On The Evening Of May 26th, Freedom Died In Alberta

...and I did a little happy dance:

Kent Hehr, Liberal MLAA for Calgary-Buffalo:

Mr. Hehr: Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. I bring this amendment.It is again a recommendation by the Sheldon Chumir foundation that returns an element of free speech to our way of life here in Alberta and is, I believe, really the way our society is meant to operate and how we are supposed to best communicate ideas. Ilook to the Sheldon Chumir foundation, who studied this issue long and hard. I, too, agree with their recommendations, and that’s why I bring them forward here. Free speech is a fundamental right in this society that shouldn’t be intertwined very easily with our human rights commissions.

[...]

Many of the most virulent criticisms leveled at human rightscommissions over the last few years concern provisions that seek tomake statements of opinion illegal. Some of the high profile caseshave concerned opinions on the part of the Christian right about theevil (in their eyes) of homosexuality and cartoons and articles perceived by some Muslims to be offensive or even, according to their faith, blasphemous. We do not endorse the sometimes offensive views expressed by people and organizations who havecome under attack pursuant to legal provisions such as section 3 ofthe HRCMA. But we do have grave misgivings about the threats to free expression inherent in such provisions. Accordingly, they have offered some revisions, which you see before you in the act. Really, these are sort of changes, but the nuances are clear. This will return the wording of our act to the pre 1996 version

The Deputy Chair: The hon. Minister of Culture and Community Spirit [, Lindsay Blackett].

Mr. Blackett: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Fundamentally the government caucus believes in free speech. We’ve had a long discussion, and [yada yada yada..]

[...]

[Motion on amendment A4 lost]

Note that the Stelmach Tories have 72 of the 83 seats in the Alberta Legislature. The fate of amendment A4 was entirely in their hands. Note that the whole process of Bill 44 was an exercise in balancing off the rights (pandering to?) Alberta's Socon and Gay communities. Speechies got sweet FA. Suck on that, Speechies.

Alberta Panders To Creationists?

Rumours circulating around their new Human Rights Legislation:

Parents would be given the opportunity to opt their kids out of instruction surrounding human sexuality, sexual orientation and other lessons counter to a family's religious convictions.

Difficult to say how seriously this should be taken. Discussions of several proposed changes to their human rights legislation were deferred, so it is hard to imagine anything being tabled this week (as per the source article).

Interesting that MLA and failed Alberta Tory leadership contender Ted Morton's name comes up in connection with these rumoured changes, his base of support being rural Alta. for example the area around Big Valley, home of Canada's first Creationist Museum.

Alberta Minister Hems And Haws Over Section 3

Some talk here from Alberta Minister of Culture and Community Spirit Lindsay Blackett re changing section 3 of the Alberta Human Rights, Citizenship and Multiculturalism Act, which is the local equivalent to Section 13 of the CHRA. His arguments against are the same old same old. Probably the most important part of the story is where Mr. Blackett's hints at a time-table:

His plans have not been taken to Tory MLAs for a thumbs-up or thumbs-down, but he is preparing and sounds confident.

"We haven't talked about it at caucus or cabinet yet, but I've already gone through a few steps. Generally there's support, the support to make a change and do something and not just sit back and say because it's a tough subject we should stay away from it.

In a province with a permanent Tory majority, they are preparing to prepare to discuss. Reform on the slow-track, obviously.

On the other hand, we can already see the effects of this kind of musing.

In any case, a higher priority for Blackett and new Alberta Human Rights and Citizenship Commission Chief Commissioner Blair Mason seems to be writing sexual orientation explicitly into the act.