The Office is a ruse - pure and simple - to remain in office by appealing to specific sectors of the electorate.
Religious freedom office defended by Baird
- Thread starter mentalfloss
- Start date
Unfortunately, that's probably the correct explanation, the party playing to its roots in the religious right without actually doing anything of significance.
Perhaps then we should also stop funding orgs that promote Human rights, Legal advice for countries on reforming their judicial system and a host of other orgs that have or fit the same general profiles I mentioned.
I prefer to wait, watch and shoot before making my mind up.
I am not a fan of Harper but consider that the Freedom of Religion - whether to believe or not we enjoy, with all the protections of law is not the same as in many other countries.
As to appealing to certain specific groups, I am fine with that. If it helps promote people freedom of Religion Rights, why would i be against it.
Why would anyone who believes in basic Human Rights be condemning this before we see the mandate?
Not if it's a lame duck because then it would have no impact anyway. If we're going to spend on such an office, make sure it's well though out to ensure it will actually have an impact beyond photo ops.
Not as far as I know these days, but religious persecution was officially sanctioned until relatively recently when the gov't decided to quit forcing aboriginals to adhere to Christian dogma.
I'd be perfectly happy to dump this stupid bureaucracy and let anyone who feels their religious rights are being trampled on take civil action. They can always bring up constitutional matters in civil suits and Canadian taxpayers are not forking over dough to have some branch of gov't or other say the same thing the civil courts would say.
As far as what goes on in other countries goes, why keep adding these bureaucracies to a ministry that already deals with such things? And is there no other organisation that represents a collection of countries doing the same thing? If there is, why would we need to echo what that organisation does and says?
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Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird says his department's new Office of Religious Freedom won't become a vehicle for playing domestic politics in Canada's immigrant communities.
The office will not have any influence on religion / disputes etc in Canada. That is why it is in Foreign Affairs.
If Chretien or Martin had opened a specific office to monitor persecution of Religious Minorities, the left would be praising and commending them for having a wide and all encompassing view of Human Rights. And this was a great step forwards in holding countries accountable that persecute religious minorities.
What Leadership, vision, insight and strong commitment to basic human rights, the editorials would read as such.
Myself I see a lot of political bias on this one.
As i mentioned i prefer to see how and what the mandate is, how it is implemented,and what actions are taken.
Well then, we might as well spend gobs of dough on it and let it run for a few decades and THEN decide if its worth the dough. Because by then we'd have a pretty clear picture of what the mandates are, how they are inplemented, actions taken, and the results. IOW, a thorough analysis would be good. lol
To be frank, Goober, if the Liberals had done this, I would have seen through their tactics just as quickly. It's raw politics for the variety of reasons I outlined earlier.
PS
Mind you, Baird gives me the willies.
How many 10's of millions does the Govt spend on the same type of Non profit orgs that monitor Human rights for one.
If the Govt cuts these fundings we hear about it.
Anybody who kisses the ass of the religious right should give everybody the willies.
(Back in the early 50s, my dad owned an '36 Willies coupe).