Public Call for Inquiry into G20 Released By Rosario Marchese, MPP Trinity Spadina

 Toronto Deserves an Inquiry into G20 Weekend

Our city is slowly returning to normal after the spectacle of
car-burnings and police confrontations that, at least for Torontonians,
is now permanently associated with the G8/G20. But many, important
questions remain - and they need to be answered.

First, why did the summits cost so much? This question has been asked
and asked again, but so far there hasn't been a satisfactory answer.
And until we have one, we need to keep asking. The facts are both clear
and deeply confusing. The twin summits in Toronto and Muskoka cost $1.2
billion, with $930 million allocated for security. The summit security
costs in London (UK) cost just over $30 million and the security in
Pittsburgh cost a paltry $13 million. Toronto's $930 million security
bill is almost seventy-two times higher than Pittsburgh's. That is an
astonishing discrepancy. Where is the accountability in all of this?

Second, why was it that a regulation giving police extraordinary
measures to arrest and detain citizens was approved and passed in
secrecy? Changes to regulations should be reserved for minor revisions
only. They should never be used to introduce measures that materially
undermine people's basic democratic rights. The Premier has brushed off
these extraordinary measures as being temporary, as if that makes it
okay. It does not. The right to move around freely, without being
subject to state harassment, is a fundamental right that underlies all
democratic societies. Any change that would take away this right needs
to be debated in the Legislature, with ample justification, and not
passed covertly under a cloak of secrecy. That should be self-evident,
and the fact that it was not is deeply alarming.*

Third, how is it that with so much money spent on security, there still
weren't enough police to secure the protest routes? Why were vandals
allowed to roam freely on Saturday, setting cars on fire and destroying
property with impunity? What exactly were the 19,000 police and security
forces doing during this time? And why, on Sunday, were peaceful
protesters and people living in the security zone harassed and
intimidated? The incident at Queen and Spadina, where law-abiding
protesters - along with people who were just waiting for the streetcar -
were suddenly detained for hours in the pouring rain without
explanation, was particularly disturbing. Who exactly was calling the
shots - the Toronto Police or the RCMP? The Integrated Security Unit -
made up of police from across the country has never stated who exactly
was in charge. And in the end, how many people were arrested, and how
many of them were charged?

Given all that's transpired and the significant questions that remain,
there is an urgent need for an inquiry into the G8/G20 summits. This
inquiry needs to dissect the $1.2 billion price tag and it needs to
examine police actions over the weekend, specifically whether people's
constitutional rights were violated in the process. The inquiry must
also look into compensation for Toronto residents and businesses whose
property was vandalized.

Torontonians need answers to their questions. I urge everyone to sign
the Canadian Civil Liberties Association's petition for a public inquiry
at http://ccla.org and to ask the McGuinty government for the same:

Hon Dalton McGuinty
Room 281, Main Legislative Building, Queen's Park
Toronto, Ontario M7A 1A1
416-325-1941
dmcguinty.mpp.co@liberal.ola.org

If you have any questions, comments or concerns, please do not hesitate
to contact my office at 416-603-9664 or rmarchese-co@ndp.on.ca.

Sincerely,
Rosario Marchese, MPP
Trinity-Spadina
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