Plante Issue: Who Will Stand Up For Freedom?

08/27/2025

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Let us raise up a temple
To the cult of mediocrity,
Do nothing by halves
Which can be done by quarters.

F. R. Scott, poet, CCF-NDP politician, constitutional scholar, from the poem W.L.M.K.

Count on our questionable city council to come up with a compromise on a topic as important as freedom of expression.

Politicians indeed.

Council accepts the integrity commissioners report relying on the vague term “body of evidence” concerning the deportment of Rideau-Vanier Councillor Stephanie Plante but refuses to fine her. Compromise on everything. Do nothing by halves that can be done by quarters.

Essentially then what council did was shame Plante and for what? A vigorous defence of sprung structures for refugees? We know the sprung structures were not popular but this is a bit much. Maybe councillors are not allowed to use satire. How long will it be before no one can use satire? Cancel culture in full bloom.

Just because we don’t like what a person says doesn’t mean they don’t have a right to say it. Not everything is nice and politically correct nor should it be. Protest is a legitimate right. And protest is often, and correctly, not always nice.

When political correctness begins to interfere with freedom of expression, we need to rethink our values.

People might not agree with Plante but we should allow her a vigorous defence of her position.

City council did not think through the implications of its decision. Its mindset was politics and to offend as few people as possible.

Who will stand up for freedom of expression in a world of cancel, compromise and political correctness?

Ken Gray