Justin Trudeau
Member of Parliament
Papineau
September 15, 2009
Mr. Trudeau responding to “Why do we have a Charter? What is its importance?”
The Charter for me sets out the ground rules. It sets out the non-negotiables. We're in a world where relativism, moral relativism is, is running rampant where, well if you do things a slightly different way, that's okay and, and there's a tremendous openness towards different cultures, different customs, different ways of living, different ways of organizing society and that's good and it's important and it's an important part of Canadian, Canada's fabric and its success as a multicultural society, but we have to establish the ground rules. The elements that you know brook no discussion or interference with, and that's what the Charter for me really sets out. It says you know the rights of a man or woman, the rights that you have to not be discriminated against you know due to your, due to your, your religious choices, your culture, your any range of things that are superficial to a large extent and sort of off limits to judge someone on. It's really important to set out. The other element of the Charter, of course, enshrines and protects Canada's bilingual nature saying that we are a country that, at its very basis, has two identities that are completely different and were in conflict you know for centuries in Europe, but form the identity and the strength of this country. So laying out those ground rules upon which all of our other laws and, and rules and regulations need to, need to you know be, be you know in accordance with for me is, is the basic thing of our, basic identity of our country.
