Milton council supports legal challenge against Quebec’s Bill 21, but will not be providing funds
Published February 10, 2022 at 11:44 am
While several Canadian municipalities have made monetary donations to help pay for a legal challenge against Quebec’s controversial Bill 21, Milton council won’t be providing any funds even though it supports the legal fight.
Quebec’s Bill 21 prohibits public workers in positions of “authority” from wearing religious symbols, specifically while they are on duty.
The motion was brought forth by Councillor Sameera Ali and seconded by Councillor Zeeshan Hamid.
At the meeting, Council also discussed an application from the Muslim Advisory Council of Canada’s Tabassum Wyne in regards to making amendments to the Bill 21 motion.
The application noted that the Muslim Advisory Council of Canada had petitioned the residents of Halton Region and had gained over 2,000 signatories.
The application called on the Town of Milton and Halton Region to “support the community outreach, awareness and advocacy of the Muslim Advisory Council of Canada and community impact on its residents against the discrimination of freedom of religion in Quebec’s Bill 21.”
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Additionally, the application called on the Town of Milton and Halton Region to commit and advocate to the Halton Region to provide funding from the Halton Community Investment Fund to the Muslim Advisory Council of Canada.
At the meeting, Ali described the bill as “textbook discrimination” and while several councillors emphasized that they did not support Bill 21, several of them, as well as Mayor Gordon Krantz voted not to provide funds.
Following the meeting, Councillor Ali took to Twitter to share the news.
“I am happy that we had a thoughtful discussion and a good debate on the matter and stand united in denouncing discrimination against marginalized communities,” she wrote.