Foreign Minister Lawrence Cannon should resign (or be fired)

23 posts / 0 new

Thu, 2009-08-13 04:32

Diogenes

Look, we make up the rules around here

At the risk of being boring, here is another sad story of a Canadian with an arab name being abanonded by her country; and the shameful, callous behavoir of Foreign Minister Lawrence Cannon along with the embassies and high-commissions under his watch.

The Hon. Lawrence Cannon should do the honourable thing and resign. Failing that, he should be fired. This would happen in Britain. The press would be screaming for his head.

Suaad Hagi Mohamud, Aboufsian Abdelrazik. Maher Arar, Abdullah Almalki, Ahmad Elmaati, Muayyed Nureddin. Does anyone see a pattern here?

Cannon has called the shots. It's called Crown perogative in this country. Lately, Canada's justice system has corrected what seems to be systemic racism behavior by our government. Crown Perogative is in serious need of some new checks and balances.

Lawrence Cannon should resign.

Thu, 2009-08-13 10:26

Frmrsldr

I agree with you entirely. Do you think Lawrence Cannon (resign) and Harpo (fire) are just the kind of guys who will do that?

Now, of course, public opinion coming from the media and the Canadian people (not necessarily in that order) could propel them in that direction.

What is more frightening (however) the lack of concern from the government, the media, the public - all of the above?

Mon, 2009-08-17 06:10

Diogenes

Does anyone know of any calls for the resignation of Lawrence Cannon, either in the media or by any politician?

Mon, 2009-08-17 07:00

NDPP

no but don't expect anything productive or worthwhile from those quarters. False fronts on vacant lots..

Tue, 2009-08-18 08:38

johnpauljones

i agree that Canon is a problem and as i posted in another thread he is a symptom of a problem at dfait for the last 15 years or so. both the libs and the cons have blood on their hands. should canon resing only after we arrest and prosecute the libs who held the same positions in defait and implemented the same policies.

Thu, 2009-08-20 17:38

Diogenes

July 24 - No proof woman stranded in Kenya is Canadian: Cannon

Quote:

The federal government has found no proof that a woman stranded in Kenya because she didn't look like the photo on her Canadian passport is actually a Canadian citizen, Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon said Friday.

Aug 14 - Key minister goes M.I.A. as anger grows

Quote:

"Unfortunately, minister Cannon is not available for an interview," said spokeswoman Natalie Sarafian.

Aug 19 - Probe of Canadian's Kenyan ordeal to take weeks

Quote:

"We will wait for the report," Cannon said. "Once the report has been tabled, we will look at it and if there are recommendations - which I suspect there will be - we'll see how we put those recommendations in place."

I have one recommendation for Cannon and it's available immediately.

Thu, 2009-08-20 18:31

Lard Tunderin Jeezus Lard Tunderin Jeezus's picture

Just show me the petition, my signature will be there.

Thu, 2009-08-20 18:35

remind

Mine too!

Best start one Diogenes!

Fri, 2009-08-21 11:17

M. Spector M. Spector's picture

Add another name to the list.

[url=http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/681673]Where was embassy when Canadian was stuck in a Lebanese jail?[/url]

Quote:
The panic set in as [b]Faraz Siddiqui[/b] sat among the dejected prisoners in the Lebanese army prison in May, wondering if he would ever get out.

Some of his fellow inmates had been there for months, others for years.

The 24-year-old [b]Canadian citizen[/b], arrested for overstaying his work visa by 34 days, was nearing a week in the maximum-security jail.

His friends and family pleaded with the Canadian embassy in Beirut to intervene, to ensure he had access to a lawyer, was interrogated in a language he understood and to simply verify that Siddiqui was in fact a Canadian.

"All they had to do was vouch for me, to say, 'Yes, he is a Canadian,'" said Siddiqui, who had been in Lebanon for an internship with the United Nations. "And I would have been out of there that day. Instead, they said there was nothing they could do."

