Prime Minister Justin Trudeau took a stance on freedom of speech, while maintaining that politically organizations “restricting women’s rights by removing rights to abortion” weren’t in line with the future he envisioned for Canada.
Canadian employers can now apply for federal money to higher young workers over the summer of 2018. The new applications are going to be vetted to “make sure they do not plan to use federal funds to discriminate or violate human rights in Canada.”
“CSJ [Canada Summer Job] applicants will be required to attest that both the job and the employer’s core mandate respect individual human rights in Canada, including the values enshrined in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms,” Labour Minister Patty Hajdu wrote to The Huffington Post.
But that hasn’t sat right with everyone, especially the anti-abortion groups. A first-year student at McMaster University asked Trudeau on Wednesday about his views on freedom of speech, speaking up for those who disagree with the new mandate.
“If you’re pro-life then you are ridiculed and insulted, but if you’re pro-choice then you are praised,” the student said, per Huffington Post CA.
The prime minister though said he is defending the rights and freedoms, which, he believes, are “at the core of what Canada is.”
“An organization that has the explicit purpose of restricting women’s rights by removing rights to abortion, the right for women to control their own bodies, is not in line with where we are as a government and quite frankly where we are as a society,” Trudeau said.
But not everyone agrees, including member of the Canadian House of Commons Brad Trost.
Different views than Justin Trudeau’s Liberals? Then as an employer, you won’t be able to apply for the Canada Summer Jobs Program, thus, no funding. pic.twitter.com/Fgdm0ZIjMA
— Brad Trost (@BradTrostCPC) December 13, 2017
Though anti-abortion group, the Canadian Centre for Bio-Ethical Reform, has received $56 thousand in federal funds, Trudeau seemed to keep his stance.
“There are organizations out there that couch themselves in freedom of speech, freedom of conscience…which of course you’re more than allowed to have whatever beliefs you like,” Trudeau said. “…but when those beliefs lead to actions determined to restrict a woman’s right to control her own body, that’s where I and I think we draw the line as a country.”