Slide Deck 2 Rights and Responsibilities Discussion What

Slide Deck 2: Rights and Responsibilities

Discussion What are ‘rights’? What rights and freedoms do we have in Canada?

Rights A right is legal entitlement -- something that we are morally or legally allowed to do or have. In a democracy, citizen rights and freedoms are protected, which means they are written down in a legal document (bill of rights). If your rights are violated, you can complain.

Rights are often fought for (through protests) and claimed (in courts or even violently) and less often simply granted.

Discussion • Have you ever had to argue for a privilege at home or in school? Were you successful? If so, how? • Have you seen a film or TV show about a group of people that were fighting to gain certain rights? • • Which right(s) were they arguing for? How did they make their case? Were they successful? How long did it take?

Rights and Freedoms in Canada • The Canadian Bill of Rights (1960) was the first written expression of human rights law at the national level, but it was not part of the Constitution. • Our rights and freedoms are now protected at both the provincial and national level by the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, a part of the Constitution Act, 1982 that was signed by Queen Elizabeth II

The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms The Charter has seven categories that define our rights as Canadians: • Fundamental freedoms • Democratic rights • Mobility rights • Legal rights • Equality rights • Official languages of Canada • Minority language education rights

Fundamental freedoms Freedom of religion (to pray & worship in your own way) Freedom of thought (to form your own opinion) Freedom of expression (to express your opinion freely) Freedom of the press (to report on all matters) Freedom of peaceful assembly (to gather and protest respectfully) • Freedom of association (to meet and associate with others) • • •

Democratic Rights If you are a Canadian citizen and 18 years old, you can… • vote in elections • compete for the job of a politician Other rules: • Governments must have elections every five years or less • Elected governments must meet at least once every year

Women’s Suffrage in Canada • Initially, only men who owned property could vote in Canada • Women eventually gained the right to vote (suffrage) after years of campaigning and protests • In April 1917, British Columbia passed a law that allowed women to vote in provincial elections • By 1918, women across Canada had nearly the same voting rights as men in federal elections and they gained the right to run for federal office in 1919 • However, these voting rights did not apply to all women (certain ethnic and racial groups were still not allowed to vote)

Universal Suffrage • Men and women of several ethnic and racial minorities, such as Canadians of Chinese and Japanese origin and Indigenous peoples, were unable to vote for many years • Limitations for various ethnic and religious groups were not removed until 1960 • Universal suffrage is the expansion of the right to vote to all adult citizens

Discussion Are there any groups today who still feel it is necessary to protest for equal treatment? Do you think protesting is effective?

Discussion What is a responsibility? What are some examples of responsibilities you have?

Responsibilities in a democracy • A responsibility is a duty, obligation or an expectation of how you should act. • It is the responsibility of all Canadians to respect and follow the rules outlined in the Constitution. • Citizens have the right to vote and the responsibility to cast a ballot and to make an informed decision.

Voter Turnout • Voter turnout is the percentage of eligible voters who cast a ballot during an election • Voter turnout across Canada has declined since the late 1980 s/early 1990 s • In the 2017 British Columbia provincial election, only 57. 7 per cent of eligible voters cast a ballot • Young voters are less likely to vote than older voters (56% vs 75%)

Provincial Voter Turnout Year Voter Turnout 1983 70. 5% 1986 65. 8% 70% 1991 64. 0% 65% 1996 55. 4% 2001 58. 2% 2005 50. 1% 55% 2009 69. 2% 50% 2013 55. 3% 2017 57. 7% 80% 75% 60% 45% 1986 1991 1996 2001 2005 Voter Turnout 2009 2013 2017

Discussion • Why do you think fewer people are voting? • Do you think it is disrespectful to those who fought for the right to vote? • Are there legitimate reasons to not vote?