Goalie-turned-MP Dryden takes a few slapshots at Liberal captain

Goalie-turned-MP Dryden takes a few slapshots at Liberal captain

CBC News - Canada - Khadr plea talks involve Clinton: report

CBC News - Canada - Khadr plea talks involve Clinton: report

So if the Americans have no trouble with admitting that a deal is in the works, and can assign a high powered official such as Ms. Clinton to the negotiations, why is it Canada must continue to deny that any talks are taking place at all? But I guess we're talking about the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Lawrence Cannon here, the same one who immediately blamed the leader of the opposition when Canada failed to get a seat on the UN Security Council. So in light of the fact that very credible American sources are claiming that a deal is in the works for Khadr's return to Canada and Cannons penchant for spouting party dogma, one has to wonder if it is possible to believe a word any one from this government says.

Another example of this is Current Minister of Natural Resources Christian Paradis. Information came to light that when he was Minister of Public Works, he had discussed a contract for work on the Parliament Buildings at a party fundraiser, thrown by the contractor who was eventually awarded the job. Paradis denied this accusation repeatedly but when the proof became irrefutable, he admitted the conversation had in fact taken place.

So just who can you trust in this government of Reform Conservatives. It appears that when challenged at all on anything that may reflect poorly on them or run contrary to party policy, the government strategy is to blame, deflect or outright lie. Now we aren't just talking about unkept campaign promises here, we are talking about credibility, trust integrity and honor, values that all seem to be lacking in this motley crew of ideologues that call themselves the Canadian Government. Yet Mr. Harper dares speak of Canadian values and principles as the reason Canada failed to gain a Security Council seat. Perhaps he is confusing Canadian Values for his own, which seem to be sadly lacking.

Khadr has never renounced jihad, says expert on evil

Dangerous "Quasi Science. He has developed a "Depravity Scale" and a Standardization for Evil. Has this man any clue as to what real evil is? Could it be cloaking hatred and intolerance in the guise of Science? And what prey tell qualifies this man to define that which only God himself is capable of defining, "Evil".

Khadr has never renounced jihad, says expert on evil

Khadr saga is far from over

Khadr saga is far from over

If war deserters outlast Harper government, they can likely stay in Canada: Chow - Winnipeg Free Press

If war deserters outlast Harper government, they can likely stay in Canada: Chow - Winnipeg Free Press

Government of Harper spent $3 million to NOT repatriate Khadr

It seemed rather timely that, in light of yesterdays failed bid to gain a non permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council (a seat that was ours to lose by the way) that I came across this little tid-bit in Wikipedia. In this particular instance, it appears that Canada has defied the pleas of both UNICEF and Amnesty International to repatriate Child-Soldier Omar Khadr and are also knowingly in breach of this boy's rights under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Why this is, is anybody's guess, but more than likely, the Reform Conservatives would prefer to see Khadr  face a military tribunal in the States and what ever consequences there may be for the alleged killing of a U.S. Special Forces soldier in combat. According to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Children, operational protocol on the involvement of children in armed conflict: 

(Art 4, Optional Protocol.) Likewise, under the Optional Protocol states are required to demobilize children within their jurisdiction who have been recruited or used in hostilities, and to provide assistance for their physical and psychological recovery and social reintegration. (Art 6(3) Optional Protocol.). 

15 year old Khadr as he was found by US Special Forces
Guess they figured he was still a threat so promptly
put two bullets in his back. 

So it appears that both the United States AND Canada are complicit under United Nations protocol in not observing the rights of this boy who was found by American Combat troops covered with rubble from an aerial bombing sortie and shrapnel in his left eye and despite this, felt the need to pump two rounds into his already tattered body. In addition, the Canadian Government has spent over Three million dollars to deliberately deny Khadr his rights under both Canadian and International conventions. 

And we wonder why we didn't get a seat on the Security Council. 

Omar Ahmed Khadr: (born September 19, 1986)

   * Khadr was captured on July 27, 2002 by American forces at the age of 15 following a four-hour firefight with militants in the village of Ayub Kheyl, Afghanistan.  He has spent seven years in the Guantanamo Bay detention camps accused of war crimes and providing support to terrorism after allegedly throwing a grenade that killed a US soldier.

A Canadian citizen born in Toronto, he is the youngest prisoner held in the Guantanamo Bay detention camp by the United States and has been frequently referred to as a child soldier. The only Western citizen remaining in Guantanamo, Khadr is unique in that Canada has refused to seek extradition or repatriation despite the urgings of Amnesty International, UNICEF, the Canadian Bar Association and other prominent organizations In 2009, it was revealed that the Canadian government had spent over $3 million to ensure Khadr remained in Guantanamo..

