[Canada] Canadian Politics Redux

[HVC]

I obviously know nothing about the law, and no doubt this is impossible, but in my ideal world I'd charge him with negligent homicide. Assuming he did it of course. I take a dim view of political corruption when it kills people (I think people should hang for the uk postal thing too).

I'm unimpressed (to say the least) by Sajjan in this incident - but it's almost impossible to charge a politician with a crime when they're acting within the scope of their authority - and for good reason.

Every decision by a politician will involve trade-offs.

Trying to think of a simple example... Minister of Transport is presented with a plan to slow down traffic on a given road by installing speed bumps.  Minister says no - it would slow down the overall flow of traffic too much.  One year later a pedestrian is killed right where the proposed speed bumps would have gone - the speed bumps might well have saved that person's life if they had been installed.  You can't charge the minister with "negligent homicide".*

No - the proper recourse is (as it is here) political - that voters are allowed to say "Harjit Sajjan that's bullshit you're prioritizing Afghan Sikhs over those with ties to Canada".



*(I could go into the fact there is no charge of negligent homicide in Canada - the closest equivalent is criminal negligence causing death, and that even then it requires "wanton and reckless disregard" for the lives of others, which I don't think is at all made out here, as poorly thought out as this order/"suggestion" was)

A more fitting comparison is finding out the minister of transportation kiboshed a roadbump program already in process because he has connections to a speed camera company. The extra step of corruption is what think makes it wrong, not the being being dumb in and of itself. But I hear ya.

As to the asterisk, close enough

[Barrister]

A more fitting comparison is finding out the minister of transportation kiboshed a roadbump program already in process because he has connections to a speed camera company. The extra step of corruption is what think makes it wrong, not the being being dumb in and of itself. But I hear ya.

I agree that would be corruption - but the element is that the minister is profiting from a decision he made.  It doesn't even matter if someone died as a result.

What's lacking in a corruption charge here is there's nothing to suggest Sajjan received a personal benefit.  On the face of it there's nothing wrong with trying to protect a group of Afghan Sikhs from the Taliban.  It's just when it means doing a crappy job in protecting Canadians or those connected to Canada it's terrible policy.

[HVC]

I have to imagine the Sikh organization  that contacted him threw him some donations over the years.