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  Playing politics with rights [by Jack Layton]
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ContributorMonsieur 
Last EditedMonsieur  Jan 29, 2005 08:04am
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CategoryEditorial
News DateSaturday, January 29, 2005 06:00:00 AM UTC0:0
DescriptionKim Campbell once said elections were no time for substantive debate, and sadly, she’s right. We no longer bother judging Liberal values based on their choices in office, but rather their words in campaigns. We focus on polls not policy, and voters are herded into making what they are told is a strategic vote.

As the last election wound down, Paul Martin urged New Democrats to vote Liberal in order to protect the Charter of Rights from the Conservatives. Many did, put aside anger over Liberal corruption and broken promises, and voted out of fear rather than hope.

It is the favourite Liberal election theme, and they love telling voters they are green despite one of the world’s worst environmental records. They have no qualms with running on social moderation with extremists as candidates. But as Martin’s recent threat to call an election over the Charter shows, today’s Liberals are not who they tell us.

Perhaps he can explain how this election would work given many in his own party are equally as extreme as the party he wants to stop. Will there be warning labels on Liberal signs alerting voters there’s a one-in-three chance their local Liberal agrees with Stephen Harper?

Presumably, no. Accordingly, it is time Martin took responsibility for his rhetoric, and stopped playing politics with human rights.

If equal marriage is about protecting the Charter, it should not be a free vote for Liberal MPs. Protecting the Charter cannot be important enough to go the polls over, yet inconsequential enough to allow Liberal MPs to join Harper in trampling over its protections.

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