A 2009 review determined that the Canadian Cabinet had failed Khadr, by refusing to acknowledge his juvenile status or his repeated claims of being abused. In April 2009, the Federal Court of Canada ruled that the Charter of Rights and Freedoms made it obligatory for the government to immediately demand Khadr's return. After a hearing before the Court of Appeals produced the same result, the government announced they would argue their case before the Supreme Court of Canada. In January 2010, the Supreme Court ruled that Khadr's constitutional rights had clearly been violated, but it stopped short of ordering the government to seek his return to Canada.  

Khadr was the only person charged under the 2006 Military Commissions Act who did not boycott the Guantanamo proceedings. Canadian authorities also determined that Khadr had little knowledge of his father's alleged activities, since "he was out playing or simply not interested".

* Courtesy of Wikipedia.org

"How dare the opposition do their jobs"!

They’re all out to get us

by Aaron Wherry on Friday, October 8, 2010 8:14pm - 12 Comments

The Prime Minister explains opposition concerns to the F-35 purchase during a radio interview today, a transcript of which was distributed to the press gallery this afternoon by the Prime Minister’s Office.

The Liberals know full well that they endorse this approach, and now to satisfy their allies in the NDP and the Bloc Quebecois, they are doing something that simply is not in the interest of Canadian taxpayers, not in the interests of Canadian industry, and certainly not in the interest of the men and women in the Canadian Air Force…

Everything they do is to appeal, in this case, to the anti-military types that are in the NDP and the Bloc Quebecois. It’s all part of the coalition that they want to put together, hopefully … in their mind, hopefully after the next election, and it is just a blatant attempt to appeal to that element of the Canadian spectrum, and do it in a way that is simply not in the interests of Canada.

The above is a blog post from MacLean’s.ca. As Mr. Wherry explains, the Prime Minister is addressing the issue of Canada purchasing sixty-five Lockheed F-35 stealth fighter jets at a cost of Nine billion dollars.

At issue, is the fact that all three opposition parties have been criticizing the Government for this purchase because there was no competition for the contract. Apparently, no other aircraft were even considered. Apparently, various Canadian companies will benefit from the contract but it does not appear at the moment that there was anything untoward in this. Mr. Harper claims the F-35s are necessary to replace Canada’s aging fleet of CF-18 jets and that they are essential for Canada’s defense of the Far North.

So what the opposition parties, specifically the Liberal Party have been doing, is attempting to hold the Harper government accountable for the unusual behaviour of not seeking bids for the replacement aircraft and why the F-35 specifically was chosen. In addition, they want to know why Parliament was not consulted around this major purchase. So essentially, they are doing their jobs.

But judging by the above on-air tirade from the Prime Minister, it seems he has little interest in accounting for his government’s actions. So apparently, contrary to popular belief, the Government isn’t accountable to Parliament and the Canadian people after all. But he did take pause  to share with us just how damned “Un-Canadian” it was of Mister Ignatieff and the Liberals to question the government on it’s new Nine Billion Dollar purchase and about what exactly happened to Mr. Harper’s election promises about transparency in government.  “Shame on you Mr. Ignatieff, shame on you for doing your job”!

And as the P.M. seems to be in pre-election mode, he took the opportunity to once again talk about the bogus boogie-man known as “The Coalition” . Even though this phantom coalition has been entirely dismissed, Mr. Harper and his cronies persist in trying to convince Canadians that the “Coalition” that caused Harper’s heinous undemocratic prorogation of Parliament in 2008 is alive and well. So either the specter of an actual Majority of MPs forming a government scared him, or he figured that if his rhetoric worked then, why not now. Allegedly, Finance Minister Jim Flarety caused much eye-rolling as he referred to the dreaded coalition no less than 14 times in a speech to a group of Montreal businessmen recently. Apparently, the philosophy being that if you say something often enough, whether it’s true or not, it will magically become truth. But failing that, as long as they can peddle their “snake-oil” to enough Canadians, “who cares” about the truth.

So it seems like business as usual for Mr. Harper and his hired rabble of Reform Conservatives. Mr. Harper is the boss, period! And let no man woman or Phantom Coalition dare question him on whatever decisions he decides to inflict upon an unsuspecting country, regardless of how lacking in logic they may seem to be. For Harper is the boss and the boss is accountable only to god himself. And anyone who thinks otherwise, is just plain un-Canadian.