Chris Selley: The federal leaders are all pretty appalling on Bill 21

With their cynicism, the party leaders have diminished any credibility Canada might have internationally in promoting religious freedoms or other minority rights

https://nationalpost.com/news/politics/election-2019/chris-selley-the-federal-leaders-are-all-pretty-appalling-on-bill-21?fbclid=IwAR3TJkf_NEsy1WxKe31VNfcf-uNM9JWl8EBqBRwYpUt3tZcbaBH-RakJQxQ
QUEBEC CITY — From a civil libertarian standpoint, the federal party leaders’ positions on Bill 21, Quebec’s new restrictions on certain civil servants’ attire, are all pretty appalling. The Liberals and Justin Trudeau could lay dubious claim to the most stringent opposition — they have “left the door open” to intervening in court challenges — but only if they did so quietly. Instead they boast of it just like it’s something for the self-styled “party of the Charter” to be proud of. Trudeau criticizing turban-wearing NDP leader Jagmeet Singh for his position during the English-language leaders’ debate was one of the more jaw-dropping moments in a campaign that has wanted for many things, but never chutzpah.

But then, Singh’s position — “door closed” until it reaches the Supreme Court, at which an NDP government would “look at” intervention” — makes him impossible to defend, especially since he derides the idea of earlier intervention as “political interference.” One wonders how would he describe a bunch of politicians telling teachers and police officers what to wear.