I was a little surprised in the last few days that Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau commented on Donald Trump’s racism scandal. That’s great, but Trudeau has more immediate problems right under his nose. Steven Nowack is still in jail, approaching 90 days, at the whim of Ontario Superior Court Justice Robert Goldstein, in Toronto, who will not grant him bail.
I told you last week that Nowack wrote to Trudeau and to the Attorney General of Canada, David Lametti, begging them to look at his case: unsentenced, and deserving of bail, Nowack continues to be separated from his small children.
Well, Trudeau’s office DID write back. His personal secretary conceded that Trudeau did know about the case but refuses to do anything about it.
The secretary on behalf of Trudeau did not question Nowack’s charges of judicial and prosecutorial misconduct. He accepted them, it would seem. The PMO even gave Mr. Nowack Doug Downey’s email address, so as to assist him in moving this enormously difficult and scandalous matter, not to speak of the acts that flagrantly violated Mr. Nowack’s statutory and Charter Rights, right off of their desks. I can just imagine the discussion in the PMO. “Let Doug and his Attorney General deal with this. It is their mess.”
Meantime, Trudeau was busy commenting on the Trump situation with the four Democratic congresswoman. But this situation with Steven Nowack certainly undercuts Trudeau’s standing as Good Guy of the North. He’s letting a man sit in prison without access to bail, for well on three months. Shameful.
Trudeau said about Trump’s scandal: “I think Canadians and indeed people around the world know exactly what I think about those particular comments. That is not how we do things in Canada. A Canadian is a Canadian is a Canadian.”
If that’s so, it’s high time he intervened in this case. And where is the outrage from the Canadian press? I expected more from them by now.
Here’s Trudeau’s letter to Nowack:
Office of the Prime Minister / Cabinet du Premier ministre
Prime Minister/Premier Ministre Dear Mr. Nowack:On behalf of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, I would like to acknowledge receipt of your correspondence regarding your personal case.I recognize why you have written to the Prime Minister; however, I hope you will understand that he cannot intervene in a specific case or a decision made by the courts.
As you seem to be aware, the administration of justice is the responsibility of the provincial governments. Therefore, if you have not already done so, you may wish to share your concerns with the Honourable Doug Downey, Attorney General of Ontario. Minister Downey can be reached at attorneygeneral@ontario.ca.
I regret that this office cannot help you in the way you had perhaps hoped, but I wish you well in resolving your concerns.Thank you for taking the time to write.
Yours sincerely,
T. Jolicoeur
Executive Correspondence Officer
for the Prime Minister’s Office
Agent de correspondance
de la haute direction
pour le Cabinet du Premier ministre
