Summer Jobs Program: Government drops ‘values test’
(Staff) FAITH-BASED GROUPS and businesses – Muslim, Christian and Jewish – as well as civil liberties organizations are cautiously optimistic about the federal government’s overhaul of its summer jobs attestation, saying it addresses the biggest problems that prevented many organizations from signing it in 2018.Service Canada rejected more than 1,500 summer jobs applications last year over incomplete attestations, while many other religious groups and charities declined to even apply. This affected thousands of young people.
The new attestation drops much of the controversial language from the 2018 version, which required applicants to attest that their “core mandate” respects abortion rights. Hundreds of religious organizations argued they couldn’t sign such a statement because it violated their beliefs, despite the government’s insistence it only referred to activities.
Over the past few months the government held consultations with faith-based groups to develop the language for this year’s edition.
“Our primary concern with last year’s attestation was that it was, in effect, a values test,” said Julia Beazley, public policy director with the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada. “And that values test was an infringement on the Charter-guaranteed freedoms of conscience, thought, belief, opinion and expression. While there are still restrictions on the kinds of jobs or activities that can be funded under the 2019 program, the values test is gone.”
In the 2019 guidelines, there are limits on the kinds of activities that will receive funding. For example, student jobs that “advocate intolerance, discrimination and/or prejudice; or actively work to undermine or restrict a woman’s access to sexual and reproductive health services” will not be eligible.
Although the word “undermine” is vague and may need clarification, the EFC believes it is a significant improvement that the restrictions are limited to the student employment activities rather than the values of the employers.
The Canadian Council of Christian Charities, another large umbrella organization that represented many groups who protested last year’s attestation, said it is “pleased that the federal government has removed the problematic 2018 values language.”
“We are, therefore, encouraging all our members to apply for the 2019 Canada Summer Jobs program,” it said. “Any projects that the government does not fund, we will work with our members to find out why they were denied, and we will assist them in any way we can to ensure they receive a favourable response from this program.”
Cardus, a faith-based think tank that works on religious freedom issues, also welcomed the changes. “There is still the potential for problems, however, with the new eligibility criteria,” said executive vice-president Ray Pennings, who argued it still contained “opaque wording subject to interpretation by the government of the day behind closed doors.”
There are at least nine ongoing Federal Court challenges over last year’s summer jobs attestation. A hearing is scheduled for Dec. 13 to determine whether most of them should be paused while the first one – a challenge from the Toronto Right to Life Association – is resolved.
There are other key changes to the CSJ program: it is now open to all young Canadians, ages 15 to 30, not just students, and the funding will be accessible throughout the year. CSJ-funded jobs will be posted online to make them easier to locate. TAP
–Sources: National Post & EFC
