CANADIAN LABOUR/POLITICS:

BC UNIONS FIGHT FOR FREEDOM OF SPEECH:

Way out west in BC the Liberal (Lotus Land speak for extreme right wing conservative- dialects do differ across Canada) government has introduced a bill barring third party discussion of political issues in the run-up to an election. Several other Canadian jurisdictions have passed similar legislation, but this bill is unique in that it puts the clamps on freedom of speech for about six months prior to an election. Not just during the campaign itself. A coalition of unions out BC way have come together to oppose this muzzling of the public. See the following for more details and also for how you can join the campaign against this atrocious bill.

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Unions launch Bill 42 fightback website

JUST SHUT UP !!!!
That’s what Bill 42, the Election Amendment Act, amounts to. The law imposes extreme limits on organizations who want to talk about important issues such as climate change, health care, public schools, the Olympics, child care, transit, affordable housing, public private partnerships, and many more. From December of this year until the May, 2009 provincial election, these topics will be off limits.

Today, the BC Federation of Labour and seven affiliates including CUPE BC, launched a new website (http://www.justshutupbc.com/ ) and ad campaign targeting the BC Liberals’ election gag law. The website offers information on how the new law limits freedom of speech. It also encourages readers concerned about the new law to send an e-mail http://www.justshutupbc.com/take-action to Attorney-General Wally Oppal, Premier Gordon Campbell, NDP Leader Carole James and their own MLA to express opposition to Bill 42’s undemocratic restrictions on free speech in B.C.