The law's the law, Stock

Page 4

Editorial

Canadian law has a new champion; at least a champion for the Canadian law that protects large multi-nationals from abuse from the federal government.

Canadian Alliance leader Stockwell Day threw on his satiny cloak of righteous indignation in October, and demanded to know why Health Minister Allan Rock would dare break the patent law of Canada by purchasing the generic (read cheaper) form of Cipro, the drug that fights the Athrax virus, from a company that does not hold the rights to make that drug.

Ah, if he were only so strident when the Liberals go about breaking other Canadian laws, like Sparrow, Delgamuukw, Gladstone, and Guerin.

The last time Canada's Comprehensive Claims Policy was updated was 1987, well before these Supreme Court of Canada decisions that defined aspects of Aboriginal rights. So for the last 15 years, the policy has not conformed to Canadian law. And we know its not because Canada can't update this policy, because it moved heaven and earth, and took only a few months, to update its statutes to address the Supreme Court if Canada decision on same sex relationships.

Remember Bill C-23, the Modernization of Benefits and Obligations Act, which was fast-tracked through the legislative process in February 2000? It changed 60 federal statutes, including the Indian Act (without consultation, by the way), to change language that did not allow for same-sex relationships to that of gender-neutral terms as required by the high court ruling. But when it comes to Aboriginal rights, the government drags its feet, plays dumb, or worse, thumbs its nose Canada's rule of law.

So where is Stockwell Day, that avenger of justice that whipped up such a lather in the House of Commons it forced Rock to give Bayer its million-pill deal? We guess some Canadian laws just aren't worth the effort.

Besides, what good could come of knocking some sense into the collective head of the ruling Liberals, forcing them to implement laws to negotiate fair and equitable settlements to Aboriginal rights concerns, when the plan is to break those same laws if the Alliance ever gets to power?

Lightweight Stock's grandstanding in the House last month was not about anything more principled than seeing if this blow will wobble the knees of the Chretien team, and give a little room to the Alliance to get inside and deliver a couple of body shots to a heavyweight that's not even winded from its lengthy stay in the political ring.

Sparrow, Delgamuukw, Gladstone, and Guerin aren't decisions that can be used as a roll of quarters in a glove that can beat the Liberals senseless, which is the only goal of the Canadian Alliance, let's face it.