– in 2021, women’s rights should not be up for debate. Yet at least one other party wants to roll back abortion access
– meanwhile, anti-choice organizations are actively working to spread misinformation about abortion, putting the health and safety of young people and vulnerable women at risk
– everyone in Canada should have the information they need to freely make decisions over their own bodies and have access to the medical care and services that are their legal rights,
– and no one should be able to withhold access to care
The party advocates:
– establishing regulations under the Canada Health Act governing accessibility for sexual and reproductive health services so there is no question, that no matter where someone lives, that they have access to publicly available sexual and reproductive health services. Failure on the part of a province to meet this standard would result in an automatic penalty applied against federal health transfers
– denying charity status to anti-abortion organizations (for example, Crisis Pregnancy Centres) that provide dishonest counseling to women about their rights and about the options available to them at all stages of the pregnancy
The party has:
– required healthcare professionals to act in ways contrary to their beliefs in matters concerning the sanctity of life
– denied federal government grant money to organizations promoting pro-life policies
Freedom of speech; Truth, the press & the media
The party has released no official statement concerning its policies on truth, freedom of speech, or the media.
COVID Vaccines
The party advocates:
– mandatory vaccines on planes, trains, and in the federal public service
– support for proof-of-vaccination credentials|
– safer indoor spaces, like schools and businesses, with better ventilation
Gender equity
The party:
– states that gender equity and diversity are fundamental to a thriving and successful country that reflects Canadian values and achieves its potential, that the country’s economic future depends on all people having equal opportunity to reach their potential, regardless of gender or other identity characteristics
– has committed to establishing a task force consisting of diverse experts to create an Action Plan for Women in the Economy, to gather intersectional, diverse advice on advancing gender equality and equity over the medium and long terms
– advocates allocating $50 million over two years to establish a new pilot program for skills training for marginalized women
Privacy
The party advocates investment of $20.5 million in continuing operation of its COVID-19 exposure notification application.
Private Property
The party has released no official statement concerning its policies on private property
Housing
The party reports that:
– to minimize the spread of disease, the government has committed to additional funding of approximately $700 million to enable physical distancing, enhanced cleaning, and other health capabilities in homeless shelters
– in accordance with its commitment to reduce chronic homelessness by 50, it has helped more than 1 million people find safe and affordable housing
– it is allocating $1 billion to the Rapid Housing Initiative, for construction of modular housing, acquisition of land, and conversion of existing buildings into affordable housing units
– through the Rental Construction Financing Initiative, it launched in 2017 it has supported construction of more than 10,000 rental units in major cities. To expand the initiative, it plans to allocate a further $12 billion in new lending over seven years, to enable construction of further 28,500 rental units
– to help first-time home buyers, it launched a $1.25 billion fund to assist with purchase costs. The government intends to expand eligibility to those making $150,000 per year.
Clean Water
The party has released no official statement concerning its policies on the right to clean water.
Food Security
The party has released no official statement concerning its policies on food security.
Participation & Subsidiarity
Individual Responsibilities
The party has released no official statement concerning its policies on individual responsibilities.
Participation in Civil Society
The party reports that:
– it provided wage subsidies, rent and mortgage relief, and partially-forgivable loans of up to $60,000 to more than 790,000 small businesses and non-profits adversely affected by the pandemic
– it provided $20 million to organizations that support veterans facing financial hardship due to the pandemic
– it provided $200 in support to nearly 3000 food banks and local food service organizations to address emergency hunger relief
– it provided $100 million for women’s shelters, sexual assault centers, and organizations that provide services to victims of gender-based violence
– for some businesses, such as tourism and hospitality businesses affected by the pandemic, it is working with private lenders to offer loans on reduced terms
Social & Civic Institutions
The party reports that it provided up to $100 million in funding to help the Canadian Red Cross meet increased service demands due to the COVID Pandemic.
The party advocates:
– providing a further $35 million in 2020-21, to help the Canadian Red Cross respond to the pandemic and other emergencies
– providing a further $150 million to the Canadian Red Cross and other NGOs, to build and maintain humanitarian workforces to provide pandemic surge capacity
Provinces, Municipalities & Territories
The party states that:
– by December 2020 it had provided more than $24 billion to the provinces and territories to fight the pandemic, in addition to normal $85 billion in stabilization transfers
– by December 2020 it had provided more than 1.5 billion in relief and recovery funds to protect more than 102,000 jobs and 14,700 businesses through the Canada regional development agencies, including
— $568 million for the Westered Economic Region
— $34 million for the Northern Economic Region
— $72 million for the Northern Ontario Economic Region
— $436 for the Southern Ontario Economic Region
— $281 million for the Quebec Economic Regions
— $170 million for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency
The party advocates:
-investing a further $19 billion to help provinces, territories and municipalities safely restart their economies following the pandemic, in accordance with priorities agreed with provincial and territorial first ministers.
