Canada is not allowed to deport people convicted of the death penalty in other countries without first getting legal assurances from said country that the death penalty will not be sought. That was a decision brought down by the Supreme Court of Canada - a decision I am sure the Harpercons absolutely detest in their attempts to come across as the law and order party.
That hasn’t stopped them from trying to show people how macho they are however - Stockwell Day announced last November that Canada would no longer seek clemency for Canadians convicted and given the death penalty in countries deemed to have “the rule of law” in place. Setting aside once again the problems that will occur on how Canada intends to define that, we now find out they’ve gone even further then that - it appears in the case of a Canadian convicted of the death penalty in Montana, they were offered a deal for clemency and a return of the Canadian to serve time in Canada - but it was turned down by the Canadian government:
“the Governor of Montana indicated to our Consul General that they were willing to consider commuting Mr. Smith’s sentence so he could be transferred back to Canada, but that they would want some type of guarantee that he would spend at least five years in prison in Canada should a transfer occur.” The revelation is contained in briefing notes prepared in November for Justice Minister Rob Nicholson and released on Friday after an Access to Information request by Canwest News Service. The Nicholson backgrounder is the strongest indication yet that Canada’s efforts to win clemency for Smith were long-standing, resolute and progressing well until the Conservative government abruptly called off the push by its U.S.-based diplomats to fight for Smith’s life.
As Quito says at his site, we basically have enforced the death penalty, not through inaction, but direct action in refusing very reasonable terms offered by Montana - they commute the death penalty, we guarantee he’ll stay in prison for a minimum amount, which could probably be set higher if the Canadian government felt it was warranted.
Smith may not be a role model, but he is an example of Canadians in other countries being abandoned by their government in order to show how “tough” they are, and to hint to their base how they’d love to have capital punishment here or deport people to get fried if they were allowed. Omar Khadr is another example of this, and Brenda Martin would have been another but for the resulting uproar that forced the Conservatives to act, and only after it took a couple of tries.
Note that it took an Access to Information Request to find this refusal of Montana’s offer out. The government was not forthcoming with the public or the opposition parties in QP over this.
I’m outraged that this has occurred, but not surprised with this Harpercons bunch.
Because Canada needs more murderers?
You and anyone that wants to import convicted murderers like Smith and terrorist wannabes like Khadr should wander the streets and tell the public that we need more people like that in our country.
Shame on you.