Politalk.ca

I am a former Conservative MP and my objection transcends partisan politics. I wasn’t defending Carney or his party. I was defending the Office of the Prime Minister itself.

This protester wouldn’t target a 60-year-old Ottawa father named “Carney” if he weren’t Prime Minister. He was degrading our nation’s highest office using hallowed public space. This distinction matters for democracy’s health.

I champion free expression and founded the Canadian Constitution Foundation to defend Charter rights. In 2022, the Foundation successfully defended a homeowner’s right to display a “F— Trudeau” banner on her private property against municipal bylaws. While crass, and in my opinion an ineffective way to conduct political discourse, such expression on private property may be protected.

But rights come with responsibilities and limits. The right to profane expression stops at our most symbolic public spaces. The Prime Minister’s Office at 80 Wellington St. isn’t just any building. It’s a National Historic Site and Classified Federal Heritage Building, representing 140 years of Canadian history and governance.