Quebec politicians, specifically those at the municipal level, have been resigning in droves, sighting harassment and intimidation as their common reasons for departure.

In response to this ‘alarming trend’ the Quebec government has earmarked $2 million dollars for mental health support and enacted a law to protect the sensitive emotional state of their politicians.

New legislation allows for fines of up to $1500 as well as providing elected officials the means to make a request to the Superior Court to intervene with an injunction against anyone who “intimidates, threatens or harasses” them “in a manner that causes them to reasonably fear for their integrity or safety”; an action that could also lead to jail time if a person defies the court order.

Their choice of language is interesting; “causes them to fear for their integrity”. It’s safe to say that the citizens of Canada have been in fear for the integrity of our politicians for quite some time, and there is no doubt that this concern is as rampant in Quebec as it is across Canada.

Integrity can be defined as “The quality of being honest and having strong moral principles” or “The state of being whole or undivided”.

Politicians who demonstrate honesty and strong moral principles, or who are undivided with the needs and demands of the people, are in very short supply. And it is the people of Canada that should be speaking up to their local politicians with these concerns.

Instead of working to fix the problem from its source (internally), the government has opted to silence the opposing opinions of the people and the media alike.

Representatives from media agencies across Quebec collaborated on an open letter to government in the lead up to this legislation, calling it “excessive and potentially stifling to democratic debate” and arguing that it is “too broad”, allowing elected leaders to “potentially silence unfavourable criticism from both citizens and journalists”.

Once again, our governments are choosing to restrict our rights and stifle free speech; silencing the concerns of the people in an attempt to protect those who should be accountable to the people.

To read Bill 57,  An Act to enact the Act to protect elected officers and to facilitate the unhindered exercise of their functions and to amend various legislative provisions concerning municipal affairs, click here