Article content

On the 31st anniversary of the introduction of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, Justin Trudeau extolled the principles of “democracy, equality and fairness” embodied in the Charter.

“It is our enduring responsibility as Canadians to ensure that these rights and freedoms are always upheld and preserved, never devalued or diminished,” the Prime Minister said in an April 2013 statement.

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or John Ivison: No picking and choosing on the Charter, unless it suits Trudeau's Liberals Back to video

Fine words. But, as is so often the case, the government’s actions have fallen short of its rhetoric.

A case filed in the Federal Court last week by a Toronto anti-abortion group, as reported last week by my National Post colleague Brian Platt, makes clear there is a hierarchy of rights in this country: at the apex are those rights the Liberals find agreeable, at its base are those they find abhorrent.

The case revolves around funding applications for the Canada Summer Jobs program, which provides grants to small businesses, non-profits and public-sector organizations to hire full-time students. In the application guide, organizations seeking funding must check a box affirming that they respect the values underlying the Charter, including women’s reproductive rights and the rights of gender-diverse and transgender Canadians.