Fortunately for Siddiqui, his friends were able to hire a lawyer based in Lebanon who knew the system, and convinced the embassy to get involved.

"I was lucky I had people in Lebanon who could help me, " said Siddiqui, who arrived back in Canada at the end of May. "Otherwise, I would still be there . ... "

Siddiqui's ordeal is [b]yet another example of what appears to be a trend to limit assistance to Canadians stranded or in trouble overseas, especially if they are of colour, Muslim background or simply deemed not to be "Canadian enough."[/b]

Sun, 2009-08-23 08:53

#10

M. Spector M. Spector's picture

More names to add to the list:

Abdihakim Mohamed

25 years old, autistic, Canadian citizen denied a passport in 2006 by the Canadian government because they say he is an impostor. Stuck in Nairobi, Kenya.

Pavel Kulisek
43 years old, Czech-born Canadian citizen, has spent 17 months in a maximum-security jail in Mexico without trial and without any show of evidence. Canadian diplomats refuse to help.

Magali Castro-Gyr

50 years old, "is 10th-generation Canadian, descended from the Daniels who arrived in Quebec in 1624. She'd already gone through four passports when, after living abroad with her Swiss husband, she discovered she not only couldn't get passports for her two teenage boys, Julien and Brannen, but had lost her own citizenship. It's been an 18-year struggle, at a cost of over $30,000 and forcing a 2003 move out of Canada after the government offered her only immigrant status, requiring her to sign a gag order to boot. She declined. Finally last week, she was told a permanent passport is ready."

Quote:
Reflect on Brenda Martin's two years in a Mexican jail on a shaky money laundering conviction. Under a prisoner transfer agreement, Martin returned to Canada May 1, 2008 to serve her sentence, and was released from custody a week later.

William Sampson smeared the walls of his Saudi Arabian cell with his own excrement during 32 months in jail, tortured into confessing to crimes of terrorism and recanting only upon release in 2003. He saw Canadian diplomats as betrayers.

Abousfian Abdelrazik flew back to his family in Montreal in late June, after being stranded for six years in Sudan - including 20 months behind bars, where he was interrogated and tortured but never charged. Although a Canadian Federal Court judge expedited his return, he remains on the UN no-fly list and is still fighting to clear his name.

"I don't think (the Conservative government) values Canadian citizenship," says Liberal consular affairs critic MP Dan McTeague (Pickering-Scarborough East). "The moment you leave Canadian airspace, there's a complete reversal of who you are as a Canadian, and you're convicted by an Orwellian jury composed of cabinet.

"There is no form of accountability when it comes to consular services and it's a secret approach to helping Canadian citizens. Canada won't do what other countries do as a matter of course. Their attitude is, 'Throw them to the lions.' "
....
Other countries act differently. It's commonplace to witness Sweden, for example, pulling out all the stops to help Swedes abroad. It's rarely so for Canadians. In Mexico in the late 1990s, Canadian officials hurried to agree with a Mexican suicide verdict after a Canadian was found hanged in a jail cell. By the time the British consul proved the feat was logistically impossible, the body had been cremated.

[url=http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/684984]Toronto Star[/url]

Sun, 2009-08-23 12:03

#11

canuquetoo

Apparently, Ms. Mohamud refused to pay a bribe to Kenyan authorities to be allowed to board the aircraft. This resulted in her ordeal.

Is there the possibility of collusion between Kenyan authorities and domestic staff of the Canadian consulate? There have been many allegations of mischief afoot at various Canadian diplomatic posts by domestic hirelings who use their posts for personal gain.

Who is in charge of Canada's diplomatic efforts in Kenya and how much control do local employees have in decision making?

Sun, 2009-08-23 12:35

#12

Stockholm

I don't think Cannon can survive the next election regardless. He is one person who is likely to get wiped out as the federalist vote in Quebec moves back to the Liberals - and the fact that he has getting such bad publicity in the media as being such an incompetent minister won't help.

