Ridiculous!
We’ve all heard about Maher Arar correct? We know of how he was deported from Canada on suspicion of terrorist connections, and was tortured in his home country of Syria in 2002. We are also aware of how his lawsuit toward the government claimed $400 million in damages, which was then lowered to $37 million. Well, today Prime Minister Harper is going to announce the final settlement amount for Arar, which is $10 million, and an additional $2 million for legal bills.
Who’s covering that cost? The Canadian taxpayers. Can you believe it? The government completely screws up, and Canadian citizens pick up the tab. Not exactly a small tab either. Not to mention, its the Canadians that pay for the “services” provided by the government that made the mistake of linking Arar with terrorists. It is time for the Canadian government to get its act together, and stop shrugging these things off, at the expense of the people of Canada.
Completely Ridiculous.
January 27th, 2007 at 5:56 pm
My question is how the government can so quickly pay off the Arar case using taxpayer money while it allows domestic cases of the same nature to drag on and on for much longer. Study any instance of wrongful imprisonment on Canadian soil, the David Milgaard case for example, and you will likely find that the settlement and negotiations can take decades.
Milgaard was convicted for murdering Gail Miller in 1970 when he was 16 years old, he was sentenced to life in prison. He appealed his innocence several times over the course of his sentence, but was always blocked by bureaucracy and a justice system which is unwilling to hear those who are not willing to admit their guilt. In 1988, MP Lloyd Axelworthy acknowleged Milgaard’s plight and asked that his case be reopened. In 1997, after much negotiation and many legal roadblocks, Milgaard and his family received a $10 million dollar compensation package from the government for the .
This is ironically the same settlement that Arar received, minus the $2 million for his legal bills. While I am not denying that what happened to Maher Arar was a travesty, I think that the rapidity with which his case was dealt with shows an important side of Canada’s current attempt to brand itself on the world stage. It would seem that it is perfectly acceptable to drag out domestic legal scandals for years, but when there is any likelihood that the government could be accused by the international community of human rights injustices or racial, ethnic, or religious prejudices; they are quick to act in order to maintain their international persona.
Again, I am not saying that Maher did not deserve some sort of official apology for what happened to him, or even monetary compensation, but I do not feel that his case should have been handled so quickly while so many from within Canada are ignored. Additionally, the fact that his settlement was paid with taxpayer money does not sit well with me; though I cannot think of any viable alternative.
There’s my 15 cents.
January 28th, 2007 at 8:50 pm
Actually, if I have one good thing to say regarding the Arar case, it is that I believe that the government acted quickly. When they take so much time in making decisions, it also cost the taxpayers money. If it had dragged on much longer, the settlement regarding legal bills would have been greater than $2 million, as the case would have continued to drag its way through the court system, and more lawyers would have been involved.
One of the major things I find with Canadian Government is that, no matter what the issue at hand is, the one thing that they do well is procrastinate finding a solution.
P.S.- Instead of pointing out my grammatical errors, try finishing your sentences.
February 2nd, 2007 at 11:35 am
I don’t have any problem with the amount Arar got, although I have no idea how one figures out these things. Perhaps it high, I don’t know. I don’t know how much I would want if I were wrongly tortured. How does one put a value on pain and suffering? Why wouldn’t $5 million be enough? Why not $20M?
But I agree with you, the issue is who is paying the money. Those responsible should be personally liable. It’s pretty easy to toss out $10.5 million when it is not your own. Canadians might say, “Hell, it’s only $0.35 a person, and Arar deserves it.” Deserve it or not, those responsible should pay, just as I would have to if I harmed someone without just cause.
February 2nd, 2007 at 4:44 pm
So Canada has to Pay, but Jordan gets off free becuse Mr. Arar shoudl not sue his fellow muslims right?
I wrote a letter on his behalf to help him, but didnt realise he would only take the citizens money in return.
Thanks Maher for takign my money.
February 3rd, 2007 at 3:32 pm
Andrew- yes, those responsible should be the ones paying out. However, it was not the citizens of Canada who were responsible for the deportation and torturing of Mr. Arar; therefore we should not be picking up the tab.
Layla- agreed.
I admit, had it been myself going through what Mr. Arar went through, yes I would also demand some sort of compensation, but not maybe not in the form of monetary gain. Maybe something more in the direction of revamping the protocol when dealing with “suspected terrorists”. I’m not sure, but I do know that I would be after those responsible, as Andrew stated.
May 12th, 2010 at 6:08 pm
Мне кажется это блестящая идея
Оператор на телефоне We are also aware of how his lawsuit toward the government claimed $400 million in damages, which was then lowered to $37 million. [….
May 13th, 2010 at 5:25 am
Какая симпатичная фраза
Официант We are also aware of how his lawsuit toward the government claimed $400 million in damages, which was then lowered to $37 million. [….