Saturday, November 15, 2003

PUBLIC INQUIRY?

I know that I've been really busy with my school work and that most of my blogging attention has focused on Jean Chretien and the Liberals so maybe I missed it. Can someone direct me to a site that has news of the public inquiry into the deportation of Maher Arar? Oh wait. The government hasn't called one yet.

Last week I e-mailed my hometown Member of Parliment, Karen Kraft Sloan of York North, the Prime Minister and Paul Martin, forcefully requesting they do everything in their power to see that a public inquiry occurs. The response:

Mrs. Kraft Sloan's staff read my e-mail and responded saying the member prefers to respond to constituents letters' by regular mail. That's a good strategy for cutting down on complaints, but I'll trust that its just an attempt to be more personal. I gave them my mailing address and now I'm waiting. I better not get a form letter that could have been sent via e-mail.
Paul Martin has not yet responded.
The Prime Minster (through his staff) had this to say:

Dear Mr. Fletcher:

On behalf of the Right Honourable Jean Chretien, I would like to thank
you for your e-mail, in which you raised an issue that falls within the
portfolio of the Honourable Wayne Easter, Solicitor General of Canada.

Please be assured that your comments have been carefully reviewed. I
have taken the liberty of forwarding your e-mail to the Minister, who, I
am certain, will appreciate being made aware of your views.

L.A. Lavell
Executive Correspondence Officer

Well thanks, is that the best you can do? The Prime Minister passes the buck on to someone else. He's already tried that strategy in the Commons, claiming that the American's have all the blame for deporting Maher Arar. As I told the PM, "that's not good enough."

We need a public inquiry into the deportation of Maher Arar.

The Solicitor General can be reached by e-mail at: easter-dot-w-at-parl-dot-gc-dot-ca. Send him and your local MP a letter letting them know that Mr. Arar and all of Canada deserve a public inquiry.

Posted by Matthew @ 12:56 a.m.