Peter Mackay -- or rather his spokesman -- crowed yesterday, after the Military Police Complaints Commission released its report:
“[It’s] one more investigation demonstrating that no credible evidence was found to support the allegations against our men and women in uniform,” said Josh Zanin, Mr. MacKay’s press secretary. “We are proud of their professionalism in the conduct of the work we ask them to do.
But that's not what the report was about. The Globe and Mail reports that most of the report was about government stonewalling:
The watchdog says Ottawa’s conduct during its long probe threatened its independence, and lamented the “overall attitude of antipathy” shown by a government that insisted it, not the commission, would determine what information should be disclosed.
The government fought the commission every step of the way:
The $3.4-million inquiry into Afghan prisoners lasted more than five years and four months, stretching back to when Canada was still fighting a bloody war in Kandahar, the heartland of Taliban insurgents.
Wednesday’s report describes how for 21 months the Harper government refused to provide records to the watchdog. “The doors were basically slammed shut on document disclosure,” commissioners say.
And the Harper government -- as always -- has learned nothing from experience:
The government offered more evidence Wednesday that it’s not about to change its approach. It resisted the watchdog group’s calls for its commissioners to be granted less restricted access to government records, saying it would prefer to decide on a “case-by-case basis.”
Peter Tinsley, former chair of the Military Police Complaints Commission, said this reluctance “sets the table for a repeat” of the stonewalling and delays that afflicted the Afghan detainee probe.
The Conservatives like to claim that the prime minister is the smartest guy in the room. What they don't say is that it's a small room and the people in it are dunces.
8 comments:
The Liberals must be kicking themselves that they did not employ this Orwellian tactic when the AG first reported on the Sponsorship scandal. They should have just had a press conference telling Canadian what great news it was that the AG demonstrated how well the system of checks and balances was working and how they were cleaning up government.
One can't help but imagine a time in the near future when the economy hits an all time low or a government minister is caught spying for the Chinese and the Harpercons make a big show of telling us what a great opportunity the depression is or how great it is for Ministers to be caught spying because information is a "two-way street."
It's all part of the game plan, Kirby. The Conservatives rail against the tyranny of government, while they build their own tyranny in one man's name.
Of course no evidence can be shown when the government refuses to hand over any of the evidence it has in the first place.
What is truly remarkable about this cabal, Anon, is how little evidence of any kind matters -- and how far they are willing to go to suppress it.
C'mon Owen you of all people must recognize we are on the high road to dictatorship
See you in the gulag
I'll be your cell-mate
I understand they're employing people in the various ministries to keep an eye on the blogpsphere, Mogs.
Big Bother is watching.
Don't think you're not being reported, Mr. Gray, because you are. I will see to it personally. In the interest of real Canadians, it's only a matter of time before you are dealt an appropriate hand.
Oh, Blue, I've been dealt with appropriately all my life. My wife wonders how I got this far.
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