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Author: Levi Minderhoud

19 May 2021 Understanding Section 1 of the Charter

Posted at 18:02h in Fundamental Freedoms 0 Comments
0 Likes

  Legal challenges to Covid-19 gathering restrictions are happening across the country. Whether it’s a percentage cap on worship, only allowing for a small group, or a total prohibition, churches have turned to the courts to challenge the constitutionality of a government response that limits citizens’ ability to gather in worship. The churches in these cases argue that the restrictions are not in accordance with our Charter of Rights and Freedoms, our highest law.  Included in Charter section 2(a) is the freedom of religion, which our Supreme Court has said includes...

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18 May 2021 School of Thought

Posted at 15:38h in Action Items, Education 0 Comments
11 Likes

What’s the school of thought on education in Manitoba? I’m sure there have been times when you were deep in thought. Even lost in thought. Someone shared something with you as food for thought. Or told you to hold that thought. Well, I want to take you to the school of thought. The school of thought in Manitoba. It’s the thought that counts. Do your part in revamping the system They’re calling it the most major education overhaul in Canadian history. Bill 64, The Education Modernization Act, has been tabled in the Legislature....

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12 May 2021 Bill to Reduce Recidivism Passes House of Commons

Posted at 11:52h in Bills and Motions, Criminal Justice 0 Comments
1 Like

On Wednesday, May 5, Bill C-228 passed third reading in the House of Commons. This bill, entitled An Act to Establish a Federal Framework to Reduce Recidivism, was introduced by MP Richard Bragdon, and has received widespread support in Parliament, passing with a vote of 297 to 32. It is exciting to see such extensive support for an excellent Bill. Bill C-228 seeks to address recidivism, or repeat offences, by people coming out of the Canadian prison system. Currently, recidivism rates are high for offenders being released from both federal and...

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06 May 2021 Every Political Issue Requires A Biblical Perspective

Posted at 16:02h in Public Theology 0 Comments
4 Likes

ARPA Canada exists to bring a biblical perspective to our civil authorities. We give great attention to some issues – abortion, euthanasia, fundamental freedoms, Christian education, and gender and sexuality – a bit of attention to other issues – criminal justice, the environment, economics, and multiculturalism – and little attention to many other issues, such health care, poverty, and homelessness. This organizational focus on some issues and lack of attention on others is not because only certain issues are worthy of Christians’ attention. We confess that God is sovereign over all...

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05 May 2021 Ontario Bill 203 – More Than a Visitor

Posted at 12:50h in Bills and Motions, Elder Care 0 Comments
3 Likes

COVID-19 has had a devastating effect on congregate care settings, not just in terms of the rapid spread of the virus but also in the banning of visitors, including those who had been active participants in the care or support of a loved one. While exceptions have been made, the ability to visit and care for loved ones in congregate care settings has been severely hampered. A new bill introduced by Ontario NDP MPP Lisa Gretzky is looking to fix this and to set up the province for a better response...

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04 May 2021 COVID-19 Fact Sheet

Posted at 12:00h in Justice and Freedom 0 Comments
19 Likes

Updated March 4, 2021 Information about COVID-19 abounds. Whether you are perusing the local newspaper, scrolling through social media, or talking to friends, COVID-19 dominates discussions. However, all this information is rarely presented in a single place or presented in an easy-to-understand way. Sometimes, different friends or news stories may report very different facts. We have created this fact sheet in response to the many questions around COVID-19. We hope it will be a helpful resource for individual supporters, parents, church councils, and business owners to inform their response to the virus....

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22 Apr 2021 The Government of British Columbia’s Priorities for 2021

Posted at 15:08h in Politics 0 Comments
4 Likes

On April 13, the Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia, Janet Austin, delivered the government’s annual Speech from the Throne and, a week later, British Columbia’s Finance Minister, Selina Robinson, presented the annual provincial budget. Both documents lay out the government’s priorities for the legislative year. In their Speech from the Throne and budget, the NDP government re-committed themselves to the pragmatic style of government that has characterized their administration over the past four years. It is clear that the provincial government and Christians prioritize very different issues. There were no announcements in...

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21 Apr 2021 The Federal Budget Misses the Mark

Posted at 10:54h in Economics 0 Comments
0 Likes

On April 19, the federal government released its 2021-2022 budget, its first budget in two years and the first since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Back in September, ARPA called on the government and all the opposition parties to craft a fiscally responsible plan aimed at returning Canada to a balanced budget or at least a declining debt-to-GDP ratio. This budget misses that mark by $155 billion dollars – that is the projected size of this year’s federal deficit. As for the debt-to-GDP ratio, that is not projected to decline...

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21 Apr 2021 Let the Church be the Church Campaign

Posted at 10:47h in Campaigns, Fundamental Freedoms 0 Comments
38 Likes

It’s been over 13 months since the first Covid-19 restrictions were enacted across Canada. Since then, ARPA has launched targeted campaigns in British Columbia and Ontario and encouraged Reformed Christians in all provinces to use emails, phone calls, petitions, letters to the editor, and social media to ask their provincial leaders to allow church leadership to make the decision on how Christians can safely gather for corporate worship. We argued that corporate worship is an essential activity and that these restrictions are unconstitutional. At various times and places, we have pointed out that the...

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20 Apr 2021 Bill C-268: Protection of Freedom of Conscience Act

Posted at 11:20h in Bills and Motions, Euthanasia, Fundamental Freedoms 0 Comments
3 Likes

Since the legalization of Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) in 2016, there has been little effort to protect the consciences of those who refuse to participate in providing MAiD. The recent euthanasia legislation has increased access to MAiD, and doctors will increasingly run into conscientious problems with patient requests for MAiD. Currently, the province of Manitoba is the only province that specifically protects the conscience rights of physicians. Under Manitoba’s legislation, medical professionals can refuse to participate in MAiD if it violates their personal convictions. They cannot be required to provide...

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