To this day, the Alberta government has failed to explicitly amend its human rights legislation, instead obliging the Alberta Human Rights and Citizenship Commission to leave the following proviso posted on their website:
Although it is not expressly stated in the Act, as of April 2, 1998, sexual orientation is "read in" to the Act by the Supreme Court of Canada as a protected ground of discrimination in Alberta.
The Stelmach government's response is characteristically vague:
Alberta's culture minister says language explicitly protecting gay rights will be looked at as part of a review of the human rights laws.
Uh-huh. I can just imagine how swimmingly that's going to go. You're going to hand one of the most publicly volatile legislative topics to the most inexperienced minister in cabinet? Unless I miss my guess that leaves Minister of Culture Blackett very subject to the influences of such people as Ted Morton (whose attitudes aren't exactly an improvement on Craig Chandler, IMO. What could possibly go wrong?
2 comments:
Did you read the Premier's Mandate letter to his new minister of culture?
Absolutely no mention whatsoever about improving human rights in this province!
Absolutely no mention whatsoever about the Alberta Human Rights Commission!
Absolutely no mention whatsoever about amending the Alberta Human Rights and Citizenship Act to include sexual orientation ten years after it was ordered read in by the Supreme Court of Canada in order to comply with the equality section 15 of the Charter of Rights!
Makes me wonder if Stelmach's statement "We don't tolerate intolerance" was his early April Fool's Joke.
It also makes me wonder why the Alberta Human Rights And Citizenship Commission is tossed in to some back room closet of the Minister of Culture. Maybe because homophobia, racism, and sexism are considered part of Alberta's culture. After all, the KKK was incorperated by an act of the Alberta Legislature. (yes - read you history folks!)
Alberta is still an intolerant conservative province despite wanting to appear that they are progressive. It is run by people that don't want any change to happen because it might impact on their position of power.
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