- How should we think about freedom and the role of our government and the hard life and death choices we all face?

- We need to start thinking about it.

And we can't think that the government is gonna give us the answers.

These are questions that are happening around kitchen tables, around school cafeterias, in classrooms, in doctor's offices.

We need to start figuring out that this is something that all of us care about.

- Some of us have been thinking about it our whole lives because our people have never had it.

Those people can be Indigenous, Black, women, trans folks, children (chuckles), who often aren't even counted in these conversations.

Some of us have been thinking about freedom forever.

And what we have been convinced of, unfortunately, is that this country seems to be determined to answer us in the negative.

And so, yes, we need to decide if we're going to take freedom seriously.

And I'm hoping that some people catch up to recognizing that the answer being yes means letting go of the attempts to try to control other people.

(people clapping) - Well, my views are, A, we're gonna have some disagreements about the nature of freedom, who grants it to us, who gives us our rights?

Some people will always believe that our rights are derived from government.

I happen to believe our rights are derived from God.

And I think when you have a faith system that teaches you where your rights come from or what immutable traits or immutable truths are, you're inevitably gonna have some disagreements with your fellow citizens.

Why are we free?

And it's not because government or a piece of paper told us we are, it's because we're all God's children, that's my personal view.

- It's really interesting to have these conversations about freedom because in Canada, there is no abortion law.

It is not legal.

It is not illegal.

And it turns out, that works just fine, that the abortion rate is not higher.

It turns out that not having a law works great.

Isn't that the definition of freedom, not having a law?

- Well, it comes down to who counts.

Who counts under our laws?

When we think about something like abortion, my contention is that life is precious and the circumstances, which may be horrible in some cases, we have to have compassion and help those in those difficult situations.

But we don't create more victims.

And it starts by recognizing that every human person deserves that shot at life.

- Look, I think difficult decisions, many of 'em we've had these heart-wrenching decisions, shouldn't be made by the government.

Should be made by the woman in consultation with her family, her faith, if she so chooses.

My freedom and your freedom may be different.

I don't think it's government that grants it, but I think the government has to protect it.