What The Liberals "Stand For"

Raphael Alexander: Liberals support expansion of CHRC powers

Posted: May 04, 2009, 11:00 AM by NP Editor

If you had to pick two items that manage to enrage conservatives en masse, you couldn’t do badly by picking global warming and the Human Rights Commission. The former pertains to carbon taxes and all derivatives thereof, while the latter focuses on the expansion of a program that many see as an intrusion into the basic legal freedoms of all Canadians.It seems as though the Liberals just can’t help themselves though. Delegates at the Liberal leadership convention backed resolutions favouring both on the weekend.One of the prime reasons the Liberals lost 19 seats in the last election was their belief that Canadians would accept a national carbon tax without a strong debate or referendum on it. Voters' rejection of the Liberals was more of a rejection of the carbon tax than it was an endorsement for Stephen Harper.

And yet a resolution directing a future Liberal government to fight climate change by “establishing a carbon tax, a cap and trade system, or a combination of both” was approved by the majority of delegates in Vancouver after little debate. Is this their way of paying symbolic tribute to Stephane Dion, or do Liberals genuinely believe Canadians would stand for a future Liberal government that tried to thrust another tax down our throats? Click here to read more...

Alberta teachers slam planned human rights changes

Updated Tue. May. 5 2009 10:00 AM ET