Published in National Post December 11, 2018

Barry W. Bussey

“What we heard from faith-based groups,” explained Labour Minister Patty Hajdu, as reported by Maclean’s on Dec. 6, 2018, “is that they want to be very clear that this isn’t a judgement about what they believe.” She continued by saying, “I think we’ve managed to do that. The application is very clear that this is about projects and activities, it’s not about faiths and beliefs.”

Good.

I am happy to see that the government finally listened and responded to the concerns of the faith communities across Canada who revolted against the government’s attestation requirement in the Canada Summer Jobs (CSJ) application. That’s the program that grants funding to charities and small businesses to hire students in the summer months. It allows young people not only to make money but to gain valuable work experience. Last year, the wording on the application demanded fealty to the government’s worldview in exchange for funding.

Read more online