"Clemency must be deserved" - Lawrence Cannon bucks UN plea and gives green light to execution of Canadians abroad

10 posts / 0 new

Fri, 2009-06-19 11:48

martin dufresne

Sorry, I haven't found a link to this news story in English so you'll have to live with the French version, from the LCN Network:

À Ottawa, une déclaration du ministre Lawrence Cannon fait réagir: le ministre des Affaires étrangères a indiqué lundi que la peine de mort était acceptable aux yeux du gouvernement canadien.

Monsieur Cannon réagissait au fait que les Nations unies ont demandé au Canada de revenir sur sa décision de ne plus demander systématiquement la clémence des Canadiens condamnés à la peine de mort à l'étranger. Le ministre a précisé que la clémence n'est pas une obligation et qu'elle doit nécessairement se mériter.

Les propos du ministre des Affaires étrangères ont notamment soulevé la colère d'Amnistie internationale, de la Ligue des droits et libertés et des partis d'opposition à Ottawa. Tous prédisent que les pays qui pratiquent la peine de mort vont utiliser la position du gouvernement canadien pour justifier leurs actes.

Sat, 2009-06-20 00:38

Frmrsldr

God, these ConservaNazis make me sick!

Sat, 2009-06-20 01:12

Debater

This is why I get angry when some people say there are no differences between the Liberals and the Conservatives - there definitely are. The Liberals do not support the death penalty whereas the Conservatives do.

Sat, 2009-06-20 01:20

Frmrsldr

Well, I wouldn't be so certain with this current incarnation of the LPC. Don't forget, in his books, dissertations, journals, interviews, speeches, etc., Iggy has argued in sympathy of the use of torture much as former U.S. Veep Dick Cheney. How loudly has Iggy spoken out against the torture of Omar Khadr, Abousfian Abdelrazik and other Canadians who were rendered abroad by our/their government?

Sat, 2009-06-20 01:28

Debater

I think it's time to let that one go. Ignatieff won't be supporting the death penalty as Liberal leader - it is against the party's philosophy. Bob Rae doesn't support it either, and he will be Foreign Affairs Minister if Ignatieff becomes PM.

Sat, 2009-06-20 07:16

Unionist

[url=http://www2.canada.com/topics/news/story.html?id=1675179][color=red]Here's an English version.[/color][/url] The Federal Court ordered the government last March I think to reinstate clemency efforts for Ronald Smith, and the government decided not to appeal. This statement by Cannon again shows not only their support for the death penalty but their cynical attitude toward the rule of law.

Sat, 2009-06-20 07:17

Unionist

Debater wrote:
Ignatieff won't be supporting the death penalty as Liberal leader - it is against the party's philosophy.

More to the point, it's against Ignatieff's philosophy, because once they're dead, it's no fun torturing them any more.

Sat, 2009-06-20 08:43

Frmrsldr

Ha, ha! Good one Unionist. Good Ol' "Thumbscrews" Count Ignasty, huh?

Sat, 2009-06-20 11:25

martin dufresne

Let's not miss the point that it's when people are outside the country, either living or deported there or bombed in their homes, for having voted the wrong way or been too soft on insurgents, that Harper and Iggy are fine with "deserved" consequences, up to and including death. We are not yet seeing any attempt to reestablish any official Parliament-endorsed death penalty on Canadian soil... unless you count the police forces virtually guaranteed unlimited defence support when they shoot or beat citizens to death (esp. Natives). So we liberals can say our hands are clean, no death penalty here, huff huff...

Sat, 2009-06-20 12:28

#10

remind

If anyone thinks that the Liberals would change this case by case policy once n power, they are blowing smoke. They would change nothing that the CPC have done, after all, they have voted with the CPC on 79 occasions now. If they were into making changes, and saw things differently, they would never have formed a on going coalition with the CPC.

And why in hell should we let Iggy's torture support go? It is as pertinent today, as when he came down with his sumations on it. Afterall, where is he on this issue, other than no where?

Quote:
Canada needs clear policy on torture

Thu 18 Jun 2009

Don Davies calls on Government to adopt Public Safety report on torture and rendition

OTTAWA – New Democratic Public Safety Critic Don Davies is calling on the Conservative Government to adopt recommendations from a Public Safety committee report tabled today, which calls on the government to implement a clear policy against using information obtained through torture, and sharing information with countries that practice torture.

The Review of the Findings and Recommendations Arising from the Iacobucci and O'Connor Inquiries also recommends that the government apologize and offer compensation to Abdullah Almalki, Ahmad Abou-Elmaati and Muayyed Nureddin, three Canadians who were detained and tortured in Syria and Egypt.

“As a member and Vice-Chair of the Public Safety Committee, I am proud of the role that New Democrats have played in pushing for this report to be adopted,” said Davies. “No one can undo the terrible wrongs that have been done to these men. But the government must recognize, apologize and offer compensation for its role in their detainment and torture. And it must take the necessary actions to ensure that no Canadian will ever suffer their same fate.”

The report recommends that the Government issue a clear statement that torture is not condoned under any circumstances, and that information sharing with countries who practice torture be prohibited.

“Canada should be a world leader in standing up for basic human rights, but New Democrat leader Jack Layton is the only national leader who has stated unequivocally that torture should not be condoned under any circumstances,” said Davies. “I call on Mr. Harper and Mr. Ignatieff to make their position clear, and add their voices to those who reject torture under all circumstances.”

http://www.ndp.ca/press/canada-needs-clear-policy-on-torture

Moreover, Iggy's positive stance on torture, as leader of the Liberals, directly discredits McTeague's words of: "bloodthirsty, revenge-seeking" in respect to the CPC.

Plus of course the unwaivering support of the Liberals for the CPC on every occasion, also discredits ANY Liberal calls against case by case review of those Canadians sentenced to death in other countries.