Wrong for Ford to ignore Charter rights

I admit that I am frightened. Doug Ford and his government have decided that abrogating my rights and freedoms under the Charter can be justified because they don’t like the size of Toronto City Council and want to change it in the midst of the municipal electoral process.

By exercising the Notwithstanding Clause over something so inconsequential signals to me a willingness to use the big stick of their majority treat the Canadian Constitution with disdain should it not reflect with convenience their political agenda.

It reflects to me an intention to concentrate power in a profoundly undemocratic fashion and glibly justify it by saying that the people of Ontario elected them to govern unchecked by unelected interests such as Superior Court judges.

It may be hard to influence Mr. Ford but our local MPP, Dave Smith, might well recall as he considers his vote on the subject that the majority of people in his constituency voted for somebody else. Ken East, Peterborough