GOVERNMENT OVER-REACH
We have rights and freedoms in this country of Canada. They exist on paper in promise form, recorded in The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. However, what Canadians really want is not a piece of paper but to be able to live out actual rights and freedoms in their daily lives and not have our rights taken away by government.What are these rights? If you would like to see the entire Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms go to https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/const/page-15.html. It is too long to quote the entire thing in this short article. However, what are some of these rights? Some include:
“freedom of conscience and religion;”
“freedom of thought, belief, opinion and expression, including freedom of the press and other media of communication;”
“freedom of peaceful assembly”
“freedom of association”
“Every citizen of Canada has the right to enter, remain in and leave Canada.”
“Every citizen of Canada and every person who has the status of a permanent resident of Canada has the right
(a) to move to and take up residence in any province”
“Everyone has the right not to be subjected to any cruel and unusual treatment or punishment.”
These are some of our cherished freedoms and I, for one, do not feel good about losing them. When the government takes away a Canadian's rights and freedoms, in an unjustified way, it can be called “Government Over-reach.”
Most of this article was written during the time of the Covid 19 situation. At this present time, most of the restrictions we endured during the 2020/2022 season have been lifted. It is still beneficial to reflect on the situation that we all passed through and evaluate our government’s response to it and our response to it. Would we respond in the same way if it all came back again? A vaccine was made available, pushed by government and now received by millions. The news was full of terror stories and the government mandated regulations, controls, shutdowns, lockdowns, etc. In the process of all the clamping down, people’s chartered rights to practice their religion corporately, freedom of peaceful assembly, and freedom to remain in and leave Canada were all severely restricted or outright banned. It is time to evaluate, is this government protection or is this government over-reach?
In a time like what we have passed through, it is imperative that our governments’ (both provincial and federal) response be measured, reasonable, and be supported by demonstrate-able evidence that justifies the action taken and that the evidence is shared widely with the public. The evidence needs to show that the actions taken have produced results and results that outweigh the damage of those same actions. Have the governments’ rules actually halted the spread of Covid 19 and did those rules do more good than harm?
Instead of feeling respected, many Canadians feel violated. Rights and freedoms do not become less important during a time of crisis; they become more important. That is because when governments take rights away from citizens it can be hard to get those rights back again.
The governments’ policies of shutdown/lockdown, stripping Canadians of their jobs and restricting the interaction of Canadians with their families and friends, has had a profound negative impact on many. There has been a very large price that we, as a nation, have paid throughout this time and that Canadians continue to pay. Many have lost their jobs and their careers, many have lost their livelihoods and years of hard savings. Some have had to postpone their weddings. Others have had their graduation experience greatly diminished. Some have had to delay or not attend funeral services for loved ones. Some have put off surgery. The list goes on and on. Many have made huge sacrifices, not because they chose those sacrifices but because those sacrifices were required of them by their government.
Now those who have been negatively affected and who have had their chartered rights and freedoms bypassed, would like to see hard evidence that would justify the radical actions of their Canadian government. In the media there is conflicting evidence, some of it suggesting that the Covid virus is worse, but not dramatically worse, than other flu viruses. According to CBC news "Every year, between 2,000 and 8,000 Canadians die of the flu and its complications." (https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/flu-deaths-reality-check-1.1127442 ) Other flu viruses also have cost the lives of thousands of people every year and yet this degree of shutdown is unprecedented. So where is the scientific, evidence-based rational for our government's actions? Is it not fair to ask for it in light of all of the sacrifices? Especially when Canadians did not choose those sacrifices but they were imposed upon Canadians.
Should governments take drastic actions to protect populations from risks to their health? How significant a risk to the public's health is significant enough to merit drastic action? How drastic is too drastic? Do health risks merit the government taking away fundamental freedoms from their citizens? These are not easy questions to answer, but our Canadian government has gone pretty far down this road of shutdowns, lockdowns, restrictions and penalizations. While these questions are not easy to answer, the government has gone down this road and has opened the can of worms. According to the Canadian Government, as of January 1, 2023, 48,076 Canadians have died of Covid 19. (https://www.covid-19canada.com/) By comparison, every year about 80,000 Canadians die of cancer. Between 90,000 and 100,000 Canadians die each year from heart disease. About 41,500 Canadians die of diabetes each year. The cancer and heart disease deaths are much higher than Covid deaths. Would the much larger emergency of cancer and heart disease merit the government stepping in to our lives and mandating exercise programs and banning high-carb or high-fat foods? Such drastic action might reduce Canadian deaths, but would it be justified for the government to mandate participation, penalize non-compliance and restrict freedom of choice in such a situation? If they haven't for all of these years, and if it is not merited, then is the smaller emergency of Covid 19 reason enough for the drastic lengths that our government has taken? You answer the question for yourself. It is a fair question to ask.
