Breaking platform promises: the series - IV

A re-elected Conservative Government led by Stephen Harper will make the promotion of Canada's democratic values on the world stage a major focus of our foreign policy.

We will establish a new, non-partisan democracy promotion agency that will help emerging democracies build democratic institutions and support peaceful democratic change in repressive countries. Are these the values Steve is talking about?

After ensuring a 22-month inquiry into torture claims by three Arab-Canadians was held in secret, the government kept a 455-page tome of findings under wraps until almost the last moment. It nixed without explanation a planned lock-up to allow the three men, their lawyers, the media and other interested parties to review the hefty report by former Supreme Court judge Frank Iacobucci.

Interested parties living in Toronto and elsewhere scrambled to get to Ottawa after learning only Monday night that Iacobucci's conclusions would be out the next day. Critics blasted what they say is the latest clandestine twist by a "mean-spirited" government.

"Every step along the way, this commission has been marked by secrecy, a lack of transparency and seemingly everything possible being done to cut the three men and interested organizations out of any meaningful participation in the process.

"Any fair, decent process would have recognized how important it is to give people a reasonable advance notice as to when things are going to happen.

Such secrecy, blocking, and lack of transparency in an enquiry into torture does not promote values most Canadians embrace and it hardly presents a model for other countries to “build democratic institutions and support peaceful democratic change in repressive countries.”

Breaking platform promises: the series - III

A re-elected Conservative Government led by Stephen Harper will make the promotion of Canada's democratic values on the world stage a major focus of our foreign policy.

A re-elected Conservative Government led by Stephen Harper will extend our new truth in labelling guidelines for food products to consumer products, ensuring that Canadians know more about the products they purchase.

While this bit doesn't apply to products sold in Canada, it's still uncomfortably close and shows that this government does not place health and safety ahead of profit.

The federal government is taking exhaustive measures to protect MPs and staff from a substance it only considers a safe building material when sold to developing countries...The sad truth is asbestos continues to be a sacred cow to governments because the lone surviving mine with its 700 jobs is located in the one-industry Quebec town of Thetford Mines.

Stevo isn’t simply ignoring the lack of labeling, he has and is actively fighting to block other countries from limiting its use and applying warning labels.

And why the government spends millions on international sales campaigns using its diplomats and embassies to unleash one-sided positive views against widely acknowledged dangers about asbestos exposure is highly unethical behavior.

Pat Martin calls these actions "corporate welfare for corporate serial killers." and accuses Harper’s government of dispatching "teams of Department of Justice lawyers around the world like globe-trotting propagandists for the asbestos industry, not only promoting asbestos but blocking other countries from attempting to curb its use."

As for “the promotion of Canada's democratic values on the world stage,” this antediluvian view that others are not as worthy of the same standards as we are is not a value most Canadians want to advance, I believe.

The upcoming Rotterdam Convention talks aren't aimed at banning asbestos or, to use its less toxic-sounding, more lyrical name, "chrysotile." It's merely to force Canada to notify importing countries that the stuff has health risks and to take precautions. Given that some countries already package it with a skull-and-crossbones on the wrapping, the official hazardous warning label might seem unnecessary.

More of that Canada is going back, it seems, and stalling and censoring reports to do so.

The 4,000-word study was submitted to Health Canada in March for vetting. It still remains classified as confidential pending the completion of the review, even though its findings would be useful at the global conference.

But Steve can rightfully claim that Canada is a leader on the World Stage™ in this instance.

The punchline is that only one Western nation exports "chrysotile" to assist developing nations with building material it considers unfit for its own people. That makes Canada and its asbestos double standard an international joke.

The only Western country to export a deadly substance banned at home. And an international joke, as well.