Government of Canada rejects Human Rights!

From Rob Rainer - Canada Without Poverty - with my comments
Of the 68 recommendations, Canada is accepting 39, rejecting 14 and partially accepting 15. Canada is rejecting some recommendations that, were they to be accepted, would mean Canada would join and/or ratify several international human rights treaties.

The rejected recommendations also include a number specific to economic and social rights, including:- #1 (Ratify the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights)- meaning - to remove the "optional" component - so they are rejecting this meaning that it will still be optional for governments to follow this protocol - so essentially Economic, social and cultural rights are not protected all a government needs to say is that it is in an economic crisis and those rights go out the window- which can lead to a reduction in minimum wage, other changes to labor laws that favor the employer, no EI, workfare, time limited or even the elimination of social welfare programs.

#10 (Recognize the justiciability of social, economic and cultural rights, in accordance with the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights; ensure legal enforcement of economic, social and cultural rights in domestic courts; grant the same importance to and treat equally civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights, in its legislation at all levels); As they are optional - they cannot be enforced by law so when these rights - or should we say privileges are taken away we cannot fight in court to take them back or have them enforced - this also means reduction and elimination of the court challenges program and even reductions in legal aid funding. Legal aid will no longer fund poverty law.

#17 (Develop a national strategy to eliminate poverty) - did they ever really want to in the first place - I think not.

On #17, that Canada is rejecting the call for a national strategy to eliminate poverty undermines the recent or current efforts of the House of Commons' HUMA Committee and various Senate committees and sub-committees to help determine the appropriate role of the federal government in combating poverty Canada-wide. It also flies in the face of calls from at least a couple of provinces (e.g., Newfoundland and Labrador, Ontario), pursuant to their provincial poverty action strategies, for complementary engagement of the federal government to help ensure progress on poverty.

So if you don't like these decisions say so - and remember it is the conservative government that is backing out on our Human Rights Promises!