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I think it's bad for our political system if use of the notwithstanding clause becomes normalized. Governments can use it to suspend sections 2 and 7-15 of the Charter, which means it has a very strong potential for misuse.
I don't know if you're Canadian or if you remember in April 2021 when the Ford government essentially locked people in their houses for two days as they panicked to come up with a "strong" response to the spring COVID wave. This isn't the first time they've abused their powers in some hasty overreaction (or just trying to avoid the natural messiness of governance). I'd really prefer it not to become a regular thing
I totally agree about the abuse of power. I loathed the lockdowns and everyone's unthinking compliance, and got yelled at by strangers for taking my kids to the park during those first few weeks.
I still think the province didn't exactly "back down" in this instance. And following your point, to the extent that they further normalized the use of the notwithstanding clause, they gained power.
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