Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Public Safety justified his decision to not seek clemency for Ronald Allen Smith, a Canadian sentenced to death in the United States for murder, on the grounds that he was convicted by a democratic country. Yet, Canada refuses to deport refugees to their country of origin, whether or not the countries are democratic, if they risk facing the death penalty.
How can the Minister of Public Safety reject the same criterion when Canadian citizens, even if they have received a criminal conviction, are facing death in another country, although the death penalty was abolished in Canada some time ago?