A sa国际传媒淪tar Treksa国际传媒� fan who had to give up a personalized licence plate says the Manitoba government is acting like a villain on the science fiction series.
Nick Troller is heading to court next month to try to regain his licence plate that bears the message sa国际传媒淎SIMIL8.sa国际传媒�
It was confiscated in April by the Crown-owned Manitoba Public Insurance after two Indigenous people complained the word sa国际传媒渁ssimilatesa国际传媒� is offensive because of the long history of government assimilation policies.
But Troller says his plate refers to the catchphrase sa国际传媒測ou will be assimilatedsa国际传媒檚a国际传媒� that is used on sa国际传媒淪tar Trek: The Next Generationsa国际传媒� by aliens called the Borg, who absorb their enemies into a hive-like collective.
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In an affidavit, Troller says he is being assimilated by the government bureaucracy and losing his freedom of expression.
sa国际传媒淭he irony of the rescission of my freedom of expression is not lost on me: I have been assimilated by the bureaucratic machine. The individualized expression on the plate has been subsumed and erased,sa国际传媒� Trollersa国际传媒檚 affidavit reads.
sa国际传媒淟ike the Borg, MPI is vastly more powerful than I. And like the Borg, it feels no need to explain itself to the people in its path when it suddenly reverses course.sa国际传媒�
In his affidavit, Troller says his licence plate was clearly tied to the sa国际传媒淪tar Treksa国际传媒� series. It was in a frame that contained other phrases from the Borg including sa国际传媒淩esistance is futilesa国际传媒� and sa国际传媒淲e are the Borg.sa国际传媒�
Manitoba Public Insurance has not yet filed a response to the legal action, but has previously said that it retains the right to recall plates that might be considered offensive.
sa国际传媒淭he corporationsa国际传媒檚 position in this matter was clearly stated in the letter to the customer. With legal proceedings impending, Manitoba Public Insurance respectfully has no further comment to provide,sa国际传媒� spokesperson Brian Smiley wrote in an email Monday.
According to MPIsa国际传媒檚 policy, licence plates cansa国际传媒檛 contain words, phrases or innuendoes that sa国际传媒渕ay be considered offensive.sa国际传媒� Even after they are issued, the plates can be recalled since they are the property of the Crown.
Trollersa国际传媒檚 case is similar to a legal battle over a personalized licence plate in Nova Scotia.
Lorne Grabher had his plate with the text sa国际传媒淕RABHERsa国际传媒� his last name, revoked after it was deemed offensive to women.
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Both Grabher and Troller are being supported in their court cases by the Calgary-based non-profit Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms.
In its court application, Trollersa国际传媒檚 lawyer says the revocation of the licence plate contravenes the freedom of expression under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
An initial court hearing on the matter is scheduled for Aug. 16.
Steve Lambert, The Canadian Press
