War resisters bill an 'issue of conscience'

War resisters bill an 'issue of conscience'
by Lisa Rainford, from Inside Toronto, September 23, 2009.

Parkdale-High Park MP Gerard Kennedy introduced a private member's bill in the House of Commons Thursday, Sept. 17, that if passed would let American war resisters stay in Canada.

His first as federal member of Parliament, Kennedy's bill would make conscientious objectors from the Iraq War eligible for Canadian citizenship.

"So far, our system is letting them down," said Kennedy in an interview Wednesday morning from Halifax. "We need to step up and take on this debate."

Seconded by NDP MP Bill Siksay of Burnaby-Douglas, the introduction of the private member's bill comes at a crucial time. Several United States Iraq war resisters face deportation in the near future, according to Michelle Robidoux, a War Resisters Support Campaign spokesperson. Robin Long and Cliff Cornell, who called British Columbia home, have already been deported to the U.S. where they were court-martialed and incarcerated as prisoners of conscience for opposing the Iraq war.

"We've been struggling for years to find a solution for war resisters. Polls show that a large majority of Canadians support them," said Robidoux, referring to a June 2008 Angus Reid poll that indicated widespread approval for parliament's initial vote directing the minority Harper government to immediately stop deporting Iraq war resisters and to create a program to facilitate resisters' requests for permanent resident status. "The Conservative government has refused to respect Canadians' wishes."

Kennedy's bill, said Robidoux, puts legal weight behind what has already been demonstrated through parliamentary motion.

"We're hoping it'll put an end to deportation," she said. "Twice in the past year and a half, parliament has voted to let war resisters stay in Canada, in June 2008 and March 2009."

Entitled An Act to Amend the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (War Resisters), Kennedy's private member's bill aims to protect conscientious objectors from wars not sanctioned by the United Nations. The bill, C-440, would allow those being forced to return to combat, despite having finished their tour of duty - a so-called "stop-loss" order - to be considered to stay in Canada on humanitarian or compassionate grounds by Citizenship and Immigration Canada.

Kennedy has sought the expertise of those involved in helping war resisters within his riding and beyond in introducing these measures to amend the immigration and refugee act.

"There's a tremendous amount of relief," Robidoux said. "What he's done is expressed what the majority of people feel - that war resisters should not be punished for refusing to fight."

Kennedy said the issue is not partisan, it's an issue of conscience.

"This is a character test for Canada to assert a Canadian sensibility when people are turning to us for refuge out of matters of conscience," Kennedy said.

Kennedy said he wanted to ensure that his first bill as MP was an issue that impacted people directly.

Canadians have never supported the Iraq War and this bill reflects the significant support for Iraq War resisters throughout Canada, said Siksay."Canada needs to follow through with its original statement that it would not participate in the Iraq war," he said in an interview Wednesday.