Wrong to ask grant recipients to toe the ideological line

The Liberal government has introduced a troubling new eligibility requirement for organizations looking to take advantage of the Canada Summer Jobs (CSJ) program.

The CSJ program provides funding to assist employers, including not-for-profit groups, that create summer jobs for full-time students. It’s a win-win situation: students benefit by gaining valuable employment and work experience and communities benefit from the important services provided by these organizations. But for many groups, this essential support will be held back thanks to a new Liberal policy.

In the days leading up to Christmas, the Trudeau Liberals quietly changed the rules of the CSJ program to require applicants to sign an attestation agreeing with their government’s ideological positions or be rejected for government funding. This is a deeply concerning development and Canadians should be extremely skeptical of a government that is basing funding decisions on whether or not you hold the same beliefs and values as they do.

As a pluralistic society, Canada allows for diverse opinions and protects those who may think differently than those in positions of power. In fact, the right to freedom of belief and opinion is guaranteed by the Charter. For all their talk about being the ‘Party of the Charter,’ the Liberals should be the first to recognize that they’re violating its most fundamental principle with their actions. If the Liberals are forcing Canadians to pass their ‘values test’ in order to receive CSJ funding today, what’s next? Will Canadians have to agree with the Liberals’ views to get their pensions when they retire? To receive certain tax credits or student loans? To get help with their Employment Insurance when they visit a Service Canada centre? Where will it end?

Ted Falk, deputy shadow minister for Employment, Workforce Development and Labour, MP for Provencher, Man.