Thank you again, Mr. Chairman. I have a few comments on this clause that relate to the amendment of this bill that added the ground of political belief to clause 5. One of the results of that when this bill is passed will be to make it unlawful to publish a statement that discriminates on the basis of political belief.

When the government was reviewing the implication of this a question came up. What would it mean to discriminate in the publication of a statement on the basis of political belief? A respect for differences in political beliefs is central to the principles of democracy and freedom. The department reviewed how other provinces and territories deal with this matter and found that most jurisdictions that include political belief include a statement on freedom of expression of opinion in a section on publication.

Under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms there is protection in section 2 for freedom of thought, belief, opinion and expression. If we add a provision for clause 13 to indicate that the clause would not interfere with freedom of expression of opinion, this would clarify that the Charter of Rights is not intended to be limited by clause 13.

It would also clear up concerns about the meaning of discrimination on the basis of political belief. Therefore I will be making a motion to add another provision to clause 13.