It appears that Kenney may be in for a rougher ride than he anticipated. Ridng roughshod over democracy in Canada is Harper's pastime but it might not be so easy when it brings imternational concerns into play.
Criticisms leveled at Bill C-31 by Nathalie Des Rosiers, of the Canadian Civil Liberties Association and also the former Dean of the University of Ottawa Law School Civil Section, include the fact that the "bill gives the power to a minister to designate a group and incarcerate them for 12 months without judicial review. On its face, this violates the Charter. It also violates the Convention on the Rights of Refugees and it will be challenged. The ability to challenge detention in front of a court is at the heart of a judicial process and the rule of law. It is the right to habeas corpus. To have denied this to anyone on Canadian soil is a mistake. It's an infringement of the rights and it is wrong."
Des Rosiers also noted, "The Auditor General has come to the conclusion that this will cost at least $70,000 per person that will be incarcerated and that doesn't cost -- that doesn't take into account the social cost and the cost to the proper integration of immigrants that will be incarcerated for 12 months."
"The Minister has said as well, that he will release them at his good pleasure if and when their circumstances warrant it or if people have their refugee status determined and refugee status accorded but this is wrong. In a democracy, we cannot leave an unfettered discretion powers in a government to incarcerate people," said Des Rosiers.
