Defend Democratic Rights

We have a huge readership on this website and on our facebook page; that's why this work is so important. If you can, please help us reach more people by donating to keep this website online and to help us reach many more people.

But we have met serious opposition. The RCMP has arrested hundreds of protestors and Trans Mountain sued key organizers for speaking out. To help make change possible we must defend democratic rights. We take civil and political rights for granted because many believe that freedom of expression and assembly and access to information are protected in Canada. We assume that sharing information and standing up against the assault on the environment are protected by the Canadian Constitution and Charter of Rights and Freedom, but they are not. One of our members, Alan Dutton, was sued by Kinder Morgan for $5.4 million for simply administering this facebook page and appearing in the mainstream media. Our rights are under assault by large corporations - some based in Texas - and he still owes legal fees for his defense. Read more about SLAPP suits and your rights at www.stopslappsuits.ca

Working with MLAs Jane Shin and Leonard Krog, the NDP Justice critic, legislation to defend democratic rights was introduced in British Columbia in May 2015. Shortly after, with Jane Shin we invited MLAs David Eby, Bruce Ralston, Leonard Krog, and lawyer Neil Chantler of Chantler and Co., to discuss the Bill. When time was allowed to run out by the Liberal government of the time, we continued lobbying for a more effective Bill and when the NDP formed government with the support of the BC Greens, the new Attorney General of BC, David Eby, introduced a new Bill in 2018 to be debated in the Fall. West Coast Environmental Law, BC Civil Liberties Association, Greenpeace, and other groups and individuals are now working together to have legislation to protect public participation passed into law! Read more about SLAPPs and what we are calling for at www.stopslappsuits.ca.

But we have a larger plan we hope you will support. The federal government signed the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, yet never implemented protections across the country. Ontario and Quebec already have legislation to protect democratic rights from the corporate assault. However, the rest of the country does not and we must fight to have protections against frivolous lawsuits to stop protests adopted throughout the country to support the right to free speech, freedom to access information and freedom of assembly. If you see the need, please help us by donating; however large or small we need financial support to carry on the work of reaching people and lobbying for change. Your help and support is necessary to protect whatever democratic rights former radicals were able to gain. We can’t afford to let corporations win the battle to undermine civil and political rights.

If you have any question, you can email Burnaby Pipeline Watch at info@burnabypiplinewatch.ca or write to Alan at 268-4111 Hastings Street, Burnaby BC.