James Wood, Calgary Herald
July 9, 2017
Andrew Scheer says the Conservative Opposition will force a debate in the House of Commons on the Liberal government’s payout to former Guantanamo Bay inmate Omar Khadr.
Ottawa formally apologized to Khadr this week and paid him to settle a longstanding lawsuit — reportedly to the tune of $10.5 million — prompting outrage among federal Conservatives and their new leader.
Speaking at the Conservatives’ annual Stampede barbecue fundraiser at Heritage Park, Scheer said that when the House resumes sitting in September the Tories will use their first Opposition day to raise the issue.
“We’re going to force every Liberal in the House to take a stand,” he said to applause. “It will be simple: Do you support paying a self-confessed terrorist over $10 million or do you stand with the common sense of millions of Canadians? Justin Trudeau will have to stand and defend it.”
