Source: The Toronto Sun
URL: [link]
Date: February 15, 2005
Canada must cling to its controversial anti-terrorism law because the deadly threat hangs over Canada "unabated," says Public Safety Minister Anne McLellan. Facing a Senate committee conducting a three-year review of the Act, McLellan insisted the law's sweeping state powers strike the right balance between upholding human rights and keeping Canadians safe.
"I think it is the right legislation to deal with both the domestic and global threats of terrorism," she said.
Insisting the new authorities have been exercised "judiciously," McLellan said changing "circumstances" might warrant amendments in the future.
But Conservative Sen. John Lynch-Staunton accused the Liberal government of being too soft on some terrorists while trampling the rights of mere suspects. He slammed the practice of detaining people under security certificates with the "flimsiest" of evidence."How can the government justify treating (people) in such a crude fashion, which is completely outside the rule of law?" he fumed. SENATOR IRKED
McLellan defended the Immigration Act provision as a way to rid Canada of foreign nationals who pose a real danger. The government never deports people if there's a substantial risk they would be tortured, she said. Lynch-Staunton didn't buy McLellan's line of defence. "Egypt and Syria are notorious for their torturing abilities and knowledge and are even relied on sometimes by some of our allies to do their dirty work. Don't go telling me you're going to take their word," he said. Lynch-Staunton also took McLellan to task for not listing the Tamil Tigers among the 35 named terrorist fundraising groups. "Money is being raised in Canada, being sent over there to be used for terrorist activity," he said. McLellan said the government was hoping for peace discussions in Sri Lanka and said adding Tamil Tigers to the list wouldn't have been "overly helpful." "I continue to monitor that situation very carefully," she said. kathleen.harris at tor dot sunpub dot com Copyright © 2005, CANOE, a division of Canoe Inc. All rights reserved.
