The most important thing the Conservatives could do
September 11, 2006 · By Peter Rempel
Does having a Conservative government really make a difference in terms of public policy? Or do differences between the two parties in government even register?
Here is a preliminary answer, now about a week old:
Funding for minority groups to challenge federal laws under review
A contentious government program that helps fund special-interest groups to challenge federal laws on equality grounds is under review and facing an uncertain future for the second time in its 28-year history.
The Court Challenges Program, which receives about $2.85 million annually from the Heritage Department, has handed out funding for hundreds of court battles over the years claiming rights such as gay marriage, prisoner voting, and a Criminal Code prohibition on spanking children.
It is my view that same-sex marriage would not exist in Canada at this time were it not for the Court Challenges Program. The same-sex marriage reference from the Supreme Court that precipitated Paul Martin’s legislation was the culmination of a decade of interventions and strategic litigation by EGALE and other groups, all of which was funded by the taxpayer through the CCP. Without the accumulation of jurisprudence that decade produced, the courts would never have pushed SMM onto the public’s radar screen and the Liberal government toward SSM.
Here’s a secret: Gay lobbies have no money without the active intervention of the state. The Court Challenges Program represents a consious effort by socially progressive politicians, Liberal and Conservative alike, to mould public policy through the judicial back door. Lobbying the government to introduce socially conservative legislation while money continues to flow to socially left-wing groups through the CCP is like dealing with a sewer main explosion by bolting the manhole covers to the pavement. Conservative bloggers, who are now pressuring the government to cut off funding to the Status of Women agency, realize this.
If the government does indeed abolish the CCP, that will be the most important thing that the government has done so far. And it will guarantee my support for, like, forever.
Got ‘cha, laws that may infringe upon the rights of others can only be challenged by those “others” who have deep pockets - sounds perfectly fair to me.
Is there anything that the government would do to stop your support for, like forever?
“Is there anything that the government would do to stop your support for, like forever?”
The CPC’s crime policies, for starters.
Got ‘cha, laws that may infringe upon the rights of others can only be challenged by those “others†who have deep pockets - sounds perfectly fair to me.
At least they’re not using other people’s money to do it.
Deep pockets? How about deep support? Most of the Government funded special interest groups have neither. Which seems to me the primary point in all this.