I would suggest that after his performance in the House of Commons on Thursday, December 10th., Michael Ignatieff  Deserves A Second Chance…even though I do not agree with some of his earlier positions.

On Thursday the 10th.,  he took a big step toward becoming a real leader and the Mainstream Media missed it altogether.

But then what else is new?

Radio, TV, the Toronto Globe, Star, Sun, the Vancouver papers…the ones in Quebec and the West and Eastern Canada…don’t want to take the time to bring us the real news.

I submit – this is real news.

Ignatieff’s sponsorship of a motion in the House of Commons on December 10th., calling for the release of uncensored documents concerning the treatment of Afghan citizens arrested by Canadian soldiers and transferred to Afghan jails.

It’s evidence that perhaps his Party would be wrong to dump him.

Here’s some of what he said on Thursday concerning his motion:

“We need a full independent public inquiry into the government’s year of wilful blindness. This is not a partisan exercise because we are prepared on this side of the House for the inquiry to examine the whole length of the mission in Afghanistan beginning in 2001 under the previous Liberal government.”

Incidentally…Ignatieff is calling the Conservative bluff by offering to review the Liberal performance as well. That is real “bi-partisanship”

He went on….

“In March 2006, the U.S. State Department reported that Afghan authorities, and I quote: “tortured and abused detainees on a regular basis.” However, despite this information, the Conservative government carried on as usual. And a few weeks later, in spring 2006, the first detainees were transferred by the Canadian Forces.

In May 2006 Richard Colvin began sending reports of detainee abuse to his superiors.

On June 2, 2006, the Afghan independent human rights commission reported that a third of detainees handed over by Canadian Forces were abused or tortured in Afghan custody. On that same day Richard Colvin sent another memo with reports of torture in Afghan jails. Still the government did nothing.

Mr. Colvin sent three more reports before the end of 2006. He made additional reports in March, April, June and July 2007. Yet, 17 months, 17 memos, and still the government did nothing.

In 2006, the Canadian Embassy in Kabul had a report on human rights stating that torture was systematic in Afghan prisons. Once again, the government did nothing.

It was during the summer of 2006 that the detainee abuse confirmed yesterday by General Natynczyk took place. It was documented and reported by soldiers in the field who did their job. Still the government did not do its job.

In November 2006 the Department of Foreign Affairs actually issued talking points playing down reports of torture. Secret memos leaked to the press confirmed that the government’s priority was spinning the issue rather than preventing torture from occurring.

In February 2007, there were three additional allegations of detainee abuse. That same month, the military police complaints commission initiated an investigation that was blocked by the government.

The government’s year of wilful blindness only ended when graphic reports of abuse surfaced in the Canadian press on April 23, 2007.”

This is a leader speaking.

And then, the coup de grace…pushing the knife home and twisting it just enough:

“Nevertheless, until yesterday, this minister (MacKay) and this government claimed that no detainee transferred by the Canadian military had been abused in Afghan prisons.

We now know this is not true.”

Perhaps Bob Ray was right…It’s not about changing leaders…it’s about acting on principle.