This release was issued under a previous government.

“In many parts of the world today, we see the erosion of citizens’ rights, often those of minorities. We see rising authoritarianism, compromised elections, fundamental rights ignored, laws overridden, critics attacked for their views and members of the news media killed for doing their jobs.

“As citizens of a free country, we recognize that a healthy and vigorous democracy is simply the greatest guarantee of freedom, justice, security and prosperity for our world, today and in the future. Democracy matters, and our quality of life depends on it.

“We all have a responsibility to protect and promote democracy throughout our society. We do so by proudly exercising our right to vote, and by joining the political process as candidates, campaign workers and volunteers.

“We can also do so by fighting to maintain and protect our democratic institutions, the Charter of Rights and Freedoms that we hold dear as Canadians, the integrity of our legal systems and the freedom of our press.

“Please join me in observing the United Nations’ International Day of Democracy by resolving to defend democratic rights for all, in Alberta, Canada and beyond. Democracy is the most generous of human aspirations: the more firmly we seek it for others, the more surely we achieve it for ourselves.”