Stephen Taylor

Today, the Conservative government announced that they will continue the process of setting up a full inquiry into the most heinous act of terrorism committed against Canadians in our history: the bombing that destroyed Air India Flight 182 in 1985.

The bombing killed 329 people and the prosecution against those alleged to have committed the bombing was grossly mishandled. Indeed, crossed wires at the RCMP and CSIS contributed to the bureaucratic fumbling of the case and the key suspects were acquitted causing significant uproar among most Canadians.

Early last month, the Prime Minister met with the families of the victims of the Air India attack and promised to launch an inquiry into the incident. With today’s announcement, it appears that the PM has delivered on his word. Canada will finally seek to determine the security failures prior to and after the bombing, 21 years later.

Unfortunately, after 21 years of previous government, all that could be mustered was an inquiry into whether an inquiry should take place (the answer was yes). Now, of course, I don’t pretend to be an expert, but the incident was the most significant terrorist attack against Canadians in the history of this nation. Further, our federal security bureaucracy couldn’t communicate effectively leaving us with an inadequate level of national security?

This issue while fundamentally important on a public policy scale, also will demonstrate that the new Conservative government is working on one of its five priorities and is delivering to Canadians. On January 23rd, Canadians voted for safer communities and security at home and abroad and this announcement today will certainly show that the Prime Minister is delivering on his promises. Hopefully, the inquiry will provide understanding, if not closure, for the families of the victims.

Retired Supreme Court Justice John Major will chair this long awaited and necessary inquiry.

Here is the full text of the verdicts against Ripudaman Singh Malik and Ajaib Singh Bagri whom were acquitted of a litany of charges.

Selected excerpts:

This Court found Mr. Bagri’s rights under s. 7 of the Charter to have been violated on three separate occasions. The first two breaches arose from the destruction by CSIS of relevant material, namely, the Parmar telephone intercepts and Mr. Laurie’s notes and audiotapes of his interviews of Ms. E. The third breach was occasioned by delayed Crown disclosure during the defence case. Mr. Bagri was granted certain interim remedies and the parties agreed to defer the final determination of appropriate s. 24 remedies until the conclusion of trial so that the prejudice to Mr. Bagri’s fair trial interests could be assessed in light of the full evidentiary record. The parties made comprehensive closing submissions with respect to both the applicable test of prejudice and the appropriateness of various remedies to address any such prejudice. In light of the outcome of the case against Mr. Bagri, however, it is not necessary to consider these matters.

Considering the evidence as a whole, I find that the Crown has not proved its case against Mr. Bagri beyond a reasonable doubt with respect to his being a member of the alleged conspiracy or a party to the alleged offences and, accordingly, I find him not guilty on each count of the Indictment.

I began by describing the horrific nature of these cruel acts of terrorism, acts which cry out for justice. Justice is not achieved, however, if persons are convicted on anything less than the requisite standard of proof beyond a reasonable doubt. Despite what appear to have been the best and most earnest of efforts by the police and the Crown, the evidence has fallen markedly short of that standard.

Bob Rae’s report is available as a PDF (350KB) and includes this concluding statement:

A few days before completing this report I was visited by a family member who left me a smiling photograph of an 11 year old girl, his sister, KiranJit Rai. She was killed on Air India Flight 182. He also showed me the letters his parents had received from her classmates at King George Public School. They speak of a young girl full of fun, intelligent, beautiful. They wanted to let her parents know that “the whole school is crying”. I have that picture on my desk to remind me what this has been all about.

KiranJit and 330 others were murdered by people living in Canada. They may have been assisted by people from other countries, but this is a profoundly Canadian event. Some of its perpetrators have been apprehended or killed; others are still at large. A twenty-year police investigation continues, and our search for answers, and for justice, can never stop. The inquiry I am recommending will not provide “closure” for the families or for anyone else. But it should provide us with further insight and better practices. — Bob Rae

What was yesterday’s/today’s top Canadian news story? Of course, it was the repatriation of four fallen Canadian soldiers at CFB Trenton. The event was sombre and private, however, the media did have limited access in order to adequately bring the story to Canadians while being respectful to families and other mourners. Closeup filming of grieving family members was prevented.

The limited access however has the Toronto Star remixing the story of the day into a story about themselves and they shamelessly splash their dyspepsia onto the front page.

Above the photo, the headline teases and complains: FORBIDDEN THE IMAGE YOU AREN’T SUPPOSED TO SEE

The headline of the story reads: “Return of fallen soldiers not meant for public eyes.”