Freedom advocate John Carpay expresses concern; “More problematic still is the seeming unwillingness of politicians to take a long, hard look at all of the harms caused by lockdown measures, including deaths resulting from cancelled surgeries, cancer, suicide, alcoholism, and drug overdoses. What is the full extent of the harms resulting from millions of Canadians not having had viable access to necessary medical care for months on end? Only after conducting such comprehensive analysis of both benefits and harms can one venture to conclude that lockdown measures were, or are, a good thing.” ( https://www.jccf.ca/laws-limiting-freedoms-are-not-based-in-science-but-fear/)
There is a sacred trust that Canadians hold with their leaders every election time. It is extremely important to citizens that their government does not take advantage of them, does not take from them their rights, does not take from them their freedoms, in an unjustified way, and is transparent and honest with them.
This is about so much more than just Covid 19 restrictions. Canadians want a system that protects them from their government. Canadians want a system without loopholes that government can exploit. That is why it is imperative that controls are in place to restrict and restrain government from quickly carrying out its will. There needs to be a process where government's plans are thoroughly and publicly scrutinized. There needs to be strong measures in place to shield and protect the people from their government.
For years conservative-minded Canadians have maintained that small government is much better than big government. In my opinion, our present government is too involved in our lives. It seems that everyday their presence is felt. We are frequently required to give over personal information that many of us feel is private and none of the governments' business. Sacrifices are imposed upon us without our consent. An alternative value system that does not represent how we feel, is pushed on us. We want a small government that is not so involved in our lives.
We are concerned that the decisions made for us by our politicians in favour of mass shutdowns and restrictions have cost Canadians our economy. Unemployment, poverty and social isolation, for many Canadians, have translated into depression, anxiety and uncertainty for our nation’s future. We have not yet seen clear evidence that the actions taken were justified or that they have really bettered our health. A strong economy is what pays for a good health system. If we want a strong health system that serves our population, then we need a strong economy. Shutting down the economy damages it.
One reason for the Charter of Rights and Freedoms is to prevent government from infringing on our rights and freedoms. Infringement is only permitted in exceptional circumstances where the government can demonstrate that its actions are truly justified. In a legal sense that means that the onus is upon the government to prove the justification of its actions.
Canadians regard fundamental freedoms as precious. When these rights and freedoms are suspended it opens the door to over-policing and abuse of power.
In a free society the fundamental freedoms of citizens are respected. Many Canadians feel that they have had their chartered rights and freedoms bypassed. This has led to a profound distrust in our civil leadership. Canadians should not be expected to blindly trust their government. We want clear science-based evidence that demonstrates justification for the kind of actions that have extensively damaged our economy, cost many Canadians their jobs, and put our nation's future in question. We want to make the decisions for ourselves over what sacrifices we are willing to make or not make. We want a small government that respects our privacy and is as uninvolved in our daily lives as much as possible. We want strong measures in place to restrain government and protect Canadians from their government. We want a system that is free of loopholes that government can manipulate. We want a system where government's actions are measured and reasonable. We want referendums. We want a system that is free of government over-reach. Thank you for hearing my opinion.
Shawn Stevens
References:
https://vaccinechoicecanada.com/
https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-e&q=canadian+cases+of+covid
https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/flu-deaths-reality-check-1.1127442
https://www.jccf.ca
https://www.jccf.ca/laws-limiting-freedoms-are-not-based-in-science-but-fear/
https://www.iheartradio.ca/580-cfra/news/we-got-it-wrong-doug-ford-apologizes-for-some-of-ontario-s-enhanced-public-health-measures-1.15045719
https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/chronic-diseases/cancer/canadian-cancer-statistics.html
https://www.conferenceboard.ca/hcp/Details/Health/mortality-diabetes.aspx
https://health-infobase.canada.ca/covid-19/epidemiological-summary-covid-19-cases.html
One reference used: "ORDER OF THE PROVINCIAL HEALTH OFFICER"
(Pursuant to Sections 30, 31, 32 and 39 (3) Public Health Act, S.B.C. 2008)
GATHERINGS AND EVENTS – MARCH 31, 2021