OTTAWA — Justice Minister David Lametti said Canada still hasn’t sorted out how to solve an issue other countries fixed months ago, leaving Canadian humanitarian groups unable to help desperate Afghans.
Despite revelations Ottawa has been in regular talks with the Taliban regime, the Liberals have no explanation for why they won’t let Canadian groups provide life-saving help.
“It is a complex matter and we are searching for solutions,” Lametti told the Senate on Wednesday.
Aidgroups say they are unable to provide assistance to people in need because of fear they could face reprisals under Canada’s terror laws, which list the Taliban as a terrorist entity.
Organizations told members of Parliament in the spring that Global Affairs Canada said they would not be able to pay a driver to deliver food or supplies because doing so would incur taxes sent to the Taliban.
Those MPs belonged to a House of Commons committee that probed Canada’s response to the fall of Afghanistan back into Taliban rule. In June, it called on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government to modify the law to allow aid groups to provide assistance to those on the ground without being prosecuted for helping a terrorist group.
Months later, that has not happened. Opposition parties and humanitarian groups are accusing Ottawa of dragging its feet, and Canada’s allies found exemptions this spring.
Lametti said in an interview on Tuesday that the government is “sensitive” to the issue, but that multiple departments still haven’t come up with a solution.
“Criminal Code amendments are one option on the table — they’re not the only option on the table, and we’ll do our best to find the right solution.”
He added it’s important that whatever solution the government lands on doesn’t carry unintended consequences,without providing an example.
Sen. Ratna Omidvar said Wednesday that the situation in Afghanistan is beyond urgent and the government should by now have plans in place to offer some kind of exemption.
“I don’t care which way they fix it. I don’t care if it’s an exemption from prosecution or it’s a change in the anti-terrorism court — I just want them to get it done.”
She also questioned whether the government is truly seized with the issue as it has stated, given that it’s still weighing options months after it was first flagged.
“Thinking about it is not being seized with it,” she said, adding thatCanadian NGOs “have their hands tied behind their backs.”
Omidvar pressed Lametti on the matter in the Upper Chamber, asking for a timeline for change.
Lametti instead reiterated that it is a serious matter.
“Obviously I can’t get in front of the process as it’s moving forward, given the way our Parliament works,” he said.
“We are examining all options, and I can’t say more than that.”
In late August, UN humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths said more than half the Afghan population — some 24 million people — need assistance, and close to 19 million are facing acute levels of food insecurity.
The charity Street Child says there has been a tripling of child labour as Afghanistan faces drought, economic tumult and high oil prices, and officials expect a worse situation as winter sets in.
Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly said the Liberals will have something shortly for non-governmental organizations.
“We need to make sure the money is able to get to NGOs, so we’ll be coming with solutions on that very soon … to find ways to be able to help people of Afghanistan suffering from the Taliban regime,” she said in a Wednesday interview.
Joly also confirmed a media report that Canada has been in regular talks with the Taliban starting just weeks after it took over Afghanistan in August 2021.
The Taliban, which Canada lists as a terrorist organization, has been in recurring discussions with western officials during meetings in Doha, Qatar.
“We have no intention of recognizing the Taliban regime, and so what we’re doing out of Doha is really making sure that we push the issues that Canadians care about, and that includes girls and education,” Joly said.
She did not comment on the merits of Canada joining allies to launch a multi-country representative office, which some experts have proposed in lieu of a formal embassy, to keep track of the human rights situation in the country.
Trudeau told reporters that the Doha talks are meant for raising human rights, and to help get people out of Afghanistan.
“Unfortunately, we have to have undertakings with these people,” he said in French.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 5, 2022.
Dylan Robertson and Stephanie Taylor, The Canadian Press
Note to readers: This is a corrected story. A previous version said Justice Minister David Lametti was scheduled to appear before a Senate committee on Wednesday afternoon.
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — The San Francisco 49ers placed All-Pro running back Christian McCaffrey on injured reserve because of his lingering calf and Achilles tendon injuries.
The move made Saturday means McCaffrey will miss at least four more games after already sitting out the season opener. He is eligible to return for a Thursday night game in Seattle on Oct. 10.
McCaffrey got hurt early in training camp and missed four weeks of practice before returning to the field on a limited basis last week. He was a late scratch for the opener on Monday night against the Jets and now is sidelined again after experiencing pain following practice on Thursday.
McCaffrey led the NFL last season with 2,023 yards from scrimmage and was tied for the league lead with 21 touchdowns, winning AP Offensive Player of the Year.
