The cheque’s in the mail

Diplomat Richard Colvin, the man who publicly revealed that prisoners handed over to Afghan forces by Canadian soldiers were likely being tortured, initially had trouble getting the federal government to pay his legal fees. This led the whistle-blower to claim that the Conservatives were tying to punish him for revealing the abuse. However, an official with the Foreign Affairs department says the government has paid two invoices totally $20,000 to Colvin’s Toronto lawyer, and has set aside up to $50,000 for further fees. It’s not clear, however, whether the committee charged with investigating Colvin’s claims will be resurrected once Parliament reconvenes in March given that the unanimous consent of all parties in the House of Commons would be needed to re-establish it.

Canadian Press