With WikiLeaks saying there are as many as 2,648 documents about Canada among the quarter-million it plans to release in coming days, some local MPs are saying this has gone “way overboard.”
“There’s a legitimate concern about certain information being disclosed that could affect international relations and foreign affairs,” said Ottawa Centre MP Paul Dewar, the NDP’s Foreign Affairs critic.
“That said, I think some people have gone way overboard,” he said, singling out former Harper adviser Tom Flanagan, who this week said Wiki-Leaks founder Julian Assange should be assassinated. “I’m hoping that people, as someone said, just take a valium on some of this, like, don’t go overboard on it,” he said.
“I’m disappointed with all of this,” said David McGuinty, Liberal MP for Ottawa South.
“There are exchanges that go on a regular basis between officials, staff, heads of mission and home governments, and those exchanges are expected to be confidential, if not super-confidential.”
Ultimately, all of this is not necessarily a productive exercise, he said.
“There are so many important problems facing our country, facing the planet, so many things to improve … The information release is a bit of a distraction from other very, very meaningful priorities.”
Dewar said he expects to see more on “our relationship with the U.S.” and “probably on issues of our challenge in doing diplomatic affairs abroad.”
