Supporting national priorities

Supporting national priorities is great cliche to begin a politically inspired government program. The Liberal Government summer jobs program naturally claims to be one such support for national priorities.

Students working at camp

CTV news has recently carried a Canadian Press report on the rejection of a court injunction requested by group who argues that the Liberal Government cannot stipulate that groups receiving funds cannot oppose abortion as part of their core mandate.

The requirement stipulates that an applicant must affirm that both the job description and the group's core mandate respect human rights, including reproductive rights.

Source: https://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/anti-abortion-group-loses-initial-court-bid-over-summer-jobs-program-1.3783302

CBC reporter Kathleen Harris reports that the Summer jobs program deadline has been extended as religious backlash grows. The news release reported from Labour Minister Patty Hajdu said applicants can receive funding to support local priorities and those that complement "this year's national priorities,". The news release enumerated five national priorities.

1. Employers who intend to hire youth in underrepresented groups, including new immigrant youth and refugees, Indigenous youth, youth with disabilities and visible minorities.
2. Small businesses that help create jobs. 
3. Organizations that support opportunities for official language minority communities. 
4. Organizations that provide services or supports to the LGBT community. 
5. Organizations that provide jobs in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) and Information and Communications Technology (ICT), particularly for women.

Source: http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/summer-jobs-hajdu-deadline-extended-1.4514044

Summer jobs that involve students in these “national priorities” can be created and completed with complete respect for the human and reproductive rights alluded to in the disputed attestation.

The sponsoring group can affirm that jobs connected to these “national priorities” respect human rights, including reproductive rights. There is no need to create a problem of conscience by drilling down to the core mandate of the organization.

Supriya Dwivedi of Global News comments

Politically, however, this is a slam-dunk for the Liberals. It conveniently reminds voters that Andrew Scheer is pro-life, as is nearly half his shadow cabinet. Now, there’s nothing wrong with that. Social conservatives have every right to make their voice heard in this country through their elected representatives, and the Conservative Party is where they feel most at home. Conservatives will chalk this up to diversity of thought. And that’s great! But the Conservatives themselves clearly know it’s not a winning issue, otherwise they’d run on it during elections, and Scheer himself wouldn’t have gone out of his way to ensure the Canadian public that he wouldn’t be re-opening the abortion debate.

The problem of sponsored groups acting against Liberal policy to respect human rights, including reproductive rights can be addressed by examination of the actual work proposed for the students who will be hired. 

The work can be assessed by comparison to the “national priorities” listed by Minister Hajdu.

 The attestation that the religious sponsors have been asked to agree to eliminates their participation as a matter of conscience. 

Politically the Liberals win. Unfortunately students lose work as camp counselors, parish maintenance workers, and charitable action workers. The communities who have benefited from these workers loose. 

The projects approved by the Liberals should be vetted for coherence with the five “national priorities” cited by the Minister. 

Application of criteria that may be perceived as a “morality test” or a clever political strategy will only return at election time to haunt the Liberals by comparison to the political manipulation strategies of other political parties who have appealed to their base at the expense of the political well being of the nation. 

References

(2018, February 2). Summer jobs program deadline extended as religious backlash grows .... Retrieved February 2, 2018, from http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/summer-jobs-hajdu-deadline-extended-1.4514044

(2018, February 1). COMMENTARY: Liberals will win the fight on Canada Summer Jobs .... Retrieved February 2, 2018, from https://globalnews.ca/news/4000609/commentary-liberals-will-win-the-fight-on-canada-summer-jobs-program/

(2018, January 31). Anti-abortion group loses initial court bid over summer jobs program .... Retrieved February 2, 2018, from https://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/anti-abortion-group-loses-initial-court-bid-over-summer-jobs-program-1.3783302