This is a good result but I am not sure it will have a significant long term effect. What happens if the materials are not disclosed or are disclosed in a haphazard and disordered fashion? Still the symbolism is significant and (perhaps) release may follow
OTTAWA–Prime Minister Stephen Harper's government has lost its iron grip on information about detainee treatment in Afghanistan after a showdown that pitted the power of the ruling party against the power of Parliament.
The Liberals narrowly pushed through a motion in the Commons on Thursday that forces Harper's government to release waves of unedited documents so that Parliament can examine whether Afghan prisoners detained by Canadian forces were subject to torture when handed over to local authorities, and what the government knew about the issue.
The motion passed with a vote of 145-143.
http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/afghanmission/article/737538--mps-order-release-of-afghan-torture-documents
2 comments:
Very simply, the documents get collected, and the Parliamentary Committee look at them. What's so haphazard about that?
As I said at my blogpost this AM, it was "Truth-seekers, 145, Coverup 143" per the votes result.
Morton, with due respect, it is really worthwhile to battle Harper over the principle of the supremacy of Parliament in our democracy. If they give us the documents in the same fashion as they handed the documents to the PBO, I do believe it will further open up the eyes of the uninformed voters who have been supporting Harper so far. As evidence of the last statement, note that in the latest EKOS poll, support for the Cons was actually at 33% on the last polling day (Dec. 8, even before the reversal of Natynczck).
Forgeting about law for a moment, Harper is like the poker player who keeps increasing the stakes. You may have the better cards but if you allow him to freak you out, he has won. BTW, he did that once already when he prorogued Parliament. The opposition parties meekly accepted it, partly in fear of triggering a constitution crisis. Thanks.
Post a Comment