With the comment made yesterday to Stephan Dion by Steven Harper, in the House of Commons during question period, during the exchange over whether or not the Minister of Defense should resign because of his handling of the Taliban prisoner matter in Afghanistan, we have, in this country, shifted into a new political pattern.
A pattern that I'm not very uncomfortable with, but let's leave that for a later note and now just stay with the comment.
Outside the structure of question period, such as it is, the Harper comment and the members of the Conservative Party of Canada response to it - a standing cheering ovation, is stunning in its implication. Harper and his party members have said that Liberals and likely by implication anyone in the other 2 parties or citizens of Canada that think there is an issue regarding the Defense Minister, and for that matter the Department of Defense, are Traitors. In short the comment said: those Canadians not with Harper and the CPoC glorify the people in the group our military have been sent to fight.
A quick reading of the relevant provisions of the Criminal Code implies to me that if Harper and the CPoC have information or believe that most of the rest of Canada are Traitors, as defined in paragraph 46(1)(c) of the Criminal Code, we should be charged as such and brought to trial.
High treason
46. (1) Every one commits high treason who, in Canada,
(a) kills or attempts to kill Her Majesty, or does her any bodily harm tending to death or destruction, maims or wounds her, or imprisons or restrains her;
(b) levies war against Canada or does any act preparatory thereto; or
(c) assists an enemy at war with Canada, or any armed forces against whom Canadian Forces are engaged in hostilities, whether or not a state of war exists between Canada and the country whose forces they are.
Criminal Code ( R.S., 1985, c. C-46 s. 46 )
My simple minded method of reading any legal provision is to cut out the modifying and limiting clauses and phrases and just read what, I think, is the substance dealing with the matter in question. Thus, I've italicized the appropriate words, phrases and clauses in section 46 relating to Harpers charge:
"Every one commits high treason who assists any armed forces against whom Canadian Forces are engaged in hostilities"
So, based on Harper's, and the CPoC's, accusation yesterday about glorifying people who are engaged in hostilities with our armed forces, an investigation needs to be undertaken by the RCMP, to find out if anyone has committed an offense under section 46 of the Criminal Code.
Does the RCMP need any more information or do they need to be instructed by the Solicitor General to get on with their responsibilities. I'm awaiting their knock at my door.
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