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Layton Demands Paul Martin Commit To Public Inquiry And Scrap Bill C-36

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OTTAWA—This week’s RCMP raid o­n Ottawa Citizen reporter Juliet O’Neill is exemplary of police state mentality, said NDP Leader Jack Layton, who today with Clayton Ruby, held a press conference calling for Paul Martin to immediately announce a full public inquiry into Maher Arar and commit to scrapping C-36 in the Throne Speech.

“This is exactly what we mean when we say the Liberals have gone right,” said Layton. “This police raid didn’t happen by accident— it happened because the liberals passed a law over the vociferous objections of everyone concerned about civil liberties. Mr. Martin can’t cry crocodile tears when the law he voted for is used.”

Further damaging is Justice Minister Irwin Cotler’s recuse from the Arar case, because ironically, he had advocated for justice before becoming Minister, said Layton.

“What kind of Kafkaesque nonsense is this,” asked Layton? Because someone believed in doing the right thing before taking office- which is to call a public inquiry- they now have to get out of the way of doing the right thing o­nce they’re in office?”

Only the NDP voted against C-36 at all stages when it was rammed through Parliament o­n November 28, 2001 during the post-9/11 hysteria, said Layton. Now, ironically, both Martin and the Conservatives are suddenly concerned about Maher Arar and Juliet O’Neill— when o­nly last year the Alliance told protesters for Arar to “get a life”, he added.

“Star Wars missile defence is also linked to that post 9/11 hysteria, yet despite a mountain of evidence showing the system is extremely dangerous, Paul Martin is proceeding anyway,” said Layton. “Ten years from now, will we have Martin saying there needs to be a review of weaponizing space after it’s happened?

“Juliet O’Neill is not a criminal, absolutely,” said Layton. “But the law for which Paul Martin voted for criminalizes her. Martin has to take responsibility for his choices in government, and if he thinks she’s not a criminal, then scrap the law that says she is and hold a public inquiry into Maher Arar.”

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@ January 26, 2004