FORD GOV'T TO INVOKE NOTWITHSTANDING CLAUSE OVER CAMPAIGN FINANCE RULING
Jun 09, 2021
By Bob Komsic
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The Constitution’s ”notwithstanding” clause will be invoked in Ontario for the first time ever tomorrow.
It’s being done to overturn a court ruling on Tuesday that struck down parts of the Election Finances Act.
Superior Court Justice Edward Morgan ruled it was unnecessary to change the Act to extended the restricted pre-election spending period to 12 months.
The government had doubled the period but kept the $600,000 limit on third-party political advertising spending the same.
A coalition of teachers’ unions among others had argued the change would restrict free speech in the lead-up to the election, scheduled for June 2022.
Opposition Leader Andrea Horwath asks ”how can anyone ever justify silencing people by cancelling their constitutionally protected rights?”
She adds in a statement ”it’s clearer than ever that Doug Ford’s top priority is to ‘protect the king’ … Doug Ford is worried most about Doug Ford. He wants to crush dissent.”
Liberal Leader Steven Del Duca agrees, calling the government move ”outrageous.”