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Sunday, March 26, 2017

The bogus health and safety argument and our Charter right to protest abortion

More on my previous post about what the IPC said about our charter challenge against the Ontario government's decision to exclude abortion information from freedom of information requests when the IPC said this:
"Broad exclusions from the Acts, such as the ones proposed in Bill 84, can prevent the public from accessing information that poses no health or safety risk. For example, in 2012, the Ministry denied a freedom of information request for province-wide statistics on the number of claims and amounts billed for abortion services. It did so on the basis of the abortion records exclusion in section 65(5.7) of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act,3 even though disclosure of this information posed no health or safety risk. In fact, the 2 Similar provisions exist in the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. 
3 That decision was upheld by my office in Order PO-3222.
4 Ministry ultimately disclosed this information outside the scope of the statute after the requester commenced a court application. 
Finally, the IPC notes that access to information should not be limited in order to stifle legitimate and peaceful protest. The right to protest and express criticism of government decisions is an integral component of any democracy and is protected by section 2 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which guarantees everyone freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association."
Re: this statement:
"Ministry ultimately disclosed this information outside the scope of the statute after the requester commenced a court application."
So if health and safety was really a concern for the Government regarding my requested abortion information, why would they release the information only after I initiated court proceedings? Clearly they wouldn't have released it if they were truly concerned about the health and safety of...someone...we don't know who because there was no private information requested.

The fact that they did release it proves that there were no health and safety concerns at all, they were just hoping I would go away which I did not.

Re: This statement:
"Finally, the IPC notes that access to information should not be limited in order to stifle legitimate and peaceful protest. The right to protest and express criticism of government decisions is an integral component of any democracy and is protected by section 2 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which guarantees everyone freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association."
This statement was expressed as it pertains to people protesting medical aid in dying (MAID). But it also holds true for abortion as well. In a democracy where people protest abortion (which is paid for out of those pro-lifers taxes), those people also have a 
"right to protest and express criticism of government decisions is an integral component of any democracy and is protected by section 2 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which guarantees everyone freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association".
It is truly mind boggling how this Liberal government in Ontario tramples on so many fundamental rights of citizens and makes stuff up to satisfy their own abortion agenda.

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