I am speaking to you at a moment
of grave crisis, when violent and fanatical men are attempting
to destroy the unity and the freedom of Canada. One aspect of
that crisis is the threat which has been made on the lives of
two innocent men. These are matters of the utmost gravity and
I want to tell you what the Government is doing to deal with them.
What has taken place in Montreal
in the past two weeks is not unprecedented. It has happened elsewhere
in the world on several recent occasions; it could happen elsewhere
within Canada. But Canadians have always assumed that it could
not happen here and as a result we are doubly shocked that it
has.
Our assumption may have been naive,
but it was understandable; understandable because democracy flourishes
in Canada understandable because individual liberty is cherished
in Canada.
Notwithstanding these conditions
- partly because of them - it has now been demonstrated to us
by a few misguided persons just how fragile a democratic society
can be, if democracy is not prepared to defend itself, and just
how vulnerable to blackmail are tolerant, compassionate people.
Because the kidnappings and the blackmail
are most familiar to you, I shall deal with them first.
The governments of Canada and Quebec
have been told by groups of self-styled revolutionaries that they
intend to murder in cold blood two innocent men unless their demands
are met. The kidnappers claim they act as they do in order to
draw attention to instances of social injustice. But I ask them
whose attention are they seeking to attract. The Government of
Canada ? The Government of Quebec ? Every government
in this country is well aware of the existence of deep and important
social problems. And every government to the limit of its resources
and ability is deeply committed to their solution. But not by
kidnappings and bombings. By hard work. And if any doubt exists
about the good faith or the ability of any government, there are
opposition parties ready and willing to be given an opportunity
to govern. In short there is available everywhere in Canada an
effective mechanism to change governments by peaceful means. It
has been employed by disenchanted voters again and again.
Who are the kidnap victims? To the
victims' families they are husbands and fathers. To the kidnappers
their identity is immaterial. The kidnappers' purposes would be
.served equally well by having in their grip you or me, or perhaps
some child. Their purpose is to exploit the normal, human feelings
of Canadians and to bend those feelings of sympathy into instruments
for their own violent and revolutionary ends.
What are the kidnappers demanding
in return for the lives of these men? Several things. For one,
they want their grievances aired by force in public on the assumption,
no doubt, that all right-thinking persons would be persuaded that
the problems of the world can be solved by shouting slogans and
insults.
They want more, they want the police
to offer up as a sacrificial lamb a person whom they assume assisted
in the lawful arrest and proper conviction of certain of their
criminal friends.
They also want money. Ransom money.
They want still more. They demand
the release from prison of 17 criminals, and the dropping of charges
against 6 other men, all of whom they refer to as "political
prisoners". Who are these men who are held out as latter-day
patriots and martyrs? Let me describe them to you.
Three are convicted murderers; five
others were jailed for manslaughter; one is serving a life imprisonment
after having pleaded guilty to numerous charges related to bombings;
another has been convicted of 17 armed robberies; two were once
parolled but are now back in jail awaiting trial on charges of
robberies.
Yet we are being asked to believe
that these persons have been unjustly dealt with, that they have
been imprisoned as a result of their political opinions, and that
they deserve to be freed immediately, without recourse to due
process of law.
The responsibility of deciding whether
to release one or other of these criminals is that of the Federal
Government. It is a responsibility that the Government will discharge
according to law. To bow to the pressures of these kidnappers
who demand that the prisoners be released would be not only an
abdication of responsibility, it would lead to an increase in
terrorist activities in Quebec. It would be as well an invitation
to terrorism and kidnapping across the country. We might well
find ourselves facing an endless series of demands for the release
of criminals from jails, from coast to coast, and we would find
that the hostages could be innocent members of your family or
mine.
At the moment the FLQ is holding
hostage two men in the Montreal area, one a British diplomat,
the other a Quebec cabinet minister. They are threatened with
murder. Should governments give in to this crude blackmail we
would be facing the breakdown of the legal system, and its replacement
by the law of the jungle. The Government's decision to prevent
this from happening is not taken just to defend an important principle,
it is taken to protect the lives of Canadians from dangers of
the sort I have mentioned. Freedom and personal security are safeguarded
by laws; those laws must be respected in order to be effective.
If it is the responsibility of government
to deny the demands of the kidnappers, the safety of the hostages
is without question the responsibility of the kidnappers. Only
the most twisted form of logic could conclude otherwise. Nothing
that either the Government of Canada or the Government of Quebec
has done or failed to do, now or in the future, could possibly
excuse any injury to either of these two innocent men. The guns
pointed at their heads have FLQ fingers on the triggers. Should
any injury result, there is no explanation that could condone
the acts. Should there be harm done to these men, the Government
promises unceasing pursuit of those responsible.
During the past 12 days, the Governments
of Canada and Quebec have been engaged in constant consultations.
The course followed in this matter had the full support of both
governments, and of the Montreal municipal authorities. In order
to save the lives of Mr. Cross and Mr. Laporte, we have engaged
in communications with the kidnappers.
The offer of the federal government
to the kidnappers of safe conduct out of Canada to a country of
their choice, in return for the delivery of the hostages has not
yet been taken up, neither has the offer of the Government of
Quebec to recommend parole for the five prisoners eligible for
parole.
This offer of safe conduct was made
only because Mr. Cross and Mr. Laporte might be able to identify
their kidnappers and to assist in their prosecution. By offering
the kidnappers safe exit from Canada we removed from them any
possible motivation for murdering their hostages.
Let me turn now to the broader implications
of the threat represented by the FLQ and similar organizations.
If a democratic society is to continue
to exist, it must be able to root out the cancer of an armed,
revolutionary movement that is bent on destroying the very basis
of our freedom. For that reason the Government, following an analysis
of the facts, including requests of the Government of Quebec and
the City of Montreal for urgent action, decided to proclaim the
War Measures Act. It did so at 4:00 a.m. this morning, in order
to permit the full weight of Government to be brought quickly
to bear on all those persons advocating or practicing violence
as a means of achieving political ends.
The War Measures Act gives sweeping
powers to the Government. It also suspends the operation of the
Canadian Bill of Rights. I can assure you that the Government
is most reluctant to seek such powers, and did so only when it
became crystal clear that the situation could not be controlled
unless some extraordinary assistance was made available on an
urgent basis.
The authority contained in the Act
will permit Governments to deal effectively with the nebulous
yet dangerous challenge to society represented by the terrorist
organizations. The criminal law as it stands is simply not adequate
to deal with systematic terrorism.
The police have therefore been given
certain extraordinary powers necessary for the effective detection
and elimination of conspiratorial organizations which advocate
the use of violence. These organizations, and membership in them,
have been declared illegal. The powers include the right to search
and arrest without warrant, to detain suspected persons without
the necessity of laying specific charges immediately, and to detain
persons without bail.
These are strong powers and I find
them as distasteful as I am sure do you. They are necessary, however,
to permit the police to deal with persons who advocate or promote
the violent overthow of our democratic system. In short, I assure
you that the Government recognizes its grave responsibilities
in interfering in certain cases with civil liberties, and that
it remains answerable to the people of Canada for its actions.
The Government will revoke this proclamation as soon as possible.
As I said in the House of Commons
this morning, the government will allow sufficient time to pass
to give it the necessary experience to assess the type of statute
which may be required in the present circumstances.
It is my firm intention to discuss
then with the leaders of the Opposition parties the desirability
of introducing legislation of a less comprehensive nature. In
this respect I earnestly solicit from the leaders and from all
Honourable members constructive suggestions for the amendment
of the regulations. Such suggestions will be given careful consideration
for possible inclusion in any new statute.