Editorial — Peter MacKay’s strange round tables on justice
SUNDAY MORNING EDITORIAL — “I am proud to welcome Justice Minister Peter MacKay to Kamloops today. Our Government strongly believes that consulting with Canadians and hearing firsthand about their experiences is the most effective way to make progress and transform our criminal justice system for the benefit of all. Along with criminal justice advocates, we had an informative discussion on many important issues, which will serve to better inform government action and further protect our communities.”
— Kamloops-Thompson-Cariboo MP Cathy McLeod, media release.
It’s good to know the minister had an informative discussion on many important issues, but it would be even better to know what the discussion was and specifically what issues were discussed.
McLeod, MacKay. (CFJC-TV screen grab)
True, MacKay told local media he wants to move forward with “several recent measures taken by the federal government to make Canada’s streets and communities safe,” and that those measures have to do with violent offenders, prostitution and impaired driving, but in what context?
The government’s agenda is fairly clear; this is a get-tough-on-crime government and always has been. Its Bill C-36 would criminalize those who purchase sexual services and take other measures to catch up to Supreme Court rulings, while its Bill C-32 would create certain rights for victims of crime.
MacKay says there are eight justice bills in total waiting to come before Parliament.
But if the purpose of MacKay’s cross-Canada tour is to gather input, why is that input so selective that the meetings are closed? From Brampton to British Columbia, he’s been meeting with selected representatives from police, victims’ services groups and other stakeholders in so-called “round tables” and, after each one, near-identical press releases have been issued about MacKay gathering input on the Conservative government’s anti-crime agenda.
And, after each one, local media dutifully report his key messages without scrutiny.
If he wants to talk to Canadians, why is it that he wants to talk only to certain Canadians? Why not let everybody in?
ArmchairMayor.ca 
Mel: I am taking the liberty of posting a Press Release I issued on Peter McKay’s visit to Kamloops.
PRESS RELEASE: August 25, 2014
“Federal Justice Minister Peter McKay in Kamloops –
What’s Wrong with this Picture?”
Federal Justice Minister Peter McKay dropped into Kamloops late last week for a staged photo-op. What’s wrong with this picture? Plenty.
The meeting he attended was closed to the public, reflecting this Conservative government’s unaccountable and undemocratic ways. Instead of meeting and listening to a cross-section of voters, the Minister dropped into town for a stage-managed “meeting” and photo-op with local MP Cathy McLeod. The purpose was to promote their law and order agenda – policies based on ideology, not on evidence or facts.
The Minister did not provide an opportunity to representatives of the legal profession, community groups, or aboriginal leaders to consult and advise on criminal justice and policy. That’s because the Conservatives have already got their minds made up. They only hear what they want to hear, not what they need to hear.
The Minister repeated Prime Minister Harper’s line that a national inquiry into murdered and missing aboriginal women is not needed because these “crimes” are not a “sociological phenomenon”. That is simply wrong and ignores long-standing and deeply held concerns which need to be addressed.
The point of a national inquiry is not to solve individual cases. Instead, it is to shine a spotlight on the terrible social causes that contribute to aboriginal women being murdered and going missing each year. The goal of an inquiry should be to prevent crimes, not just solve the ones that have already been committed. We need to get to the root causes and do something about it.
The Minister also raised the Victims Rights Bill, again. That Bill will add to complexity and delays in courts. It lacks committed funding and resources to assist victims of crime. It is more about optics than enhancing the dignity and genuine needs of victims of crime.
The Conservatives and Minister McKay have had several setbacks from the courts of the country because they have failed to comply with fundamental constitutional principles. The Minister is willfully blind toward upholding the integrity of the justice system. He is an incompetent Minister of Justice and should be replaced or resign.
Meanwhile, our local MP merely goes along for the ride, nodding approval to party dogma and spin cycle, without having very much to say on her own. We deserve better.
Bill Sundhu,
Candidate: Kamloops-Thompson-Cariboo
New Democratic Party of Canada.
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Adding a postscript, I remind readers and listeners that when any politician uses the phrase “Moving forward,” or the full clause,”As we move forward,” we should recognize two things. First of all the speaker intends to ignore input which differs from party line, and second, the direction is probably not forward but regressive. It’s an old trick used by regressive conservatives.
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Cathy McLeod will do and say what is precisely dictated to her by the party line. She is not our representative in Ottawa, but the Harper government’s spokesperson here. Loyalty to the party which underwrote her election costs has replaced any loyalty to the people of the local riding. We have lost our representative government.
Has she, for example, represented local people on the call for an investigation into the tragic disappearance of so many young native women, or has she agreed with Mr. Harper that each one is just an isolated crime?
Our government looks and says it sees a tree, then another tree, then another one, but anyone with any independence would say it is a forest.
Pity.
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It seems that the Harpenfuhrer has given both of them their public talking points. To discuss anything else would be to raise questions that they would not be allowed to answer, which would make them look even more foolish, and secretive than they already are.
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Good Morning- Just for clarification, I would have been pleased to talk about the important specific suggestions that came forward at the Kamloops round table with anyone that asked. The invitees represented different groups in our community both supportive and with constructive criticism regarding our initiatives. This ranged from the Legal community, RCMP, MADD, Aboriginal Community to our sexual assault centre. We also had some victims including a mother who lost her daughter under horrific circumstances. It was difficult enough for her to share stories and suggestions in a group. A large media presence would have made it emotionally impossible.
Cathy McLeod MP
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I figured that might be the rationale but such meetings can always be split in two – one ‘in camera’ for sensitive discussions and one public.
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Why doesn’t he want to talk to all Canadians? Simple, because most Canadians are just fed-up with him and his party. Nothing meaningful will ever be accomplished by people like McKay or McLeod.
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