Podcast for Inquiry S01E04: Caroline Russell-King Argues For Quebec’s Bill 21

The fourth episode of Podcast for Inquiry features Caroline Russell-King discussing the secular case for Bill 21, in the second instalment of a two-part series. Caroline describes the harms Bill 21 is intended to mitigate, and whether they justify the nontrivial limitations it places on religious expression. Caroline and I discuss why Bill 21 has so split the secular community in Canada, and whether she sees any room for improvement.

Listen to our conversation here:

The episode is also available via video:

Toronto Star columnist makes bold claims with no evidence

Frank Stronach is the retired founder of Manga International, and recently became a Toronto Star columnist. His second article for the paper, entitled Canada is over-governed, overtaxed and overregulated, calls for an eventual reduction in taxes by first "reducing the cost of government." 

Though Stronach wants to "institute a program of targeted cuts in government spending", he provides no insight into what the targets should be. Reading his broad claims with no specifics prompted me to write the letter below to the editor of the Toronto Star; they decided not to publish it. 

Re: Canada is over-governed, overtaxed and overregulated, Feb. 1

Frank Stronach makes a bold assertion in his February 1 essay in the Star: "The reduction in government spending could be done without jeopardizing safety, the environment, education or health, by reducing government spending by five to 10 per cent per year over a period of five years."

Given his entire argument hinges on this proposition, I had expected some argument, some example, or some direction to show how tens of billions of dollars can be cut without anyone feeling any pain.

Stronach provides none, and with no such corroboration his entire essay becomes a flight of fancy with no more connection to reality than Harry Potter.

Podcast for Inquiry S01E03: Against Bill 21 with Catherine Francis

In its third episode, Podcast for Inquiry begins a special two-part series about Quebec's Bill 21, which prohibits most government employees from wearing religious symbols. This issue has split Canada’s secular community like no other. The divide is largely geographic; most secularists within Quebec support Bill 21, while a majority in the rest of Canada oppose it, calling it an act of discrimination or racism. In this episode, I speak with Catherine Francis, a Toronto lawyer, about her opposition to Bill 21. Starting with a history of the bill, from its introduction in Quebec's National Assembly through to its eventual passage, Catherine summarizes the numerous legal challenges it has overcome to date and the likely course of future court cases. Catherine explains why she does not consider Bill 21 to be a "secularism law" and why the legislation is bad for Quebec and Canada.

Listen to our conversation here:

The episode is also available via video: