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May 17, 1982

DOUGLAS COLLEGE

ABCHIVES

 

 

CANADIAN CONSTITUTION
COMMENTS CONTINUED

 

FROM AL HARMS:

I confess. It was I who dropped the
offending document by Dr. Ruth Gorman
into Terry Farrell's mail slot.

As I recall the scene of the crime, I
had stopped in the mail room with sev-
eral copies of this document to confer
with Ed Chalkman and to obtain his val-
ued opinion on the issues raised by Dr.
Gorman. As we were conversing with
each other through the mail slots, my
eyes happened to light on Terry's name.
"Aha", I thought to myself, "There is

a man who would know about such weighty
matters as the Canadian Constitution.
Why don't I drop one of these copies

in his mail slot?" And I did just that.
(I also dropped off two more copies for
two other persons who I know are inter-
ested in matters political.) Had I
followed through on my intuitive feel-
ing of the moment I would have attached
a signed note which would have read
something as follows: "Terry, a friend
of mine gave me this document recently.
What do you think of it? Is there any
validity to the apprehensions expressed
by Dr. Gorman about our new Constitu-
tion?" I apologize for not doing so.

Hopefully my explanation exonerates me
in-so-far as casting a pall on the eu-
phoria associated with the coming hore
of the Canadian Constitution.

That matter aside, and for the benefit
of all those who did not receive a

copy of Dr. Gorman's article entitled
"Loss of Vital Rights Feared Under A
New Constitution" I will attempt to out-
line some of her concerns with the hope
that someone will be able to dispel her

 

 

 

 

fears by direct reference to the Con-

stitution. Incidentally, included in

Dr. Gorman's credentials are the facts |
that she helped draft Diefenbaker's Bill !
of Rights, was chosen "Women of the Cen-

tury" for Alberta in Canada's centennial !
year, was Chairman of Civil Uiberties of
the Canadian Rar Association and is now
an officer of the Order of Canada.

Dr. Gorman begins her article with the
ominous warning: "If the new Constitu-
tion becomes law, you as an individual
will have lost the most important rights
you have." She then lists the following
as being on the endangered list:

 

- guarantee of the enjoyment of private
property without fear of confiscation
by the government

- individual right of access to the
courts independent of government in-
terference

- freedom from imprisonment because of
mere political opposition

- right of provinces to be involved in
the process of equalization

Also, legislation protecting women,

Indians and other minorities is appar-
ently weakened under the new constitu- |
tion.

(If you desire the full text of Dr. Gor-
man's paper, please contact me.)

 

My question: "Is there any validity to |
Dr. Gorman's concern or is her article, |

as Terry maintains, strictly propaganda?"

A. Harms
Math Instructor