Whereas the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms provides that every person in Canada has the right to freedom of expression and freedom of peaceful assembly as part of a democratic nation; And whereas lawful protests provide citizens the opportunity to express views and grievances for government to respond to; And whereas individuals that are recruited and paid by organizations to protest on their behalf create a false perception of public opinion on matters of community interest: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM ask the provincial government to investigate and lobby for the prohibition of organizations paying individuals to protest of their behalf.
Ministry of Attorney General Government respects the rights of free expression and peaceful assembly and recognizes the fundamental role of these principles in our society. Under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, these rights are protected, but not absolute. The rights are subject to reasonable state limits that are appropriately tailored and proportionate. Government is not aware of problems involving paid protestors that would require legislative responses or other limits on the Charter rights described above. Evidence of any such problems would be required before Government could conduct an analysis of this topic. In addition to engaging with constitutional rights-related issues, this topic could require consideration of potential interactions with labour law, employment law, and the interests and impacts for Indigenous peoples, including Indigenous lands. Government is not currently engaged in an analysis of this issue and takes no position on the resolution.