Canadian pol demands rural Net access as a 'human right'

Internet access is a human right! So argues Canadian Tory candidate Jack Carr, who has filed a complaint with the New Brunswick Human Rights Commission over the lack of Net in rural parts of the province, the Daily Gleaner reports.

"It is not fair that thousands of households in New Brunswick are going without," said Carr on Thursday. "People's only option is to pay hundreds of dollars for satellite Internet, which is not fair when in some cases the family down the street can pay the basic fee through Aliant and Rogers."

Carr's theory that this a human rights abuse: The province's law denies discrimination based on place of origin.

A political stunt, charged New Brunswick Minister Greg Byrne. And "very transparent" at that. But Carr's opponent, Liberal Debbie McCann, praised Carr for bringing the issue forward.

Rural New Brunswickers needs this. It is a real issue with me. I am very, very passionate about that.

But a human rights complaint is probably not the way to go, she added.