Cons
14,023
32.7%
CANNON, Lawrence
x

Lib
10,396
24.2%
DUNCAN MCMILLAN, Cindy

BQ
9,576
22.3%
TREMBLAY, Marius

NDP
6,616
15.4%
BRAULT, Céline

Grn
2,148
5.0%
SYLVESTRE, André

M-L
112
0.3%
LEGROS, Benoit

Tue, 2009-08-25 08:27

#13

Diogenes

Just to recap, Lawrence Cannon was the minister who dealt with Abdelrazik by refusing to grant him the emergency passport promised only two hours before he was set to leave. Federal Court Justice Zinn remarked ...

Quote:

Had it been necessary to determine whether the breach was done in bad faith, I would have had no hesitation making that finding on the basis of the record before me.

...

In short, the only basis for the denial of the passport was that the Minister had reached this opinion; there has been nothing offered and no attempt made to justify that opinion.

This is followed up by the Suaad Mohamud story, which goes beyond ridiculous! That it would take an application to Federal Court to get the government (read Lawrence Cannon) to do the job it was supposed to do.

On July 24 Cannon was quoted saying Suaad had provided inadequate proof of Canadian citizenship.

Now, after being proved wrong again, he has ordered an investigation, which may take a month and may not be made public. In the meantime, he is traveling the world and lending his support to selected hot air ballon events. The man does not get it. He is a racist. He is stupid. He deserves to be fired.

If Stephen Harper were to sack Cannon, he would look good (which I hate to see). But I am betting that Harper won't admit to a mistake and that Cannon will have to lose his seat in the next election.

Christie Blatchford, It's time to shine a light on those who turn a blind eye,

Paul Koring, Israel targets Palestian-Canadians

Should we start a new thread - Anyone But Cannon?

Tue, 2009-08-25 09:36

#14

Frmrsldr

Diogenes wrote:

If Stephen Harper were to sack Cannon, he would look good...

If Stephen Harper were to comply with the Federal Court order and request (the Obama White House) to repatriate Omar Khadr, he would look good. Harper is just like Lawrence Cannon: He is too ignorant and stubborn to do this.

It is time to get rid of the whole rotten stinking lot of (Reforma)Tories.

Wed, 2009-09-09 13:01

#15

Diogenes

An editorial in the Ottawa Citizen ...

Dereliction of duty

Quote:

Preposterously, Cannon accused Mohamud of not trying hard enough to prove her identity -- at the same time as his department refused her offer of a DNA test. He now seems to be standing by while his department apparently spreads rumours that the full truth is not known about her. This same ugly tactic was used against Maher Arar.

Cannon should make public the facts of Mohamud's case, apologize to her and then resign. Canadians are not safe under this minister.

Hear! Hear!

Sun, 2009-09-20 09:17

#16

Diogenes

Just to remind everyone on why Lawrence Cannon should never be elected again...

Ottawa spent $800,000 on Abdelrazik case, Paul Koring, Globe and Mail

and

Dear Abou: We changed our minds

Thu, 2009-09-24 12:01

#17

Diogenes

27 million more reasons why Lawrence Cannon should be fired.

Thu, 2009-09-24 12:23

#18

Lard Tunderin Jeezus Lard Tunderin Jeezus's picture

...that would be 24 million more reasons. Abelrazik is suing Cannon personally for the $3 million difference.

Go, Abousfian, go! Take the scumbag to the cleaners!

Sun, 2009-10-04 12:36

#19

Diogenes

I have been scouring the Hansard debates for the current session for any suggestion that it might be time for Lawrence Cannon to resign, or maybe re-assigned to a new ministry - Minister of State of Foreign Affairs (Litigation).

None so far. This puzzles me. It seems like fruit ripe for the picking.

The beauty of being sued is that you cannot comment on your shameful behavior when the matter is before the courts. Ask any lawyer.