To the Toronto Star, the story wasn’t the sad return of soldiers to Canada, the story was instead the media’s limited access to the mourning soldiers and families. That other war (separate from the Canadian military) that involves the PMO and the press is purely inside baseball and it seems that the bitter attitude on behalf of the MSM has spilled over onto something that is supposed to be apolitical.

The Edmonton Sun reveals some truth into the deceit of the Star in its caption from its front page photo: “The last of four caskets of Canadian soldiers killed in Afghanistan is unloaded at CFB Trenton in Ontario. In keeping with a new policy the media were kept at a respectful distance but were still able to photograph the sombre moment.”

Click to enlarge

The Edmonton Sun notes that while their access was limited, it did allow them to cover the event respectfully for Canadians. The Toronto Star provides a similar yet more distant photograph and claims it to be some kind of clandestine and illicit photo smuggled out from past the Tory iron curtain. We learn from the Sun that this is a fabrication.

I understand that there is a dispute between the Conservative government and the press over access to the government, however, the attitude taken by the Toronto Star today to focus the lens upon themselves instead of the news, (especially the news yesterday) is shameful. If I wanted to read a journalism trade journal on government relations I’d buy one. The Toronto Star however bills itself as a national newspaper and that’s what I thought I was getting when I picked it up this morning.

The following quotes were taken from various media sources regarding the Conservative government’s decision on not lowering the flag to half-staff during an active military engagement, and the banning media from base upon the return of fallen soldiers to Canada.

“This is yet another example of Harper’s fascination with all things Republican. Instead of openness, another deliberate move to keep a negative hidden from the public. You would think Harper would have learned something from Bush’s tactics which have earned the disdain of most Canadians and the lowest approval ratings of any President in U.S. history but it’s obvious he hasn’t.” — Pat Walters, CTV selected viewer feedback

“I guess that’s the face of transparency. Maybe I’ll check the White House home page to answer my original question as to what’s next.” — Marcel Massie, CTV selected viewer feedback

“I think it should be a concern of Canadians that Mr. Harper seems to be, in many ways, following the example and policies of the Bush Administration” — Donalda Williams Clogg, CTV selected viewer feedback

“Let us not fall into this horrible fate that the US and the UK have. We need to continue to be fully aware of the constant sacrifices and dangers our excellent troops make every day.” — Diane Bradford, CTV selected viewer feedback

“It echoes a policy attempted by the Bush administration. The White House tried and failed to prevent publication of pictures of caskets covered by the Stars and Stripes out of concern for diminishing support for the Iraq mission.” — Global TV, Ottawa Citizen, Montreal Gazette, Edmonton Sun, Calgary Sun, Winnipeg Sun, 680 News

“The Harper government has decided to ban the Canadian public from viewing today’s repatriation ceremony of the remains of four soldiers killed in Afghanistan on the weekend, evoking parallels with the Bush administration’s controversial policy of barring photographs of the coffins of U.S. soldiers killed in Iraq.” — Mike Blanchfield, Canwest

“All media outlets are quick to note that the media ban parallels a similar decision taken by US President George W. Bush not long after American casualties in Iraq began to mount.” — Jonathan Monpetit, maisonneuve

“The Conservative government is refusing to all media to cover tonight’s return of four Canadian soliers killed in Afghanistan, a surprise decision that has critics accusing Prime Minister Stephen Harper of adopting American-style tactics to limit public exposure to Canada’s casualties” — Bruce Campion-Smith, Toronto Star

“In the United States, the Bush administration has been criticized for banning images of the arrival of flag-draped coffins containing the remains of soldiers killed in Iraq. White House officials imposed the ban out of worry that such photographs would lower public support for the military campaign.” — CBC News

“In the U.S., the Bush administration’s concern that a stream of images of coffins draped in the Stars and Stripes would diminish public support for the Iraq war prompted the White House to impose a publication ban in 2003.” — CTV News

“I agree with (Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s) decision to not lower the flag at Parliament. But banning the media? Seems unnecessary, not to mention a little George Bush-ish …” — Toronto Star, selected reader feedback

“He has lifted a page from the Bush book and borrowed the Bush modus operandi .. “Dare I say president Harper is following in the footsteps of President Bush?” — Liberal defence critic Ujjal Dosanjh.

If George W. Bush is an unpopular figure in Canada, does the media’s invocation of the U.S. President when commenting on Stephen Harper’s government’s policy on not lowering the flag after every military death (and the restriction of media on Canadian bases when fallen soldiers arrive home) merely allow them to offer negative commentary when they are supposed to be filing so-called unbiased reports?