Prime Minister Trudeau directly involved in discrimination against denominational
summer camps
The Centre for Justice for Constitutional Freedoms(JCCF.ca)recently released new documents uncovered as part of its trials against Summer Jobs Canada. They show that Prime Minister Trudeau was directly involved in the creation of new rules used to prevent faith-based summer camps from obtaining Canada Summer Jobs ("EEC") grants.
The documents (1, 2) reveal that two Christian summer camps were deemed ineligible for Canada Summer Jobs Program(CEE) grants because of their Christian beliefs. Documents obtained by the Justice Centre show how government employees described the beliefs of summer camps as "controversial religious doctrine and discriminatory hiring practices based on the beliefs of the Church," and rejected requests from summer camps, without giving summer camps the opportunity to respond to these charges.
As the affidavits explain (1, 2), some of the positions in the summer camps required a thorough understanding ofChristian beliefs. As a result, the summer camps used job application forms with a section asking candidates for their Christian beliefs, to allow summer camps to
"determine the role they are able to fulfill" in the camps.
In June, the Centre of Justice took legal action against the federal government on behalf of the Mill Stream Bible Camp near Peterborough, Ontario, and the Mount Traber Bible Camp near Halifax, Nova Scotia. These are two of the many faith-based holiday camps that the federal government has refused to subsidize Canada's summer jobs in 2019. According to an internal government email received by the Justice Centre, the new 2019 rule used to exclude these camps from the EEC program was created under the specific instructions of the Prime Minister.
A "secret" internal memo of November 16, 2018 to Federal Labour Minister Patricia Hajduon eligibility ("the eligibility note") proposed two different options that could serve as new "eligibility criteria" for organizations applying for grants. Option A: Employers deemed ineligible to "discriminate on prohibited grounds," including religion, among other ineligibility criteria. Option B did not include whether employers were "discriminating"; rather, it was to look at the nature of the projects and activities proposed in the EECapplicationfile.
The documents (1, 2) reveal that two Christian summer camps were deemed ineligible for Canada Summer Jobs Program(CEE) grants because of their Christian beliefs. Documents obtained by the Justice Centre show how government employees described the beliefs of summer camps as "controversial religious doctrine and discriminatory hiring practices based on the beliefs of the Church," and rejected requests from summer camps, without giving summer camps the opportunity to respond to these charges.
As the affidavits explain (1, 2), some of the positions in the summer camps required a thorough understanding ofChristian beliefs. As a result, the summer camps used job application forms with a section asking candidates for their Christian beliefs, to allow summer camps to
"determine the role they are able to fulfill" in the camps.
In June, the Centre of Justice took legal action against the federal government on behalf of the Mill Stream Bible Camp near Peterborough, Ontario, and the Mount Traber Bible Camp near Halifax, Nova Scotia. These are two of the many faith-based holiday camps that the federal government has refused to subsidize Canada's summer jobs in 2019. According to an internal government email received by the Justice Centre, the new 2019 rule used to exclude these camps from the EEC program was created under the specific instructions of the Prime Minister.
A "secret" internal memo of November 16, 2018 to Federal Labour Minister Patricia Hajduon eligibility ("the eligibility note") proposed two different options that could serve as new "eligibility criteria" for organizations applying for grants. Option A: Employers deemed ineligible to "discriminate on prohibited grounds," including religion, among other ineligibility criteria. Option B did not include whether employers were "discriminating"; rather, it was to look at the nature of the projects and activities proposed in the EECapplicationfile.
The eligibility note indicated that government staff would take more time "in relation to the screening and evaluation" of CEEapplications, and was concerned that Option A would render "too many organizations" ineligible, particularly "religiously-inspired employers." The eligibility note states that, under Option A, "employees governed by denominational organizations or related to denominational organizations would be disproportionately deemed ineligible for grants, given the potential links established by program staff with the broader doctrine followed by faith-based organizations.
" The eligibility note specifically mentioned the increased risk for "a denominational employer organizing a summer camp."
In response to the
recommendations of the eligibility memorandum to Minister Hajdu, the Prime Minister was directly involved in the development of the new rules.
An email dated November 12, 2018 states, "Please find attached language that has been approved by the Prime Minister and the Minister."
The wording approved by Prime Minister Trudeau and Minister Hajdu specifically stated "restrict access to... because of religion
as one of the reasons for denying a CEE grant to a summer camp.
Federal government employees used this rule to deny grants to denominational summer camps because of job applications
used by federal government employees to hire staff.
"There is nothing illegal or wrong with Christian holiday camps hiring Christian employees," said Justice Center lawyer Marty Moore.
"Prohibiting underprivileged children from participating in the Summer Jobs Canada program on
the basis of their religious beliefs is nothing more than anti-religious bigotry," Moore said.
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