Boreal

SHOOTING THE MESSENGER

Till Death Do Us Part

Freeland, Khadr and Company

Lucette wished to die among her things in the almost century-old cottage-like house that was our home for more than thirty years. For that to happen, I needed my stolen pension to pay the interest on a line of credit that had been at its limit for some time; if not, we would have to sell the house which would make her wish to die surrounded by the familiar in a place she loved, impossible.

Perhaps I could shame a government that was willing to shell out in excess of forty million dollars to four individuals for alleged abuse of their Charter Rights as a result of the actions of foreigners, to part with pennies on the dollar for domestic abuse of one’s Charter Rights.

Abdullah Almalki, Ahmad Abou-Elmatti and Muayyed Nureddin—who, through their own carelessness in visiting Syria during Middle East hostilities, and honest mistakes made by government officials engaged in counter Islamic terrorism in uncertain times found themselves at the mercy of coreligionists— shared a $31-million windfall. Khadr would get $10.5 million for the alleged violation of his Charter Rights while in American custody at Guantanamo: that of being questioned by a Canadian lawyer as if he was an adult.

The Hon. Chrystia Freeland, then Minister of Global Affairs (the renamed Foreign Affairs), the Honourable Jody Wilson-Raybould Minister of Justice, and the Honourable Ralph Goodale Minister of Public Safety and Emergency in a joint interview following the announcement of the amount paid the confessed killer of a US army medic, to quote the Ottawa Citizen: “drove home the point that the settlement dealt exclusively with the fact Khadr's charter rights were violated by the previous Conservative government“; as if this was justification enough.

When her government was forced to acknowledge the equally obscene amount paid Messrs. Almalki, Abou-Elmatti and Nureddin, the Hon. Chrystia Freeland expressed her hope that the $31 million tax-free gratuity given the three men would be sufficient to “support them and their families in their efforts to begin a new and hopeful chapter in their lives.”

Anyone’s family but mine!

I can only imagine the impact this situation has had on you and your family. However, your matter is considered closed. I regret I cannot respond more favourably.

The Honourable Scott Brison, President of the Treasury Board

Following receipt of Brison’s regrets I wrote to Ms. Freeland, to whom I had sent a copy of Shooting the Messenger - A Whistleblower's Tale following her appointment as Minister of Global Affairs. Treasury Board would have consulted her department before making a decision on whether to reinstate my pension which it would only do if Global Affairs agreed as this was tantamount to the Department admitting it was responsible for my losing it in the first place.

July 10, 2017

Dear Ms. Freeland,

At a news conference on Parliament Hill on July 7, you, the Honourable Jody Wilson-Raybould Minister of Justice, and the Honourable Ralph Goodale Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, to quote the Ottawa Citizen “drove home the point that the settlement dealt exclusively with the fact Khadr's Charter Rights were violated by the previous Conservative government.”

That is awfully decent of all of you.

In the hope that this is not only for show I ask you to do right by me and my wife as you say your government has done by Mr. Khadr, and, one has to assume, by Abdullah Almalki, Ahmad Abou-Elmatti and Muayyed Nureddin.

For denying me my Charter Rights, in this instance due process, I ask only for what was taken away from me then, nothing more, nothing less. A pittance considering; but that is alright. After all, it was not the taxpayers’ fault.

Sincerely Yours

Bernard Payeur

Not even an acknowledgement. Chrystia Freeland was our last hope.