The simplest answer to the question "Why are the Conservatives trying to hide the torture documents?", is they know there is something in them that will be bad for them politically and/or legally. As usual, the simplest explanation appears to be the correct one. The opposition must push forward with its demand to see the documents. Otherwise, they may be accessories to war crimes, after the fact.
Update: For those of you who may have missed it. This is what the fuss is about.
The government can hire all of the retired supreme court justices it wants, to act as its lawyers , but it doesn't change the fact that Parliament has the power to see any documents it desires. All that is required is an opposition with balls enough to push the issue.
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I think it's actually more grave than that, long term. If the opposition doesn't push forward on this, it's they, not the Harper Conservatives, who have given up on Parlimentary supremity -- basically, on representative government.
ReplyDeleteThis is the only check we have that separates executive from legislative in our system, and without it, I literally don't see any limit on the PMs powers. Which may suit partisans of the stripe currently in power just fine, but I think they'll quickly find that it's not to their liking when some other party is in power.
I agree completely, Jon.
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