Allan Blakeney

But more than anything else, I think that from a constitutional purist point of view, the genius and sophistication of putting that in, to the document and it's being part of the charter is that it asserts parliamentary sovereignty and it allows for that reality and that absolutely necessary freedom.

And as you've heard me a number of times, Josh say, one of the, let's say fathers of the charter, Alan Blakeney, who was Attorney General in Saskatchewan, also Premier of Saskatchewan, NDP Premier, was a very strong advocate for the Charter, but also a very strong advocate for the Notwithstanding Clause.

It was the necessary... thing for him that had to go in, you know, Peter Lougheed, and there were others.

And I've heard all the revisionist history about, oh, actually, you know, he wasn't really, and actually, everyone else didn't really agree.

Well, the point is that he's on the record, and many years later, as saying that the Charter does not create a hierarchy of rights.

And when the when a parliament, a legislature passes something and uses the notwithstanding clause, there are reasons for that.

And as he put it, Alan Blakeney, economic reasons, social reasons, which we've just been talking about, which for that legislature, you know, at that time is important for them from a democratic perspective to get over the line and it sunsets after five years and so do governments, so can governments sunset.

I think it's extremely important.

And we're going to hear another voice from the NDP right now, as a matter of fact.

We have a call out to Allan Blakeney, the leader of the opposition in Saskatchewan.

Hello, Mr. Blakeney.

Yes.