– allocating $50 million over two years to expand multiculturalism and fight hate-motivated crimes by municipalities
– amending the fiscal stabilization program to provide more effective support for provinces facing extraordinary drops in revenues by indexing payments to total Canadian growth
Civil Rights & Liberties
The party has released no official statements concerning its policies on:
– freedom of conscience & religion
– freedom of speech, truth, or the media
– private property
Racism & Discrimination
The party advocates:
– working with provinces, territories, and Indigenous governments to support innovative models of community policing
– ensuring that all major cities have dedicated hate crime units, and convening a national working group to counter online hate
– ending the ban on blood donations by men who have sex with men
– developing a national action plan to ban conversion therapy for minors in Canada
– working with the provinces to ensure that there is equal access to gender confirming surgery across the country, and that such procedures and medications are covered by public health plans
– establishing a clear and permanent path for resettlement of LGBTQ/2S+ refuges, to replace the current piece-meal approach that deals only with emergency cases, as they arise
– adding sexual orientation, gender identity, and expression to the Employment Equity Act, in order to address disadvantages experienced by LGBTQ/2S+ people, and particularly transgender people, in finding work
– convening a national working group to counter online hate and protect public safety, and ensure social media platforms are responsible for removal of hateful and extremist content before it can do harm
– banning racial carding by police, including a review of collection and use of information gathered by carding
– create a national task force to develop a response to systemic over-representation of Indigenous and Black Canadians in federal prisons, including increasing judicial discretion at sentencing, culturally-appropriate bail programs, and restorative and community justice
– a comprehensive review of the racialized wage gap
Gender Equity
The party believes that:
– our families, communities, and country are stronger when women thrive, and that it is still too common for women to experience discrimination and gender-based violence, particularly if they are members of a marginalized community.
– gender equity is a fundamental value for the party, and that it is committed to building a Canada in which no one is left behind
– women currently earn 32% less than men, and less than that for racialized, Indigenous, and immigrant women, and disabled women.
The party advocates:
– as a priority, ending gender-based wage discrimination, requiring employers to be transparent about pay and enacting tough, pro-active legislation and regulations
– to ensure that women’s organizations have stable funding, developing a national action plan to end gender-based violence, and providing funding to ensure that shelters and other programs are available across the country
– so that women do not have to choose between children and career, implementing national not-for-profit child care that is affordable by all
– in order to reduce obstacles to women’s political participation, reforming the electoral system and introducing legislation to encourage political parties to run more women candidates
Housing
The party states that:
– everyone should have the right to a safe and affordable place to call home, that workers should be able to live close to work, including in the hearts of large cities, that young people should be able to live in the neighborhoods they grew up in, and that seniors should not be forced to move from their communities.
– before the pandemic, more than 1.7 million families spent more than 30% of their income on housing
The party advocates:
– creating 500,000 units of quality affordable housing over ten years, by investing $5 billion dollars during the first 18 months of a mix of partnerships with provinces and municipalities
– to kick-start the construction of housing co-ops, setting up dedicated fast-start funds to streamline application processes
– spurring construction of affordable rental homes by waiving the federal portion of applicable HST/GST
Food Security
The party states that Canada ranked 37th of 41 countries in access to nutritious food for children, according to UNICEF
The party advocates:
– partnering with provinces, municipalities, territories and Indigenous communities to develop a national school nutrition program, to give every child in Canada access to healthy food and understanding of nutrition
– supporting local food producers by encouraging local food hubs, community-supported agriculture, local distribution of food
– development of a national food policy and food waste strategy
– supporting Indigenous food sovereignty and access to healthy food
– reforming the Nutrition North program to improve food security for northern families
Clean Water
The party believes that it is past time for the federal government to step up and fund the services and infrastructures that Indigenous communities need to thrive, including investments required to ensure clean water and lift all drinking water advisories on Indigenous lands.
The party advocates supporting Indigenous-led water management and on-reserve emergency management training programs and water.
Participation & Subsidiarity
Individual Responsibilities
The party has released no official statement concerning its policies on responsibilities or obligations of individuals.
Participation in Civil Society
The party has released no official statement concerning its policies on:
– the importance of participation in society
– the role of social or civic institutions
Provinces, Municipalities & Territories
The party has released no official statement concerning its policies on the rights or responsibilities of provinces, territories, or municipalities.
Privacy
The party advocates enhancing the power of the Privacy Commissioner to make and enforce orders.
