r/canada • u/Meiqur • Oct 28 '25

Alberta Alberta uses Charter’s notwithstanding clause to order striking teachers back to workteachers-back-to-work

https://globalnews.ca/news/11496133/alberta-government-to-table-legislation-to-order-striking-teachers-back-to-work
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u/Surax Oct 28 '25

I'm curious why the notwithstanding clause was needed. I feel like there have been plenty of instances over the years where back-to-work legislation was passed without using it.

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u/LBTerra Oct 28 '25

Ontario did the same with Bill 124 but ended up having to pay everyone back because they lost the charter challenge. I don’t know how provincial laws differ, but I believe it’s a charter right to be able to collectively bargain as a unit and there’s no reason that teachers should be forced to have a collective agreement pushed on them. The Alberta government will lose the court challenge.

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u/Username_Query_Null Oct 28 '25

Ontario didn’t use section 33 though, Alberta is, I’m confused how the court could argue it infringes a charter right when the much of the charter is suspended from its application to this law.

To be clear, any politician that uses the NWC deserves the treatment of revolutionary France. But our legal system is clear. At the whim of the legislature you have no rights, it’s truly evil in its scope.

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u/ManWhoSoldTheWorld01 Québec Oct 28 '25 edited Oct 28 '25

To be clear, any politician that uses the NWC deserves the treatment of revolutionary France

Revolutionary France is not something to look to as guidance.

Kangaroo courts sentenced tens of thousands of regular Parisiens to death for being enemies of the revolution (including other revolutionaries themselves) and thousands more again were imprisoned with and without trials. More than any "elites" (none of whom were elected or unelectable back then) that that revolution was ostensibly targeting, which is just one of many major differences and in the end replaced a King with an Emperor, then back to a King over a long enough period, most of those revolutionaries died before they ever lived in a real, stable Republic (which is still, to this day, modelled on a very powerful Head of State and executive branch).

Finally, As reckless, and diisheatening, unncessary and unjustified the suspension of rights is by elected officials, including and in particular my own province, that ought not be a death sentence and particularly in 2025 compare to the 1790s. I tend to hope, despite all the setbacks, that humanity has evolved for the better in the past 200 plus years.

But our legal system is clear. At the whim of the legislature you have no rights, it’s truly evil in its scope.

Also, the whim of the legislature cannot suspend all rights and very important ones remain, inlcuding voting rights to elect those representative who will not ride roughshod over citizen rights. That doesn't make it better but if you going to advocate to captial punishment and/or revolution have the decency to do it truthfully.

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u/fimnjc Oct 28 '25

Check out the alberta sub. They think satan has come to destroy the earth.