e-News: Meeting with Minister Johnson and Death of Section 13

AHEA will be meeting with Minister Johnson on Wednesday, June 13. Please
pray for the Holy Spirit to lead the meeting, and for changes to the
Education Act which will glorify Him. Please pray for all of Alberta’s
Education Legislation.

On June 6, 2012, a private member’s Bill calling for the removal of
section 13 of the Canadan Human Rights Legislation received 3rd reading in
Canada’s federal parliament with a supportive vote of 153-136. Brian Storseth,
the Member of Parliament from Westlock – St-Paul who introduced the private
members bill, stated “this is a good step for freedom in our country and a
step forward especially for freedom of expression and freedom of religion.”
According to Mr. Storseth, the removal of s.13 from the Federal Human Rights
Act “frees up Canadians to have good political and theological dialogues
without having the fear of repercussions.”

(http://www.qr77.com/news/audiovault/
– June 7, at 9:00 a.m. at approximately 35 minutes.)

When asked on on the Dave Rutherford show on June 7, 2012 why it was
important to repeal this so called “Hate Speech Clause” from the Human Rights
Legislation, Mr. Storseth indicated that people who were accused under this
clause were subject to  ‘back alley justice’. “They end up going before
a quasi-judicial body where the rules of evidence aren’t clear, (and) truth
and intent aren’t justifiable defenses. . .” “(Hate speech crimes) are serious
crimes that should be investigated by police officers and presided over by
real lawyers and judges not civil servants who get to decide what is and what
isn’t freedom of expression in our country.” Mr. Storseth stated that we have
Criminal Code provisions to deal with hate speech in a transparent and fair
legal system and that Human Rights Legislation should not be dealing with
this.

Mr. Storseth went on to discuss provincial Human Rights Legislation and
voiced his “. . . hope that provinces will take light from the federal
jurisdiction. . . and start repealing their own sections. . .” He indicated
that this was of importance specifically to Albertans, as our ‘hate speech
clause’, section 3, is still in place. Mr. Storseth indicated that Premier
Redford promised in her leadership race that she was going to get rid of that
section, but thus far, this has not happened.

AHEA is encouraging individuals to speak to their MLA’s about their
pleasure with the removal of the Federal Hate Speech Clause from the Federal
Human Rights Legislation and to encourage them to have Ms. Redford follow
through on her promise to have s.3 removed from Alberta’s Human Rights
Legislation.