Property in the Charter
Our successful battle to be able to celebrate freedom in the municipality of Clarington has motivated two politicians to push for the inclusion of property rights in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
M.P.P. Randy Hillier and M.P. Scott Reid, both representing Lanark, Frontenac, Lennox and Addington, released news that they plan to use the section 43 amendment formula to amend the Charter. A section 43 amendment formula only requires passage by an individual provincial legislature (in this case, Ontario), and approval from the federal parliament to include a guarantee of private property in Ontario.
Here’s the announcement that they posted about yesterday’s press conference (me, my mom and my dad shared the stage, and I was asked to make a few remarks. I’ll post my remarks, as well as video of the conference, in a subsequent post):
Scott Reid, MP (Lanark-Frontenac-Lennox and Addington) and Randy Hillier, MPP (Lanark-Frontenac-Lennox and Addington) have announced they will jointly present resolutions in the House of Commons and the Legislative Assembly of Ontario to amend Canada’s Constitution, embedding property rights within the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
Unlike other jurisdictions, Canada’s constitution contains no provision guaranteeing security or safety of property. This leaves Canadian citizens with no constitutional protection from seizure of property or unjust treatment.
This would mark the second time that the Charter of Rights and Freedoms is amended since its adoption. The amendment would add the right to property to the rights already embedded in the Charter, including the right to Life, Liberty, and security of the person.
Randy Hillier and Scott Reid will be at Queens Park on Thursday, February 24th to announce the amendment.
Quotes:
“I’ve long been an advocate for stronger property rights, both in Ontario, and in Canada. This is the first step towards real guarantees for property owners in Ontario.” – Randy Hillier, MPP
“With this constitutional amendment, we can not only grant property owners in Ontario a measure of security, but begin the process of offering that security to citizens of every province.” – Scott Reid, MP
