RESTORE FINANCING OF CHARTER CHALLENGES

Feb.19, 2008

Prime Minister Stephen Harper
Parliament Buildings,
Ottawa, ON


Dear Mr. Prime Minister:

I am writing to you on behalf of the Seniors’ Action and Liaison Team (SALT), a self-financed group of retired and semi-retired Edmontonians from various walks of life who advocate for a civil society that benefits all Canadians.

We are concerned about your government’s decision to cut funding for Charter challenges by ordinary citizens.

At a time when important decisions that will affect all Canadians are being made outside the House of Commons, such as the Security and Prosperity Partnership ( decided behind closed doors by three government heads plus a team of bureaucrats), we wonder who is looking out for Canadians’ interests.

In addition, with regular threats to our universal healthcare system by private business, there has never been a greater need for ordinary citizens to have financial assistance in order to challenge government decisions that go against the interests of ordinary Canadians.
The proliferation of private clinics and the privatization of long-term care facilities are only two of many examples which contravene the spirit of the Canada Health Act and leave our most vulnerable citizens, the ill and the aged, at the mercy of private business, which focuses mainly on profit, not on the well-being of other citizens. Rising pharmaceutical costs are another example where individuals’ health needs suffer because of outrageous pricing and inadequate follow-up surveillance of new drugs under federal government policies.

We at SALT would like the Government to restore Charter-challenge funding to its prior level, along with a cost of living increase to reflect the rate of inflation increase since funding was reduced. We also exhort you to use the House of Commons to air, examine and debate any changes you propose to present programs. Finally, we ask that you reject all policies that will impact so negatively on the lives of ordinary Canadians.

This is after all why we have a Parliament, isn’t it?

Yours truly,
Aileen Tayler

cc: Stephane Dion, Leader of the Liberal Party of Canada
Jack Layton, Leader of the New Democrat Party of Canada
Elizabeth May, Leader of the Green Party of Canada