McGuinty responds to what watchdog calls G20 civil rights violations

TORONTO, Ont. – Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty is refusing to apologize for his role in what the ombudsman calls a mass violation of civil rights.

Speaking for the first time since Tuesday’s report from ombudsman Andre Marin, McGuinty defended the government’s decision to secretly give police wartime powers during the G20 summit in Toronto last June.

He said the governing Liberals acted with “good intentions”, only wanted to help police deal with security concerns during the gathering of world leaders, and even Marin’s report admitted to that fact.

“It’s been said that too much haste makes waste. We moved pretty quickly on this in order to help our police at the earliest possible opportunity,” McGuinty said.

“The Premier can weave and bob and duck and dodge all he wants, but he’s responsible,” said NDP MPP Peter Kormos in response, blaming more than just the McGuinty for the issue.

“The government was neither clear, nor honest, or forthcoming. [McGuinty’s] solicitor-general who’s aiding and abetting the government in the course of this should be accepting responsibility and in fact, heads should roll.”

However, McGuinty did admit to two errors: “that we moved too quickly, and that we failed to properly communicate a change.”

“Police were given additional authority. We moved too quickly to provide that authority. We did not take the appropriate time to fully reflect on the consequences.”

Marin’s report said there was deliberate misinformation surrounding the revamped Second World War regulation.

He said that led people to wrongly believe that police could detain anyone who came near the G20 security fence.

Marin said it should have been dubbed the five-kilometre rule given police were stopping and searching people far from the fences in the downtown core.

The Liberal government has admitted it could have done a better job communicating the changes in the law, and McGuinty told reporters that they will accept Marin’s findings and act upon any recommendations.

More than 1,000 arrests were made during the G20, but Marin said hundreds or even thousands more were detained without cause.

Former Ontario Chief Justice Roy McMurtry is also reviewing issues stemming from the summit. His findings are expected to be released in the new year.