I just received the flyer you sent out and the survey question makes me angry because it is misleading. It asks "Do you think that the Canadian government should be compensating Omar Khadr with $10.5 million?" It panders to xenophobic fears of the ignorant, and to anti-muslim sentiment, while it ignores the facts. I am assuming that you are not as ignorant as those you are addressing and are fully cognizant of the facts, which means that instead of being grossly uninformed you are cynically manipulating those who are for your own political gain. It is disgraceful.
The facts, as reported by CBC, July 4, 2017 are as follows:
Why will Omar Khadr receive $10.5M? Because the Supreme Court ruled his rights were violated.
In 2010, the Supreme Court found the treatment of Khadr offended 'the most basic Canadian standards'
"The deprivation of [Khadr's] right to liberty and security of the person is not in accordance with the principles of fundamental justice," the court ruled.
"The interrogation of a youth detained without access to counsel, to elicit statements about serious criminal charges while knowing that the youth had been subjected to sleep deprivation and while knowing that the fruits of the interrogations would be shared with the prosecutors, offends the most basic Canadian standards about the treatment of detained youth suspects."
It would surprise me if you were not aware of the Supreme Court decision since the Canadian government under Harper spent $120 million of the taxpayers money appealing the decision of the Supreme Court and lost twice. Or didn't they tell the lowly backbenchers?
In fact the money awarded to Khadr and the apology constitute a settlement to avoid prolonging the lost court battle.
It was your government that insulted all Canadians by violating his rights. Furthermore, his so-called conviction in a U.S. court was based on a confession obtained under duress. He did not serve ten years for a crime for which he was convicted; rather he was held in detention for ten years without access to due process of law.
This case has nothing to do with whether or not Omar Khadr was or is a terrorist. It has everything to do with the Harper government's refusal to respect the bill of rights and the Supreme Court. If they had acted lawfully there would be no settlement to be paid out.
To make matters worse, members of your party are taking their misrepresentations to the U.S. media, a further insult to Canadians.
In the past when I have encountered you in public I have treated you with the respect due to an elected representative, but no longer. You are complicit in a crime against Canada and Canadians perpetrated by your government and you are compounding it by propagating misrepresentations rather than either admitting culpability or, at the very least, keeping quiet about it. You disgust me. You in no way represent me or my values.
The survey question should read, "Do you believe that the Canadian government was right to settle the case of Omar Khadr which has been upheld twice by the Supreme Court rather than entailing additional millions in court costs at the taxpayers expense?"
That is a question based on the facts rather than on lies. It would do you and your party good to think about the benefit of truth, and see if you can somehow remember how to recognize it.
Bill Monahan
