Churchill Debate

TORONTO. The Hart House Debates Committee at the University of Toronto is holding a formal debate on the resolution "Be it resolved that the 'notwithstanding' clause should be removed from the Charter of Rights and Freedoms." On Monday April 23rd, at 7:30 PM in the Debates Room. The guest speaker will be Andrew Coyne, the national affairs columnist for The National Post.

Should politicians have the power to override court decisions by having the final word on the Charter of Rights and Freedoms in certain circumstances? With the 25th anniversary of the charter approaching, it's time to question the controversial "notwithstanding" clause in the Constitution. Former prime minister Paul Martin, during the last federal election campaign, stunned his own cabinet by announcing he'd abolish the clause because he said prime ministers should not be able to "cherry pick" rights. Join Andrew Coyne and the Hart House Debaters as they explore this topic.

Andrew Coyne is national affairs columnist for The National Post. Raised in Winnipeg, Mr. Coyne graduated with a B.A. in Economics and History from the University of Toronto and a Master's degree from the London School of Economics. He has been an editorial writer and columnist for The Financial Post, The Globe and Mail, and the Southam newspaper chain. His work has also appeared in a number of other publications in Canada and abroad, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The National Review, Time, and Saturday Night. On television, he is seen regularly on CBC's The National, TVO's The Agenda and other programs, and was a co-host of the CBC public affairs show Face-Off. He is the winner of two National Newspaper Awards and the Hyman Solomon Award for Excellence in Public Policy Journalism. He can be read online at andrewcoyne.com.

Since 1924 Hart House Formal Debates have been the premier forum of debate and discussion at the University of Toronto. The Debates are led off by some of the best student debaters at the university. Several members of the audience will also have the opportunity to speak on both sides of the issue. The debates conclude with a prominent guest speaker providing their perspective on the resolution. Past guests have included politicians, activists, journalists and academics such as Dr. Henry Morgentaler, John F. Kennedy, Tommy Douglas, Joe Clark, John Polanyi, and William Lyon Mackenzie King. The debates are often lively, always free, and open to the general public.

WHAT: Churchill Debate on the notwithstanding clause

WHEN: Monday, April 23rd, 7:30 PM

WHERE: The Debates Room, Hart House, 7 Hart House Circle.

COST: Free.

CONTACT: Lisa Chambers, Programme Advisor (416-946- 8391 or lisa.chambers@utoronto.ca)