I was recently in Toronto to celebrate the induction of Barry Wilson, our Ottawa correspondent, into the Canadian Agricultural Hall of Fame.
Before the big night, however, I spent two days in Ottawa and was delighted to get Wilson’s Tour of Parliament Hill.
Impressed as I was by all the statues, it was John Diefenbaker’s I stood before with awe. I recalled that he was instrumental in attacking apartheid, advocating for throwing South Africa out of the Commonwealth.
I remembered that we owe our Bill of Rights to his dedication to civil liberties.
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To this day, his words of July 1, 1960, comprise my favourite quote of all time, and I still cannot read them without getting a lump in my throat.
“I am a Canadian, a free Canadian, free to speak without fear, free to worship God in my own way, free to stand for what I think right, free to oppose what I believe wrong, or free to choose those who shall govern my country. This heritage of freedom I pledge to uphold for myself and all mankind.”
I was not yet born when he said those words. I have lived in this country all my life as a beneficiary of that heritage. I became a journalist, as many do, because I believe in these freedoms, particularly to speak without fear.
This is the basis of true democracy.
This is why I was saddened to read a recent Globe and Mail story headlined, “Canadians quickly losing faith in their democracy.”
Just 55 percent of Canadians say they are satisfied with democracy in this country, down 20 points from 2004, according to research by the non-profit political participation group Samara.
Twenty points in eight years is a lot. That should be a wake-up call to every politician in this nation. But it’s also up to us to tell them what we think, and we have the Supreme Court of Canada behind us on that.
“Democracy cannot be maintained without its foundation: free public opinion and free discussion throughout the nation of all matters affecting the state within the limits set by the criminal code and the common law.”
Believe it. And remember, you are free to choose those who shall govern your country. Diefenbaker said so.
