Comments on: Amendments to Bill 44 Worsen a Bad Bill http://ablawg.ca/2009/05/29/amendments-to-bill-44-worsen-a-bad-bill/ Thu, 17 May 2012 19:29:38 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 By: Will Randall http://ablawg.ca/2009/05/29/amendments-to-bill-44-worsen-a-bad-bill/#comment-63366 Will Randall Wed, 03 Jun 2009 21:41:27 +0000 http://ablawg.ca/2009/05/29/amendments-to-bill-44-worsen-a-bad-bill/#comment-63366 The province is taking an action that favours the homophobic beliefs of one group by allowing parents to remove their children from discussions on sexual orientation and religions. By logical extension, the province should allow parents to remove their children from any class that deals with questionable subject matter that may violate the tenets of a faith. For example, some religions believe that women have a specific place in society. Yet, Bill 44 does not allow parents to remove their children when class discussions turn to women in the workplace. Bill 44 is aimed at prolonging discrimination against a specific class; a class protected by the Charter's s.15 equality provisions. The Supreme Court of Canada has read sexual orientation into the Charter's equality rights provisions. The province has singled out a group - GLBT people - protected by the charter for unique treatment. The intent of the province is not to redress past wrongs against this group, but, rather, subject a historically disadvantaged minority to further exclusion from society. I think that the province will find itself defending its discriminatory practices before the Supreme Court of Canada. This will not help the province's constrained budget in these times of $60/brl oil. Moreover, in light of Alberta's re-branding campaign, Bill 44 will only contribute to stereotypes of Alberta's reactionary ways. The province is taking an action that favours the homophobic beliefs of one group by allowing parents to remove their children from discussions on sexual orientation and religions. By logical extension, the province should allow parents to remove their children from any class that deals with questionable subject matter that may violate the tenets of a faith. For example, some religions believe that women have a specific place in society. Yet, Bill 44 does not allow parents to remove their children when class discussions turn to women in the workplace. Bill 44 is aimed at prolonging discrimination against a specific class; a class protected by the Charter’s s.15 equality provisions.

The Supreme Court of Canada has read sexual orientation into the Charter’s equality rights provisions. The province has singled out a group - GLBT people - protected by the charter for unique treatment. The intent of the province is not to redress past wrongs against this group, but, rather, subject a historically disadvantaged minority to further exclusion from society.

I think that the province will find itself defending its discriminatory practices before the Supreme Court of Canada. This will not help the province’s constrained budget in these times of $60/brl oil. Moreover, in light of Alberta’s re-branding campaign, Bill 44 will only contribute to stereotypes of Alberta’s reactionary ways.

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