Civil Rights
The party states that:
– the rights of Canadians to freely hold and express beliefs are being eroded at an alarming speed under the current government
– some government decisions even require that Canadians renounce their most deeply held moral convictions and express opinions they disagree with, for example through the denial of summer job funding to organizations, including charities, that would not sign an attestation supporting abortion, and the passage of bill C-16 as part of a trend to force Canadians to express support for the existence of various gender identities beyond the biological categories of male and female
– the government is also considering bringing back Section 13 of the Canadian Human Rights Act, a hate speech provision that was repealed by the preceding government in 2013
– history and social scientific research show that freedom of conscience and freedom of expression, when maximally protected, advance the intellectual life of a nation, foster greater ideological diversity and societal understanding, and nurture other freedoms necessary for a successful democracy
– Section 2 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms guarantees citizens freedom of conscience and religion, as well as freedom of thought, belief, opinion and expression, including freedom of the press and other media of communication
The party advocates:
– restricting the definition of hate speech in the Criminal Code to expression which explicitly advocates the use of force against identifiable groups or persons based on protected criteria such as religion, race, ethnicity, sex, or sexual orientation
– repealing any existing legislation or regulation curtailing free speech on the internet and preventing the reinstatement of section 13 of the Canadian Human Rights Act
– ensuring that Canadians can exercise their freedom of conscience to its fullest extent as it is intended under the Charter and are not discriminated against because of their moral convictions
– withholding federal funding from any post-secondary institution shown to be violating the freedom of expression of its students or faculty
Points to Ponder: Rights & Responsibilities; Subsidiarity
Consider asking your local candidates, elected representatives, and the parties the following questions, and discussing their answers with your family, friends, neighbours, coworkers, and fellow parishioners:
Civil Rights & Liberties
As we enter a COVID recovery phase, concerns have been raised regarding federal and provincial tracking, retention, and use of private information, including for example information required for vaccine passports.
– to what extent is the collection and use of such information by governments appropriate, and to what extent should it be limited? How important is the right of privacy during a time of perceived emergency such as a pandemic, and to what types of personal information does it apply?
Civic & Individual Responsibilities
It is clear that the nation and our provinces owe their citizens great respect for each of a broad range of human rights. But with rights come responsibilities. What responsibilities do individuals have toward their communities, provinces, the nation, and the world? For example, to what extent are citizens called to:
– Live sustainable lifestyles, for example by conserving energy, avoiding waste, and ensuring that they minimize their impact on future generations?
– Participate in society, for example through informed voting, continued engagement with candidates and elected representatives, and keeping up responsibly with the news?
– Lend a hand to their neighbours, for example by volunteering at home or within the community, in addition to paying taxes?
– In addition to human and civil rights, many parties speak of things Canadians and others “deserve.” How do the parties determine what citizens do or do not deserve? Do they apply predictable, objective criteria in making such determinations, or can such determinations sometimes seem arbitrary and unfair, or, in the context of elections, opportunistic? What criteria should be applied?
– As lists of our defined rights expand, how do we reconcile conflicts between them? And how should they be enforced, and by whom?
Government and Civil Society
– To what extent, if any, should powers or responsibilities of federal, provincial, or local governments be expanded, reduced, or redistributed in order to ensure that individuals, public interest groups, and service organizations have opportunities to employ their lives and talents in the service of others, and the common good? To what extent should those powers be shared with non-governmental entities? What roles should other social institutions – for example, the Church, schools, and civic organizations – play in increasing social and civic equity and caring for all?
Gender Equity
Some parties appear to have called for imposition of strict gender balance in industry and of immigrant participation in teaching, and front-line workers
– To what extent is it appropriate for a government to mandate and enforce strict numerical balance (as opposed to equality of opportunity, or equity) of gender, racial, and immigration or status representation in all fields and industries? What goals do such measures serve? Are such measures appropriate in all circumstances, or do any conditions apply? Is it possible that imbalances in some fields are either voluntary, a consequence of natural diversity and difference, or otherwise culturally appropriate?
Social Health Care
– To what extent is it appropriate for federal, state, or local governments to provide taxpayer-supported health care to citizens? Is it appropriate to give any medical services to anyone, any time they ask? If not, how can one properly and even-handedly determine which needs should be met at public expense?
– To what extent is it appropriate to rely on private service providers, including non-profit and community organizations, such as church-supported hospitals, to provide health care services? For example, it can sometimes seem that care for the whole person – including for example spiritual care – is lacking when care is provided by various institutions. Would it be beneficial to make spiritual and other sorts of specialized care, in addition to general health care, available through institutions such as religious organizations? What are the costs and benefits of providing services through the government, private businesses, charities, or other community organizations?
– In a publicly-funded healthcare system, is it fair for governments – and taxpayers – to expect individuals to make any efforts to maintain their own health? As a recent example, is it fair for those who spurn recommendations of responsible health authorities during pandemics, and become sick as a result, to look to society at large to carry the burden of their health care?
– Under what conditions, if any, is it just to require health care providers or practitioners to participate in morally questionable practices such as abortion or assisted death, when it is contrary to their understanding of morality or their religious beliefs?