With growing criticisms of the hateful speech of Charles McVety, President of the Canada Christian College (CCC), an NDP motion opposing efforts to grant CCC University status passed yesterday. CUPE Ontario is now calling on the Conservative party to respect the vote and immediately move to prevent the CCC from becoming an accredited University.
“This government’s job is to keep people safe – not to legislate hate,” said Fred Hahn, President of CUPE Ontario. “The Ford Conservatives should be thankful that the NDP passed this motion and gave it a second chance to do the right thing. Now they just have to respect the will of the legislature, even if they disagree.”
The union is specifically calling on the government to withdraw the section of Bill 213, Better for People, Smarter for Business Act, 2020, which grants the college University status. Failing to do so, says CUPE Ontario, would mean giving a private for-profit institution, run by McVety, a long-time supporter of Premier Ford with a history of homophobia, transphobia, and Islamophobia, a bigger platform.
This comes amid reports that McVety and the college either donated or rented meeting and event space to Ford’s leadership campaign, a move which not reported in Ford’s financial returns.
“Ford’s always telling us that he’s here for us, or that he’ll do whatever’s necessary, or that we’re not alone,” said Hahn. “How can we believe him? Backroom deals that privatize our public education system and give legitimacy and a platform to homophobia, transphobia, and racism isn’t how a leader proves we’re in this together. Now’s the time to make sure that McVety’s college stays a college.”
