The Harper government’s political interference with Canada’s core institutions puts their own ideology ahead of the judicial and academic freedoms underpinning our democracy, Liberal MPs said today.
“The Conservatives are going down a dangerous path by imposing their political will on our most cherished institutions,” said Liberal Justice and Democratic Reform Critic Dominic LeBlanc. “Freedom to question is one thing – but threatening independent bodies when we don’t agree crosses the line.”
According to an internal e-mail obtained by the Canadian Association of University Teachers, the office of Conservative Minister of State of Science, Gary Goodyear, threatened the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council that it could lose funding in the next budget unless it revisited its decision to fund a particular conference at two Ontario universities.
At the same time this e-mail surfaced in the media, Public Safety Minister Peter Van Loan attacked a recent judicial decision that he said “raises questions about whether we can protect national security” because of “an increasingly complex legal environment.”
“Mr. Van Loan feels the courts and the rule of law are getting in the way of his political objectives,” said Mr. LeBlanc. “This is entirely consistent with his boss’ past public viewpoints about Canada’s judiciary. As we saw recently in his behind-closed-doors outburst, he contemptuously dismissed our independent judiciary as a bunch of ‘left-wing ideologues.’
“This government would love nothing more than to shape the judiciary in their own political image – a thought that sends shudders through all Canadians,” he said.
Liberal Science Critic Marc Garneau said Mr. Goodyear’s actions are a threat to academic freedom and marks the beginning of a slippery slope.
“Controversial exchanges of ideas are at the very heart of academia in a democratic society,” said Mr. Garneau. “Anyone is free to denounce a particular viewpoint. But the Minister is undermining the very independence of academia, which gives freedom to scholars to establish academic pursuits free from political interference.
“Attacks on the judiciary, academia, media, human rights, minorities and the arts all add up to a government that has no respect for the principles that protect our democracy. Canada can do better.”
