Jobs program language change welcomed

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 15/12/2018 (2782 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

I’ll admit it: I didn’t think the government would change its mind about the controversial Canada Summer Jobs attestation requirement.

As you may recall, a year ago, the Liberals announced that any group wanting funding to hire summer students had to attest its core mandate respects individual human rights, including the right to access safe and legal abortions.

The change prompted widespread protests by faith groups, individuals and businesses who said it violated their charter rights of freedom of belief and free expression.

Initially, I thought the government might back down in face of the opposition. But it dug in. In February, the prime minister doubled down on his support for the attestation at a town hall in Winnipeg.

The result was more than 1,500 groups were rejected because they refused to check the attestation box, a sharp increase over the 126 deemed ineligible in 2017. An unknown number never applied at all.

The rejections also prompted at least nine court challenges from church groups, as well as from some businesses.

But behind the scenes, something was happening this fall.

Over the past few months, staff at Employment Minister Patty Hajdu’s office reached out to groups like the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada, the Canadian Council of Christian Charities and the Toronto archdiocese to find ways to address their concerns.

The result is a 2019 application form. Dropped is the reference to core mandates; in its place is specific language about activities.

In order to be eligible for funding in 2019, groups have to promise government funds won’t be used to, among other things, “actively work to undermine or restrict a woman’s access to sexual and reproductive health services” or “advocate intolerance, discrimination and/or prejudice.”

As well, activities cannot discriminate on the basis of “sexual orientation, or gender identity or expression,” or “advocate intolerance, discrimination and/or prejudice.”

Faith groups are pleased with the change.

“It’s encouraging to see that the government has heard and responded to our concerns,” says Julia Beazley, director of policy for the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada, which represents more than 40 evangelical denominations.

The changes, she says, address “the primary issue of a values test,” which was seen as “an infringement on fundamental freedoms guaranteed by the charter.”

Now, she says, “the focus is on activities, not on the beliefs and values of organizations.”

Barry Bussey, director of legal affairs for the Canadian Council of Christian Charities, which has 3,400 members, is also pleased. “This is a very positive move,” he says.

For Ray Pennings, executive vice-president of Cardus, a non-partisan, faith-based think tank, the change is “an admission that last year was clearly a violation of freedom of speech and religion.”

Locally, response also appears to be positive.

“The Bethania Group is delighted that this decision has been made,” says Gary Ledoux, CEO of the organization, which provides long-term care for seniors.

Last year, the Bethania Group had its application for summer students rejected for its failure to check the box supporting abortion rights.

The change will “allow us to have our application considered for funding,” Ledoux says.

The question some may be asking is: why the change?

A number of reasons are being suggested, such as the outpouring of protest from faith groups, businesses and individuals across Canada, along with the court challenges.

But a big factor may be next year’s federal election.

As Bussey puts it: “(The Liberals) have enough on their plate to worry about going into the election without adding a number of lawsuits and angry churchgoers.”

While faith groups are happy about the changes, some concerns remain.

“I worry about the language, about how it will be interpreted,” Pennings says, wondering if a group that favours traditional marriage might be considered intolerant.

For Bussey, the test will be if some of his group’s members are turned down next year. If that happens, “we will assist them in any way we can to ensure they receive a favourable response from this program.”

jdl562000@yahoo.com

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