New Conservative Clemency Policy Put To The Test

Photo: Adrian Wyld, Canadian Press

According to the government of Canada website, Foreign Affairs recently announced that it would not be intervening in cases where Canadians have been sentenced to death outside of their jurisdiction, unless asked in writing to do so. The move was met with a mix of criticism and praise, particularly as many feel that Canada should not be interfering in the laws of countries who provide a fair trial.

Now that new policy should be put to the test with news that a Canadian businessman, Bashir Makhtal, will likely face execution in Ethiopia after being convicted on terrorism charges:

Makhtal, 40, of Toronto, is to be sentenced next week, but in the meantime, his supporters in Canada are urgently pressing the federal government to intervene in his case.

“The chances are high he will get the death penalty,” Said Maktal, the imprisoned man’s cousin, told the Citizen in an interview.

“This is the time we need the prime minister’s intervention.”

Maktal, who lives near Hamilton, said relatives in Ethiopia met with his cousin after the verdict was handed down and found him to be “very angry, very worried and very scared.”

There are all sorts of questions that need to be answered before the government gets involved in this case. Did Bashir Makhtal receive a fair trial, and was it proven beyond a reasonable doubt that he has ties to terrorism? Of interest, Transport Minister John Baird has taken a very active interest, something which should surprise detractors of the government who seem to believe that it has a bias against “brown-skinned Canadians”.

Mr.Baird believes that “there’s absolutely no evidence whatsoever” that Makhtal has committed a crime, and issued a statement to the press that Canada will be providing all consular assistance. While he didn’t specifically say whether they would ask for clemency in the event that Mr.Makhtal is sentenced to death, he hinted strongly that the government would.

“It is important not to speculate on the outcome, but I remain personally committed to doing all I can for Bashir once he is sentenced.”

If the government does ask for clemency, it would be based on a new subjective policy style in which the Conservative government solely determine who deserves it, and who does not. That troubles many people who feel that such issues should not be left at the discretion of politicians and bureaucrats. This case should certainly of great interest in determining to what lengths this new policy will be interpreted and, forgive the pun, executed.

And Then There Were None

Immigration Minister Jason Kenney has managed to impress me several times during his time in his current portfolio. He affirmed that Canadian values need to be more emphasized to new immigrants; he rightfully rejects the concept of asylum for American soldiers dodging their volunteer positions in the military; and he cut off funding to the Canadian Arab Federation for anti-Semitism, a move which has since been proven thoroughly justified. Most recently he made changes to visa restrictions for Mexican and Czech nationals who were disproportionately applying for asylum, despite the fact that very few would ever be approved. There was a lot of wailing and gnashing of teeth over the move, but the results are difficult to argue with:

There have been virtually no asylum claims from Czech or Mexican nationals in the two weeks since the federal government required them to obtain travel visas before visiting Canada, Immigration Minister Jason Kenney said Wednesday.

On July 13, the Conservative government announced it was imposing the new visa requirement on the two countries because they are the two top sources of refugee claims, many of which turn out to be unwarranted.

In an interview with CTV’s Ottawa Bureau Chief Robert Fife before a Conservative caucus meeting in Ottawa, Kenney said Canada has received only one refugee claim from the two countries since a 48-hour grace period ended on July 15.

“I think this is working. It’s allowing the legitimate visitors to come and it’s screening out the bogus asylum claims,” Kenney said during the interview, which was broadcast on CTV News Channel.

As Mr.Kenney explains very logically, the only alternative to the move was to allow the continued use of a two-tiered immigration system. One which would allow for people to apply through the proper channels, provide proper information, proof of education and experience, and find a sponsor; and the other being one in which people simply “show up” in Canada and demand welfare, legal aid, and before long, citizenship. An ill-begotten citizenship at that, and an affront to every genuine immigrant in Canada who went through the proper process.

To put it more bluntly, “real refugees” don’t arrive by airplane.

Communion Host Story Manufactured By Liberal Party

As many other bloggers and journalists have written, I stayed out of the entire “Wafer” affair because I considered it to be a non-story manufactured in the name of infotainment. As it turns out, I was probably right. The fallout from the story has been significant, with the Telegraph-Journal in New Brunswick issuing a front-page apology for lying about a story that insisted Prime Minister Stephen Harper slid his communion wafer into his pocket during the funeral of Romeo LeBlanc. Significantly, the newspaper also admits that the details to the story were added without the consent or knowledge of the journalists who covered the event.

At the time, Mr.Harper described the story as “a low moment in journalism”. Indeed, the bar has been set dangerously close to the earth. Shawna Richer, the editor of the paper, has been removed, while publisher Jamie Irving has been suspended. As Steve Janke explained in his article in the National Post, Mr.Irving is the link to this scandal, one that has certainly turned on the Liberal party. His theory is that Paul Zed, former MP for the New Brunswick riding of Fundy-Royal, who is now interim chief of staff to Michael Ignatieff, and is related by marriage to Judith Irving, fed this story to the Journal.

Charles Adler perhaps says it best about the wafer video:

I have no evidence that Stephen Harper did what he is accused of doing. I could find you a video of the Queen holding a baby in one frame and then edit out the baby and ask the question, “What did the Queen do with the baby? Is the Queen a baby killer? Let’s interview experts for reaction. Let’s talk to historians who have covered the blood thirsty background of the Queen’s ancestors and draw links between her DNA and theirs and just go with that story. The public has a right to know whether their Queen is homicidal and whether she targets babies.”

Although the mounting evidence is indicating that this was a Liberal smear, their war room architect Warren Kinsella continues to insist that it’s still all about Stephen Harper. Despite the apology from the Telegraph-Journal and despite the people who have either lost their jobs, or are in the process of losing their jobs during this fiasco. After all, where was the journalistic integrity during this whole incident?

As for the Liberal Party, perhaps those responsible for prodding the “scandal” will be discovered, or perhaps not. Either way, all of the talk about the higher road, the morally superior airs put on by the Liberals regarding the Conservative attack ads, and the constant prodding for a scandal to shakeup the minority deadlock, has revealed the Liberal hypocrisy to be most transparent.