Truth is Irrelevant to this Government

Do you remember when the issue of commuting a Canadians Death Sentence in Montana came up?

The Con's, including Day, Nicholson and Harper, have all said that asking for clemency would mean repatriating the convicted man, Ronald Smith to Canada and given their tough on crime agenda, well, that would just send the wrong message to Canadians.

Apparently they were lying though. The problem with lying of course is that it's tough to keep track of what you've said.

After the government revealed in late October that it would no longer be seeking clemency for Smith from Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer, Harper explained that: "The reality of this particular case is that were we to intervene, it would very quickly become a question of whether we are prepared to repatriate a double-murderer to Canada. In light of this government's strong initiatives on tackling violent crime, I think that would send the wrong signal to the Canadian population."

According to Irwin Cotler, Day wrote a letter to the Sun media, stating that it's not necessary to ask for repatriation when asking for clemency re' the Death Penalty.

So, just as we all knew, their decision was based on their ideology. They believe in the Death Penalty. Not all of them of course, but those making the decisions in this case, Day an Nicholson surely do. It would seem that they are tacitly giving their approval of the Death Penalty.

Perhaps because they know they'd get nowhere trying to revive the debate in Canada, they have found a way to satisfy their primitive belief system. Maybe that is how Harper is placating the extremists in his Party? He gives them just enough to sate them, while keeping the larger issue off the table.

Consider the private member's bill, giving a fetus status, or the hidden portion of the bill that would give the Minister of Heritage veto/censor power, (though I don't know how extreme she is actually).

Anyway, it seems pretty clear to me just how little they really try to understand the nuances involved when it comes to matters of justice. They seem to only be able to think in black and white terms. Criminal (real or perceived) = bad. Tough justice = good. Even as it relates to the Brenda Martin case. The government is scurrying now, but it hasn't always been that way. Here is what the MP for Martin's riding had to say in February 2007.

Norlock is the MP for the riding that includes Trenton. When he was approached by Canwest News Service in February 2007 for the first story about Martin's imprisonment, he told the reporter he had reviewed her file and said she belonged in prison.

The real consequence of the Conservative position is the absolute lack of clout it gives our government when dealing with other governments, like this one and of course fundamentally shifting our national values.