Happy Canada Day?

by Eduardo del Buey

Podcast: https://notebooklm.google.com/notebook/ac9f6a81-e0b4-4519-bc74-1809bac30167

Happy Canada Day?

In 1951, my parents arrived in Canada with nothing but a pocket full of hopes and dreams.

Yet they studied diligently, worked hard, and provided their three children with a good life and excellent education.

I showed my gratitude to Canada by serving the country as a diplomat for 37 years, both at home and abroad. My brother and sister also worked hard and succeeded as Canadians, respecting Canadian values.

So, why the question mark in the title?

I have seen many Canadians celebrating the day with praise that I share.

But I share it with caveats about where our country is heading.

During my college years at McGill and Concordia, I shared classes and experiences with students from diverse backgrounds. At our table in the students’ union, we often spoke three or four languages. There was a positive strength in multiculturalism, and we all found commonality and felt Canadian in our values and outlooks despite our differences.

Things are very different today.

The left-of-center mayors of Toronto and Montreal permit pro-Hamas demonstrators to block freedom of movement in their cities, allowing people to pray in the streets and occupy universities for months. They prevent police from enforcing laws and controlling the situation, instead of just standing by and watching illegal occupations, antisemitism, hate speech, and vandalism happen unchecked.

Allowing universities to become complicit with those who prevent Jewish students and faculty from attending classes, and requiring the suspension of classes for everyone, suggests that they are either weak at best or, at worst, complicit.

Foreigners who oppose Canadian values and support groups that could harm Canada and its principles are often tolerated and even protected by the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, rather than being deported and denied reentry immediately.

The alliance between the Canadian left and Hamas is shocking but real. Canadians see this every day through protests, occupation of public spaces, and weak or nonexistent immigration screening procedures.

Equally absurd as it is true is allowing men to compete in women's sports and use women’s bathrooms.

Under former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, the Liberals supported the most extreme left-wing factions of their party and their allies in the New Democratic Party.

Trudeau’s claim that Canada is a “post-national” country did little to promote Canadian values or strengthen national identity. Additionally, his government appeared to marginalize Conservative provinces like Alberta and Saskatchewan while consistently catering to nationalists in vote-rich Quebec.

While current Prime Minister Mark Carney has tried to guide the Liberals back toward the center, his recent statements that “Muslim values are Canadian values” have shocked many Canadians, who are alarmed by ideas of honor killings, female suppression, attacks on Jews and Jewish institutions, and the spread of Islamism being viewed as “Canadian values”.

Is the Canada I love beyond fixing?

No.

It can be fixed, but it will depend on all of those Canadians praising Canada on July 1^st to unite and make their voices heard every day, and ask some tough questions.

Can our political leaders find common ground and come together at the center to restore the confidence of the majority who value shared principles and unity over division?

Can the federal government establish a set of values that all Canadians and immigrants are expected to adhere to? Can the process of selecting immigrants be based on this set of values, and can they be required to undergo thorough screening to ensure Canada’s security is maintained correctly?

Can Canadians continue permitting large-scale immigration of people who are unwilling and unable to adopt Canadian values?

Can we support the “nanny state” where governments at all levels interfere in every part of life, restricting our freedom to choose by creating laws and regulations that often don't make much sense? Last year, I visited the Canadian Embassy in Madrid and used the men’s room. I found it well stocked with feminine hygiene products. When I asked, I was told that all men’s rooms in federal government buildings are similarly stocked. This is an example of expenditures that appear to be politically correct but make no sense to the average taxpayer.

Does the Charter of Rights and Freedoms do enough to genuinely encourage people to focus on their responsibilities rather than only on their rights? Can we seriously argue that the Charter is effective when provinces like Quebec can choose to violate minority rights at will using the notwithstanding clause without any federal intervention? Or when the Ontario Superior Court of Justice struck down portions of the Ford government’s Elections Finance Act designed to curtail third-party election spending limits on advertising by unions.

Can Canadians afford to live with high taxes and broken systems, such as those in health and immigration?

Can Canadian cities afford to ignore and let crowds block access to public buildings and roads for months in the name of political correctness, while stopping police from enforcing laws that protect the rights of the majority?

Can Canadian society sustain itself when our youth face high unemployment and a lack of affordable housing well after graduation, which diminishes their hope for the future and a life similar to what their parents experienced?

These are some of the questions I am asking myself on this Canada Day.

I am asking our political leaders these questions and look forward to their actions to address them.

Canada can be the great country of our hopes.

However, we must ask the right questions to get the correct answers.

Do you have similar questions?