Community delegations visited the offices of 16 members of Parliament throughout the island of Montreal on Friday, 7 December. Around fifty people - individuals as well as members of groups like Solidarity across Borders, the Immigrant Workers Centre, le Comité BAIL, CEGEP St-Laurent and McGill student groups, Palestinian and Jewish Unity, the Centre for Philippine Concerns and others - took part in the day of action to urge MPs to vote against new security certificate legislation, which the Conservative government is currently ramming through Parliament at a pace allowing for no discussion or opposition. Similar delegations also took place in Sudbury, Peterborough, Vancouver, Toronto and Ottawa.

Responses of staff and MPs during the visits ranged from political excuses (I had to vote with my party), to expressions of support and sympathy and even professed shock at the deportation to torture and the process. At several offices, delegations were met with little or no understanding of the important issues that MPs were nevertheless deciding, for all of us, in Parliament. After the issue was explained to one Bloc MP who had voted for the law at second reading, she went so far as to promise that she would vote against the bill, even if it meant going against her party.

At each office, delegates left a summary document for MPs presenting the main reasons for voting against C-3. Staff members promised to pass the document on to the MP.

At Denis Coderre’s office, the delegation was greeted with locked doors. The secretary told delegates through glass that she was following orders in refusing entrance to the four community members, one carrying her baby. As Minister of Immigration for the Liberals, Coderre deported around 18,000 people, violated sanctuary in order to deport Mohamed Cherfi, and signed the security certificates against Adil Charkaoui and Mohamed Harkat. His office was the site of numerous demonstrations during his stint as Immigration chief and the double-locked doors remain as a testimonial to his unpopularity.

Maria Mourani drove in to her office to meet with the seven-person delegation who dropped by her office. Mourani was the only Bloc Quebecois member who did not vote for security certificates at second reading, chosing to abstain instead of opposing.

Mourani informed the delegation that the Bloc had, that morning, decided to vote against Bill C-3 since the parliamentary Committee tasked with reviewing the law had refused to accept minor changes proposed by the Bloc. During the final debates, the Bloc pointed out to the other committee members that « Si cette loi n'est pas amendée, la Cour suprême nous la retournera en disant qu'elle ne rencontre pas les exigences de l'article 7. » (“If this law is not amended, the Supreme Court will return it to us, saying that it doesn’t meet article 7 obligations.”)

Arriving at Stéphane Dion’s office, a fifteen-person delegation learned that, on the basis of several tiny reforms which will make no difference, the Liberals joined with the Conservatives to approve the Bill in Committee. Mr. Ujjal Dosanjh, a man who claims that he is against deportation to torture, wrapped up for the Liberals by saying, apparently in reference to the speed with which the bill is being forced through parliament, “It’s exciting.” (See transcripts of committee debates.) Dion himself is leaving for Bali and will not be around for the vote. His aide who met with the delegation carefully avoided saying anything when asked by Mr. Charkaoui’s mother why the Liberals, who she used to vote for, have so utterly failed to uphold the fundamental human rights of her son and the others under security certificates.

ACT NOW

On Wednesday, 5 December, the Coalition Justice for Adil Charkaoui was informed that we could be heard before the standing committee – the following day, at 9:00 am in Ottawa. With the coincidence that Charkaoui was in Federal court at the time the news was received, he was able to obtain exceptional permission from the Federal Court judge to travel to Ottawa to speak before the committee. (See transcripts of his and Mohamed Harkat’s presentations).

However, the presentations of Charkaoui, Harkat, along with organizations such as Human Rights Watch, the Canadian Arab Federation, and the Quebec Bar Assocation fell on deaf ears. Despite clear warnings that the law is not even going to pass a constitutional test, the Committee made very minor amendments that will make no practical difference and approved the bill. It returned to Parliament on Friday afternoon, and the vote will probably happen on Tuesday, 11 December or Wednesday, 12 December.

TODAY AND TOMORROW, please once again CALL the MP for your riding both in Ottawa and at their riding office:

* If they are Conservative or Liberal, demand that they vote against C-3.
* If they are Bloc or NDP, demand that they do something to slow the passage of the law, which has been rammed through Parliament without opportunity for opposition, on the false pretext that the Supreme Court has imposed a deadline.

Contact details for MPs.
Background information.
How your MP voted at second reading.