Lack of Transparency & Openness.
In his first drive to form the Government, Stephen Harper did a lot of talk about openness of Government, of making it transparent so all could see what was really happening. His recent foray to be the Government promised more of the same, but when does it finally get through to the thickheaded supporters of this Party, that transparency & openness are just words without any meaning?
Stephen Harper no more wants us to know the truth, than he is willing to support the equal rights of homosexuals, or women.
Once more hearings into the hand over of prisoners for torture is making the news, as once more our Prime Minister moves to halt enquiries, into the disgusting actions of some. While sell out Prince Peter McKay continues to spew that the Harper Regime has been very transparent, has in fact bent over backwards to aid the Commission investigating these allegations. Uh huh, and like it was not in is vested interests to sell out the Conservative Party to the Alliance Party? Being made Foreigh Affairs Minister had nothing whatsoever to do with his willingness, now did it?
The federal government is trying for a third time to block public hearings into whether it allowed the transfer of prisoners to Afghan authorities, despite having knowledge they could be tortured, according to a Globe and Mail report.
The hearings, which would be conducted by an independent federal policing watchdog, the Military Police Complaints Commission, were due to begin Dec. 4.
The Justice Department filed an Oct. 30 application seeking a Federal Court order “prohibiting the chairperson [of the MPCC] and the commission from investigating” the allegations, the Globe and Mail reported Friday. (source – CBC News)
Just as Harper has tried to keep all of his dirty dealings secret, this is one more attempt at his administration attempting to hide the truth. Yes, we are at War with Terrorists, but then we aren’t at war with our own set of values, are we? It seems we are, as lines do get crossed and many times unintentionally, but when you hide them, cover them up, they no longer can be considered ‘unintential’.
Policy needs to be corrected, where possible, when things like this happen. Those changes cannot be done, if the details on the actions, on the facts of the isssues, are kept hidden. People need to know how and why these things happened, if they did. The more you hide, the worse the abuses happen, and we are seeing a Government who would rather see these abuses happen, than be politically embarassed. THAT IS JUST WRONG.
After briefly stopping the transfer of prisoners in November 2007, Ottawa resumed prisoner transfers this February, saying it was satisfied conditions in Afghan prisons had improved sufficiently. (more from CBC News)
If there were abuses before hand, what has changed now? They may claim things have improved, but what things? If we don’t know what they did before, how can we know it isn’t happening today, and this is about human beings? I don’t care if they are supposed terrorists, our set of values is for all people, not just who we call friends, or civilized. Each have their own values, but these are our actions, and so our values should apply.
Frankly this is just one more example of how Stephen Harper has eroded what was once something to be proud of, it was called CANADA.
Sphere: Related ContentIan @ November 15, 2008