Two for freedom

See update, below.

Parliament is on its extended summer holiday but news comes nonetheless of two government MPs who are opposed to the Canadian Human Rights Commission's abuses and corruption.

The first news is from John Williams, the Conservative Member of Parliament from Edmonton-St. Albert. Williams served with distinction as the chair of the Public Accounts Committee in opposition, on which he still sits as a member. Interestingly, he also chairs the Global Organization of Parliamentarians Against Corruption. You can see their English website here. Williams is a mild-mannered man, self-effacing, and certainly no media hound. But he is deadly serious about uncovering waste and corruption. If I were the CHRC, I would be terrified that I had caught Williams' attention.

Earlier this month, here is what Williams wrote to a constituent:

From: "Williams, John - Riding 2" <WilliJ2@parl.gc.ca>
Date: Tuesday, July 8, 2008 4:23 pm
Subject: FW: Canadian Human Rights Commission
To: [redacted]

Reply to constituency offrice
  
July 8, 2008
  
Sent via email:  [redacted]
Ms. [redacted]
  
Dear Ms. [redacted],
  
Thank you very much for your email and I apologize for the tardiness of my reply.

Like you, I do not have great appreciation of the Canada Human Rights Commission (CHRC) and their tactics.  I have attached a column by Mr. Jonathan Kay which appeared in the National Post which pretty well says it all.

The CHRC have a role to play in our society but there is no doubt that they have gone beyond their mandate.

Thank you again for writing to me.

Yours truly,
  
John G. Williams
Member of Parliament

The article Williams attached to his e-mail was this one, by Jonathan Kay, pointing out the CHRC's abusive tactics.

Rick Casson is the Conservative MP from Lethbridge. He is the chair of the Commons National Defence Committee, and is an associate member of the Justice and Human Rights Committee, amongst others. He sent this memo to constituents who were upset about the CHRC, mentioning the government's motion to convene a Justice Committee investigation into the abuses of the CHRC, and asking constituents to contact the rest of the committee to support that investigation. He writes:

Personally, I am in support of Mr. Dykstra's motion, and I ask that you forward your comments to the members of the Justice Committee, who will be voting on this motion.

Neither Williams nor Casson could be described as "wild-eyed" MPs. Words like "deliberate" and "understated" and "considered" come to mind. The fact that each of them has seen fit to criticize the CHRC, that Williams has favourably reviewed Kay's dramatic Op-Ed, and that Casson is actually directed voters to lobby the Justice Committee, is all the more encouraging.

Reforming -- or even abolishing -- the CHRC is no longer a radical idea when men like Williams and Casson say what they've said this month.

Summer is a slow time in politics. But the CHRC's infamy is well-enough publicized that it's now become conventional wisdom.

UPDATE: I forgot to invite you to send a note of encouragement and support to these two men. You can e-mail John Williams here, and e-mail Rick Casson here. And if your MP hasn't weighed in on this matter yet, you can reach him or her using this directory.