Rein in the Canadian “human rights” industry

Thanks to Blazing Cat Fur I was alerted to the existence of CASHRA (Canadian Association of Statutory Human Rights Agencies) which just finished its annual conference (CASHRA 2008). Thanks a heap, BCF! :(

Anyhoo, long story short, I spent way too much time aggravating myself reading the conference program and speakers list.

The speakers list included, naturally, many of the likes of OHRC commisar, Barbara Hall. Also speaking was, for example, recently appointed CHRC Board Member Sandi Bell whose appointment announcement from the Justice Department reads, in part:

OTTAWA , February 1, 2008 – The Honourable Rob Nicholson, P.C. Q. C., M.P. for Niagara Falls, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, today announced the appointment of Sandi Bell as a part-time Board Member of the Canadian Human Rights Commission.

Ms. Bell is a highly respected expert with over 30 years experience .... includ[ing] significant human rights, equality and diversity components ... working the front lines with people of colour, persons with disabilities ... As a female, and an individual of African-Canadian and Aboriginal-First Nations heritage and a person with a physical disability, Ms. Bell’s passion and experience will be a great asset to the mandate of the Canadian Human Rights Commission. [Talk about a shoo-in!]

The program was loaded with the leftist politics of social and legal activism, aboriginal and multi-culti grievance mongering, "poverty" and social engineering along with a liberal doses of ‘mandate’ expansion/meddling. An example of the latter can be found in program item 2a:

2a. Expanding grounds of protection enumerated in Human Rights Codes ....This session explores current efforts to expand enumerated grounds and rights protections in areas such as political affiliation, gender identity, and social condition, providing a suitable background to explore Commission efforts in engaging Communities. [Good grief! But, on the bright side, perhaps "right-wingers" would become a protected minority:)]

What a racket! The need to rein in HRC’s goes well beyond killing HRA Section 13.

Update: See Blazing Cat Fur and Ezra Levant and Ezra again.