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Re: Ontario seeks to have education workers' walkout declared illegal, Nov. 4, 2022.
This is a copy of a letter to sent to York Region MPs and MPPs.
The normalization of the use of the notwithstanding clause to impede rights in the absence of any related public emergency threatening the foundation of our day-to-day life is a growing trend in provincial politics across the country that must end now.
To support CUPE is to support an improvement in their quality of life. It is Pflag York Region’s position to support queer and marginalized folx everywhere. Our organization was founded and grown from a protest movement and would not exist today to support queer folx and their family and friends without this right. The right to protest when public safety is not at risk is a right that must be protected.
There are tools in place to protect us from the misuse of our Constitution. Unprecedented events sometimes require unprecedented responses and we are living through an unprecedented time in Ontario. The response to these actions must follow suit. We live in a federation with checks and balances that are only effective when they are used.
I brought up concerns regarding the normalization of the notwithstanding clause in a meeting in 2021 with one of our local Members of Parliament, Tony Van Bynen, to express how it may be used in the future with disturbing regularity. Here we are now and it is time for all parties with the power to act to do so.
Tristan Coolman
President, Pflag Canada York Region