See what Lawrence Cannon has to say here.

The beauty of being the Minister of Foreign Affairs is that you can appeal to the Supreme Court for any legal decision you don't like because you have very deep pockets. And since they are not your own pockets, that makes it even better.

More curiously, being incompetent, acting in bad faith, and exposing your employer to massive lawsuits because of your actions is apparently insufficient grounds for termination-with-cause.

Only in Canada you say? Pity. Over in England, they are forced to resign over dodgy expense accounts.

Thu, 2009-10-29 04:33

#20

Diogenes

So I posted here, and afterwards decided I was guilty of thread drift. I apologize for this, and at the risk of conflating the whole thing, I repeat myself:

It's a day late and a dollar short, but Irwin Cotler, former Liberal Justice Minister finally mentioned Abousfian Abdelrazik in the House of Commons. It was under Cotler's watch that Abdelrazik was initially detained, though Cotler probably had little to do with it at the time.

Hansard Debates, Sept 27

Cotler's remarks about recent court rulings against the government are on the mark. This conservative government has behaved horribly against certain Canadians citizens, and appears manifestly racist in this behavior. There is no good explanation for this.

Cotler calls for a judical inquiry to get at the truth.

Deepak Obhrai, Parlimentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs (ooh, la-di-da), serves up the standard slop on how this all started under the Liberals, and that the government cannot comment on a matter that is before the courts.

Lawrence Cannon, current Minister of Foreign Affairs, says nothing, probably because he already has 3 lawsuits to deal with and does not want more. He is a leading contender for the "loose cannon on deck" award. If such an award does not exit, now is the time.

Last week Cannon was in Libya, repairing the damage he caused when he mouthed off about giving Muammar al-Gaddafi a lecture if the Libyan leader camped overnight in Newfoundland. Caused a bit of a problem, eh?

What was it like to eat crow, Mr. Cannon? I've heard Libyan crow is pretty tough to swallow.

Tue, 2009-12-29 03:36

#21

Diogenes

The Canadian MSM never ceases to amaze (disgust) me...

Harper's winners and losers: the Tory team graded

Lawrence Cannon awarded an A-?

Cannon rarely speaks in the House of Commons anymore, probably because he is still awaiting surgery to have his foot removed from his mouth (you know how Canada's health system works).

I could review the reasons why CTV is off the mark here, but what's the point? Better to ask Void Robertson, he has all the answers.

Tue, 2010-10-12 17:20

#22

Diogenes

Cannon blames Ignatieff for Canada's UN vote loss

Bump!

But really - what is the point? It's never going to happen.

Wed, 2010-10-13 18:49

#23

Frmrsldr

That's par for the course. Cannon and his merry band of Cons have always acted like spoiled children when they don't get what they want, blaming everyone but themselves. It's also part of their Nixonian campaign to not only trump or defeat the Libs at every opportunity but to ultimately destroy the Liberal Party of Canada (which they see as their strongest opposition.)

Lawrence Cannon wrote:

I do not in any way see this as a repudiation of Canada's foreign policy. The principles underlying our foreign policy, such as freedom, democracy, respect for human rights and the rule of law, were the basis of all our decisions.

So, in other words, what he is saying is "Don't expect change in the Harper administration's foreign policy anytime soon."

Of the four principles of foreign policy, the only one where it can be seriously said the Cons lived up to was "the rule of law" principle.

The Harper administration is not a signatory to the U.N. Charter on Indigenous persons' rights, is not a signatory to the U.N. Charter on people around the world having the right to access to clean potable drinking water. Look at the Cons' dismal record both internationally and at home on the environment.

Look at the Harper administration's unwavering and unquestioning support for the state of Israel.

Canada's immoral, unjust and illegal war of aggression and occupation of Afghanistan explodes the myth that Canada is supporting the U.N. and 'contributing to international peace and security.'