“The Ford Conservatives Will Not Trample on Our Rights Without Consequences”: CUPE Ontario Condemns Ramming Through of Legislation Limiting Political Debate

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TORONTO — The Ford Conservatives have proven Ontarians who they’re by ramming via laws silencing public debate, mentioned the Canadian Union of Public Workers (CUPE) Ontario.

“The Conservatives threw us into avoidable waves of COVID-19 as a result of they refused to take heed to the consultants, to our communities, and to our wants,” mentioned Fred Hahn, President of CUPE Ontario. “And now they’re doubling down by forcing via laws limiting political debate by advocacy organizations, neighborhood teams, involved residents and unions in solely 48 hours and with no public session. This drastic and unprecedented transfer can not go with out penalties. As we speak is the day that we reclaim our province by ensuring each single Conservative MPP loses their seats within the subsequent election.”

When the Ford Conservatives proposed Invoice 254, CUPE Ontario called it an attack on the appropriate of staff, unions, advocacy organizations, and anxious residents to lift vital points via political advocacy and promoting and for Ontarians to listen to about them. The Invoice creates actual boundaries for all Ontarians who need to work collectively to reveal Ford’s failure to maintain Ontarians protected throughout a world well being disaster or his failure to develop an actual plan for a protected reopening.

On Tuesday, June 8, a decide struck down Invoice 254, declaring it a violation of Ontarians’ Constitution rights, however the subsequent day, Doug Ford invoked the However Clause to overturn the choice. That signifies that however the rule of the courtroom to guard Ontarians’ rights, the federal government would push the Invoice forward anyway.

“But once more, the Ford Conservatives side-stepped the legislation and silenced critics,” mentioned Hahn. “However there’s hope. Ontarians are seeing the Ford Conservatives for who they’re. A referendum on their efficiency as stewards throughout a public well being disaster within the type of an election is lower than a 12 months away. We should always remember at present. We should always remember that every Conservative within the legislature at present voted in favour of this outrageous and draconian transfer. I do know they gained’t have the ability to get away with constantly trampling on our rights and muzzling the voices of on a regular basis Ontarians with out consequence.”

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