That’s what Bill 42, the Election Amendment Act, amounts to. The law imposes extreme limits on organizations who want to talk about important issues such as climate change, health care, public schools, the Olympics, child care, transit, affordable housing, public private partnerships, and many more. From December of this year until the May, 2009 provincial election, these topics will be off limits.
Today, the BC Federation of Labour and seven affiliates including CUPE BC, launched a new website (http://www.justshutupbc.com/ ) and ad campaign targeting the BC Liberals’ election gag law. The website offers information on how the new law limits freedom of speech. It also encourages readers concerned about the new law to send an e-mail http://www.justshutupbc.com/take-action to Attorney-General Wally Oppal, Premier Gordon Campbell, NDP Leader Carole James and their own MLA to express opposition to Bill 42’s undemocratic restrictions on free speech in B.C.