Editing Constitutional Amendments (section)

== Constitution  Article 4 - MEMBERSHIP AND ASSOCIATE STATUS ==
Moved by Gene Balfour
*'''Delete''' Article 4 - MEMBERSHIP AND ASSOCIATE STATUS Section 1 and ignore any previously approved amendments to this section.
*'''Original''': Anyone who has signed the statement, “I'm for individual liberty,” and has paid current membership dues, shall be a “Member” of the Party.
* '''Replace with''': “1. These are the requirements to be a “Member” of the Party:<br>
a} Accept the Membership Statement, "I agree to promote, defend and protect the Libertarian Statement of Principles”<br>
b) Current membership dues have been paid.<br>
c) Adherence to the Party’s Standard of Conduct subject to enforcement of violations by the Ethics Committee.”--[[User:Gene|Gene]] 18:03, 13 August 2019 (EDT)

(i) '''Standard of Conduct'''” - Each member is expected to agree with and commit to the following: " As a (Member) (Member of the Executive Committee), I agree to conduct my relationships with the public and within the Ontario Libertarian Party in a respectful manner commensurate with the Libertarian Statement of Principles. I understand that my behaviour may be subject to sanctions by the Ethics Committee for consistent and repeated violations of the expected conduct. I understand that my rights and privileges as a (Member) (Executive Committee Member) may be temporarily or permanently curtailed according to the severity of my indiscretions and my station within the Party.” --[[User:Gene|Gene]] 19:26, 13 August 2019 (EDT)

(ii) '''Conduct Expectations''': "All OLP Members are expected to:
-  Refrain from swearing; 
-  Refrain from making personal attacks against others such as name-calling or false (unverifiable) accusations; 
-  Discuss ideas, not the alleged personal faults of others. 
-  ‘Agree to disagree’ in a respectful manner if no agreement can be reached.”--[[User:Gene|Gene]] 19:23, 13 August 2019 (EDT)

(iii) '''Serious Conduct Violations'''--[[User:Gene|Gene]] 19:23, 13 August 2019 (EDT)
"A serious Conduct violation occurs when the actions and/or behaviour of the alleged guilty party serve to harm or aggress against other(s) in a manner that
explicitly violates the Libertarian Statement of Principles and circumstances exist where reparations are not available or acceptable to the victim(s). The Ethics Committee shall restrict its deliberations regarding claims of this nature to the provisions of the Libertarian Statement of Principles". --[[User:Gene|Gene]] 19:23, 13 August 2019 (EDT)

'''Add''' '''new Article 4''' - MEMBERSHIP AND ASSOCIATE STATUS Section 5
Every OLP member can expect the following rights and privileges of OLP Membership. These cannot be restricted or revoked except in the event of an OLP Member being found guilty of an Ethics Complaint by an OLP Ethics Committee decision in response to an Ethics Violation Camplaint: 
a) The right to vote for Party Officials as per requirements set out in the OLP Constitution.
b) The right to be a candidate in elections for Party Official positions as per requirements set out in the OLP Constitution.
c) Access to any and all OLP wiki and social media assets,  and the ability to participate in the exchange of opinions and ideas with other OLP members on topics that pertain to Party business, politics, economics and political philosophy. 
d) Receipt of OLP publications such as the Quarterly Bulletin.
e) Notification of all official and sanctioned OLP events.
f)  Defence and protection from improper, aggressive and/or harmful acts from other OLP Members or Party Officials who find themselves in violation of the Standard of Conduct."--[[User:Gene|Gene]] 12:20, 14 August 2019 (EDT)
* '''Reason''': when a Member agrees to join the Party and pays membership fee, there is an implied contract and associated expectations between both parties. When one party fails to meet the expectations of the other, harm to the relationship often results. In the past, the OLP Officials sometimes  curtailed Member privileges claiming ‘just cause’ while the proof was sketchy at best and often based on rumour, gossip or  hurt feelings. The only recourse for a charged  OLP Member to seek justice has been the Ethics Committee. 
* '''Benefits of a Standard of Conduct''' are several. 
(i) It can be used to determine if an Ethics Claim has merit vis-a-vis the Statement of Principles,  or not. This can  prevent cases from taking up time and resources of the Ethics Committee unnecessarily when an Ethics Claim does not meet the required criteria as defined in our Statement of Principles. 
(ii) It is currently unclear to many OLP members (especially newcomers) as to what constitutes acceptable behaviour when engaging with other Members and the public in general. A Standard of Conduct can help in this regard.
(iii) If a Standard of Conduct  based upon our own Libertarian Statement of Principles, our Statement of Principles becomes a 'living document" rather than a statement on our website that is rarely visited. If Christians can refer to the Ten Commandments as there moral code, then certainly Libertarians can refer to the Statement of Principles as our moral guide in our personal affairs --[[User:Gene|Gene]] 12:20, 14 August 2019 (EDT)