Dion Asks Montana Governor to Commute Death Sentence for Canadian Prisoner
OTTAWA - Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion today wrote to Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer to ask him to commute the death sentence for Mr. Ronald Allen Smith, a Canadian citizen sentenced to death for the murder of two men in 1982.
"I have taken this step because the Conservative government is not representing the views of the majority of Canadians nor is it respecting long-standing Canadian law and policy on the issue, and I believe it is my responsibility to make those views known and to uphold the law," said Mr. Dion.
"By refusing to seek the commutation of the death sentence of Canadian citizens on death row in other countries, and by reneging on Canada's decision to co-sponsor the UN resolution opposing the use of the death penalty, the Conservative government has changed Canada's policy by stealth."
Mr. Dion noted that Canada abolished the death penalty more than 30 years ago, and again voted against its use after a lengthy and considered debate in 1987.
"In Canada, opposition to the death penalty is rooted in a belief that it violates the principles of fundamental justice. Those principles form the foundation of our respect for the rule of law upon which our country's constitution is based. We are weakened as a nation when we fail to stand up for our fellow citizens who face such dire consequences," said Mr. Dion.
"I am opposed to the death penalty. I believe that the use of the death penalty undermines the human dignity of not only the individual who is killed, but of all involved in the process. I believe that the evidence supports the position that the death penalty has little to no value as a deterrent of crime. I can think of no acceptable justification for the taking of a life by the state. While there is obviously a strong argument for opposing the death penalty due to the risk of a state killing an innocent individual, I believe that it represents an injustice even when it falls on someone who is unquestionably guilty of crime."
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