What We Need & What You Get
CCF is a non-profit and charitable organization. The people we work with are volunteering their services. All of the money we receive will go towards the support fees inherent in participating in the legal process and helping Gerard fight this challenge.
And because CCF is a registered charity, donations are tax deductible*. As of August 13, 2015 you MUST leave a mailing address, email address and your full name in order to receive a tax receipt. If any of these are left out, we cannot issue you a receipt.
Our initial campaign goal of $20,000 won't cover all of our costs (even with our lawyers volunteering), but the money will help pay for:
- Filing Fees
- Document review costs
- Expert response reports
- Flying in constitutional experts (these laws are so old we need to dig up an expert from England)
- Record procurement
- Transcripts (if it goes to appeal)
* Due to the regulations surrounding charity law, tax-deductible donations are only available for the donation minus the value of any campaign 'perk' we may be offering. For this reason, our perks are small or symbolic as we try to raise money for this legal case.
Perks
And while fixing broken laws offers its own rewards, we thought we'd honour your contribution with a memento as outrageous as our most outdated laws, ie:
-
The "Free Beer" pins your backpack is dying for
Canada Post issued stamps
A courtroom sketch of you, drawn with your choice of innocent or guilty look
The Impact
Gerard Comeau and the CCF are fighting for a stronger interpretation of s. 121 of our constitution.
“121. All Articles of the Growth, Produce, or Manufacture of any one of the Provinces shall, from and after the Union, be admitted free into each of the other Provinces.”
Success in this challenge for Gerard could mean a lot more than a new era in booze runs. It could mean a new era in Canadian commerce. A broader application of s. 121 from this case gives Canadians a stronger legal bulwark against all kinds of government meddling. And though we are challenging a law in New Brunswick, we are challenging it with a constitutional argument that can have a wide-reaching effect across the country.
“If Gerard wins, similar cases are almost certain to follow Canada-wide,” said CCF Executive Director Marni Soupcoff.
These protectionist laws benefit government monopoly sales agencies while constraining private businesses and citizens. Government alcohol agencies determine what products are bought and sold and at what price. There are billions of dollars at stake for the provincial governments. It’s almost guaranteed that they will try to defend their monopoly through all possible avenues of appeal. As the CCF presents Gerard’s case, every province will be watching.
A win for Gerard will be a win for all consumers – more choice, more freedom.
Read more about this case on our website.
About Us
The Canadian Constitution Foundation (CCF) is a registered charity, independent and non-partisan. We defend the constitutional rights and freedoms of Canadians in the courts of law and public opinion.
Through education and litigation, the CCF supports:
Individual freedom – the “fundamental freedoms” in section 2 of the Charter: freedom of association; freedom of peaceful assembly; freedom of conscience and religion; freedom of thought, belief, opinion and expression.
Economic liberty: the right to earn a living and to own and enjoy property
Equality before the law: Section 15 of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms guarantees equal rights and equal opportunities for all Canadians, special privileges for none.
To learn more about our work please visit us on line at
www.theccf.ca
Other Ways You Can Help
If you can't contribute financially, but believe in the spirit of the case:
- Help us get the word out. Talk about it over a beer.
- Have any social or traditional media clout? Express your freedom and write about the case or the campaign.
And that's all there is to it.
