Aha. Just before the story broke that Morgentaler would be received into the Order of Canada, Rob Anders was forced to take a sign down from his office window. The sign read “Defend Life”–we blogged about it here and here. Amélie Crosson, Communications Advisor, Office of the Honourable Jim Munson, Senator, sent an email to everyone on the Hill (and their dogs, too) about how she felt offended by just how political the sign was, and don’t we deserve more, and our Parliament is not a frat house…bla, bla, bla.
Turns out there’s no policy against signs in windows. Writes Tom Wappel, MP, in the Hill Times:
I contacted the Speaker’s office, the Sergeant-at-Arms Office, Canadian Heritage, the House Accommodation Services Office, and the Conservative Whip’s Office. Guess what? There is no policy!
Since there are signs in numerous other windows which were there before Mr. Anders removed his, and which are still there (e.g. “Veterans for Obama ’08 in the Confederation Building), I wanted to know why Mr. Anders’ sign (“Defend Life”) had been singled out for attention and removal. It turns out it was because someone had complained about it.
Why? Since other signs remain in windows, it is clear that there have been no complaints about other signs. Thus the complaint has to be not about a sign in a window, but about a sign in a window which was assumed to be a pro-life sign in a window.
Well, I am proud to be pro-life. Being so is not a criminal offence (yet). Expressing my pro-life views is not illegal (yet). What can be more fundamental in the very seat of our democracy than our Charter-cherished rights to freedom of speech and freedom of expression?
So, I have borrowed Mr. Anders’ innocuous sign and put it in my window in East Block, and there it will stay.
I am also a lawyer and I respect the rule of law. When and if there is a written policy agreed upon, banning all signs from all windows, I shall remove my sign, but only after all other signs have been removed.
Kudos to Tom Wappel for putting the sign in his window.
by 
Brave? Uh ok.
Would this be the same Tom Wappel M.P who is a Liberal and who indicated on March 22, 2007 (only 4 mths after Stephane DION was elected as the new leader and now 16 mths ago) he would NOT stand in the next election? Would that not make him somewhat of a lame duck?
I suppose that bravery did not extend to leaving a party which no longer reflected his “family values” and no longer tolerated his stance on family issues. Of course “Bravery” is different from “Integrity” – which would have meant stepping down and depriving the Liberals of 1 more vote in the House of Commons.
Sorry, too little too late.
Unfortunately, there also may not be enough time for Mr Anders to recover from the operation he requires before Parliament resumes – spinal reconstruction.
I hope someone will communicate the fact that there is no policy against signs in the windows to this Communications Advisor to the Honourable Liberal Senator. And if there is no policy against signs in the windows on Parliament Hill why was Mr. Anders asked to take the sign down in the first place?
The people of Canada need politicians and political leaders with backbone to run this country.
I wish Mr. Anders a healthy and speedy recovery from his operation.
My final two words on this blog posting are “Defend Life.”