CALGARY, AB: The Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms announces that President John Carpay has submitted a brief to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs titled Strengthening social trust and increasing civic engagement to improve civic resilience. The submission argues that Canada can strengthen trust among citizens and increase civic participation by upholding the rule of law and equality before the law.

The submission highlights three key themes:

• Social trust depends on equality before the law: Canadians are more likely to trust one another when everyone is subject to the same legal rights and obligations, regardless of race, religion, wealth, or social status;
• Divisive identity politics weaken civic unity: Policies rooted in “Equity, Diversity, Inclusion” (EDI) are criticized for emphasizing group differences over shared citizenship and common humanity;
• Federal race-based policies create resentment: The brief points to employment quotas, differential sentencing practices, and land agreements based on ancestry as examples of policies that undermine confidence in equal treatment.

The submission cites examples of sentencing decisions in which courts imposed lighter penalties based in part on race, ancestry, or immigration consequences. It argues that justice must remain blind to personal identity and focused instead on individual conduct and accountability.

It also raises concerns about the recently disclosed Musqueam land agreement in British Columbia, arguing that agreements affecting millions of residents should not be negotiated in secret or create uncertainty for homeowners who purchased property in good faith.

The Justice Centre’s recommendations to Parliament include:

• Repudiate EDI and race-based laws and policies;
• Abolish the Indian Act;
• Repeal the Musqueam Agreement and avoid further ancestry-based land arrangements affecting private property;
• Uphold equality before the law by rejecting race or ancestry as a basis for legal rights;
• Embrace fully the principle of equal rights for all, special privileges for none.

The Justice Centre is Canada’s leading civil liberties organization fighting for Charter rights and freedoms in the courts of law and in the court of public opinion. Founded in 2010, the Justice Centre funds lawyers across Canada, relies entirely on voluntary donations to carry out its mission, and issues official tax receipts to donors.