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Home   Newsroom 2005 News releases (archive) 2005-11-25: Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness announces appointment of the Honourable Bob Rae to lead the Air India Flight 182 review and inquiry
OTTAWA, November 25, 2005 -- The Honourable Anne McLellan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, today announced, on behalf of the Government of Canada, that the Honourable Bob Rae has been appointed by order-in-council as Chairperson of the Air India Flight 182 Review and Inquiry. “I have every confidence that Mr. Rae will build on what he has learned and answer the important questions he identified and that additional questions that victims' families have identified can also be addressed ,” said Minister McLellan. “We have followed through on the Prime Minister's commitment to move forward and establish this review and inquiry. ” As Chairperson of the Air India Flight 182 Review and Inquiry, Mr. Rae’s mandate will be to assess the first three issues raised in his report. The fourth issue identified by Mr. Rae, as to whether Canada has learned enough in the area of aviation security, has been added to the Terms of Reference for the Advisory Panel on the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority (CATSA) Act Review, announced by the Minister of Transport on November 23. In addition, and in response to concerns raised by the families of the victims of Air India Flight 182, Mr. Rae will examine the adequacy of the legal framework respecting the financing in Canada of terrorist activities. The families also raised concerns about the fear and intimidation of witnesses and the capacity of the judicial system to deal with cases of terrorism. In response, the Minister of Justice will refer the first matter, that of witness intimidation, to the Law Commission of Canada for study and advice, and will name an eminent jurist to examine the issue of the adjudication of terrorist cases. The Deputy Prime Minister has forwarded Mr. Rae's report and the families' statement to federal cabinet colleagues with relevant responsibilities. Ongoing policy reviews in several government departments will continue to examine these and other important issues raised by Mr. Rae and the families. “The bombing of Air India Flight 182 was Canada’s introduction to international terrorism,” said Minister McLellan. “I sincerely thank the families for their generosity of spirit to work with us, in spite of their pain, as we work to learn the lessons of this terrible event.” The Government of Canada, and in particular, the Commissioner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and the Director of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) have given their assurances that their respective organizations will provide full cooperation and disclosure to this review and inquiry. See Also :
For further information: Media Relations
Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Canada
(613) 991-0657 Alex Swann
Director of Communications
Office of the Honourable Anne McLellan
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness
(613) 991-2863
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