The Niners made up for McCaffrey’s absence thanks to a strong performance from backup Jordan Mason, who had 28 carries for 147 yards and a touchdown in San Francisco’s 32-19 victory over the New York Jets. Mason is set to start again Sunday at Minnesota.
After missing 23 games because of injuries in his final two full seasons with Carolina, McCaffrey had been healthy the past two seasons.
He missed only one game combined in 2022-23 — a meaningless Week 18 game last season for San Francisco when he had a sore calf. His 798 combined touches from scrimmage in the regular season and playoffs were the third most for any player in a two-year span in the past 10 years.
Now San Francisco will likely rely heavily on Mason, a former undrafted free agent out of Georgia Tech who had 83 carries his first two seasons. He had at least 10 touches just twice before the season opener, when his 28 carries were the most by a 49ers player in a regular-season game since Frank Gore had 31 against Seattle on Oct. 30, 2011.
The Niners also have fourth-round rookie Isaac Guerendo and Patrick Taylor Jr. on the active roster. Guerendo played three offensive snaps with no touches in the opener. Taylor had 65 carries for Green Bay from 2021-23.
San Francisco also elevated safety Tracy Walker III from the practice squad for Sunday’s game against Minnesota.
BRUSSELS – Canada walked away with some hardware at the Diamond League track and field competition Saturday.
Alysha Newman finished third in women’s pole vault, while Marco Arop did the same in the men’s 800-metre race.
Newman won a bronze medal in her event at the recent Paris Olympics. Arop grabbed silver at the same distance in France last month.
Australia’s Nina Kennedy, who captured gold at the Summer Games, again finished atop the podium. Sandi Morris of the United States was second.
Newman set a national record when she secured Canada’s first-ever pole vault medal with a bronze at the Olympics with a height of 4.85 metres. The 30-year-old from London, Ont., cleared 4.80 metres in her second attempt Saturday, but was unable conquer 4.88 metres on three attempts.
Arop, a 25-year-old from Edmonton, finished the men’s 800 metres with a time of one minute 43.25 seconds. Olympic gold medallist Emmanuel Wanyonyi of Kenya was first with a time of 1:42.70.
Djamel Sedjati, edged out by Arop for silver in Paris last month, was second 1:42.87
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 14, 2024.
MILAN (AP) — Bologna’s preparations for its Champions League debut are not going well though it managed to spoil Como’s first Serie A home match in 21 years on Saturday.
Bologna came from two goals down to salvage a 2-2 draw to gather three points from its opening four matches.
Bologna hosts Shakhtar Donetsk on Wednesday. Its only other appearance in Europe’s top competition was in 1964 in the preliminary round of the old European Cup.
AC Milan is also winless as it prepares for a Tuesday Champions League match against Liverpool. The Rossoneri hosted promoted Venezia later. Juventus drew at Empoli 0-0.
Como made a great start in the fifth minute when Patrick Cutrone attempted to roll the ball across the six-yard box but it took a huge deflection off Bologna defender Nicolò Casale for an own goal.
Bologna thought it was gifted a way back into the match on the stroke of halftime when referee Marco Piccinini signalled for a penalty following an Alberto Moreno handball, but he revoked his decision and instead gave a free kick because the handball was just outside the area.
Bologna improved after the break but found itself further behind when Cutrone raced onto a through ball and cut inside past a defender and fired into the far bottom corner.
Tommaso Pobega hit the post for Bologna, which finally pulled one back in the 76th through substitute Santiago Castro.
Another substitute helped the visitors snatch a point when Samuel Iling-Junior curled a fine strike into the top left corner in stoppage time.
Unbeaten sides
Juventus, and more surprisingly Empoli, are among six unbeaten sides.
Empoli held Monza and Bologna to draws either side of a shock 2-1 win at Roma. Juventus’ perfect start to the season was ruined by Roma in a goalless draw before the international break.
On Saturday, there were few clearcut chances in Empoli although home goalkeeper Devis Vásquez made spectacular saves to fingertip out a Federico Gatti header and deny Dusan Vlahovic in a one on one with the Juventus forward.
Empoli had a good opportunity in the 73rd minute following an Alberto Grassi one-two with Pietro Pellegri but the finish was straight at Mattia Perin.
The host could have won it right at the death but Gatti flew in with a great sliding block to keep out Emanuel Gyasi’s close-range effort.
Juventus hosts PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League on Tuesday.
