Is the anniversary of the Charter worth celebrating?

Prime Minister Stephen Harper says his government isn't celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms because of "divisions" surrounding the patriation of the Constitution.

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper speaks during a news conference after the closing of the Summit of the Americas in Cartagena, Colombia, on Sunday. (Adrian Wyld/Canadian Press)The prime minister was asked during a trip to Chile what he thinks of the charter and why his government isn't marking it in some way.

"In terms of the anniversary, the charter was an important step forward in the development of Canadian rights policy, a process that began in earnest with (Conservative prime minister) John Diefenbaker's Bill of Rights in 1960, so it's a little over 50 years old," Harper said.

"In terms of this as an anniversary, I think it's an interesting and important step, but I would point out that the charter remains inextricably linked to the patriation of the Constitution and the divisions around that matter, which as you know are still very real in some parts of the country," Harper said.

The Liberals plan to celebrate the charter's 30th anniversary with a full slate of events on Tuesday. The charter was entrenched in the Constitution under former Liberal prime minister Pierre Trudeau.

The faculty of law class of 2012 at the University of Windsor has created a website called The Charter Project to mark the anniversary and celebrate its guarantees of fundamental human rights.



Is the 30th anniversary of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms worth celebrating? What does the Charter mean to you? Let us know what you think in the comments below.



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