The YCL-LJC joins forces with organizations across Ontario to denounce the so-called “free speech” directive passed by Doug Ford’s provincial government and urges all progressive and democratic students to oppose and resist this directive by all means possible. We encourage young people across Canada to express their solidarity with students in Ontario.
Passed in August, this directive purports to defend freedom of expression in Ontario universities by denying funding to those who, by January 1, have not complied with the directive through bylaws, policies, or other mechanisms designed to counter any restrictions on this right; a fundamental principle already protected by the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Those deemed to have violated said policies would also be subject to individual punishment by the school. The HEQCO (Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario) is tasked with auditing the performance of this resolution – if the school is deemed not to have sufficiently enforced these policies, the HEQCO may report this to the Ontario government, which will then threaten their funding. This use of funding as leverage for compliance with government policy is undemocratic and unconstitutional.