Since last November, when a parliamentary committee adopted my motion to study the treatment of Canadian-transferred detainees in Afghanistan, people in Ottawa Centre have expressed their concerns about government’s lack of accountability on the file.

From shutting down the Military Police Complaints Commission hearings and attacking the integrity of public servants, to proroguing parliament and redacting relevant documents, the government has evaded honest answers to you.

In conversations around Ottawa and correspondence with my office, you have expressed your concerns that the government may have been complicit in torture and engaged in a massive cover-up that put our soldiers and diplomats on the ground at risk. You have told me that when we send our sons and daughters into combat we must be absolutely certain the orders they are given are beyond reproach. For that reason, the moral imperative to uncover the truth is unquestionable.

Today, all parties in Parliament have struck an agreement that is a critical step forward in holding the government to account on the issue. Parliament will finally have access to the documents that can shed light on the truth.

This is a victory for Parliamentary democracy. It will reign in the bullying tactics of the government and also serve as a major precedent to strengthen our democratic right to hold the government honest and accountable.

We will use the information obtained through our ongoing inquiry in the detainee file to ensure that mistakes in Afghanistan are never repeated.

Thank you for your advice and encouragement,

Paul Dewar, MP
Ottawa Centre