rabble.ca Canadian federal election blog

Breaking news: Andrew McKeever and Krystalline Kraus issue joint statement

rabble.ca has just received notice of Andrew McKeever and Krystalline Kraus’ joint statement on the breaking earlier this week. Read below:

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In recent days there has been a lot of discussion about comments Mr. McKeever posted on Facebook that were sexist, offensive and wrong.

This issue is not about the medium of the Internet or Facebook. Mr. McKeever has acknowledged what he said and has given an apology for to everyone hurt by his words, either directly or indirectly by having to read them in a public forum. Obviously, such language is inappropriate in any setting or circumstance, and for this he has apologized.

Now the issue is Mr. McKeever’s commitment, the NDP’s commitment, to end the war in Afghanistan and to support Iraq War Resisters in this country.

Since the Liberal Party of Canada also supported the June 3rd motion in Parliament allowing Iraq war resisters to stay — a motion ignored by Mr. Stephen Harper — it’s a shame that the Liberals are harming this pledge of support by not focussing on the real threat posed by a pro-war, pro-Bush Conservative government.

We believe Canada should withdraw troops from Afghanistan. The aggressive counterinsurgency war is not making the Afghan people any safer and is risking Canada’s reputation abroad. Both Stephen Harper and Stephane Dion concede that the mission is not working – yet they still want to see troops committed for three more years. Canada is under increasing US pressure to commit more troops. The Canadian people do not want this war to continue.

We also believe deporting conscientious objectors who refuse to serve in Iraq is wrong. During the Vietnam War Canada became a refuge for young Americans who refused to participate in an immoral war. Thirty years later, Canada has an opportunity to live up that legacy and provide refuge to those who refuse to be complicit in the US-led war on Iraq. Canadians have spoken clearly through polls and through Parliament. 137 Members of Parliament stood in the House of Commons in support of a motion to “allow conscientious objectors and their families… who have refused or left military service related to a war not sanctioned by the United Nations … to apply for permanent resident status.” The motion carried. Stephen Harper and Minister of Citizenship and Immigration Diane Finley need to respect Parliament and implement the motion passed in the House of Commons on June 3 calling for an end to deportation proceedings against war resisters, and for war resisters to be allowed to apply for permanent resident status in Canada. Canadians do not want to see conscientious objectors deported simply for standing up for what they believe in.

These are the issues that Canadians need to discuss. Lives are literally at stake.

It’s time to debate issues that will shape the lives of not just Canadians, but Afghanis, Americans, Iraqis and the entire world.

- Andrew McKeever, NDP Candidate Durham     
- Krystalline Kraus, internet activist and Iraq war resister supporter