June 16, 2002

by facsimile

Liberal Government
Special Committee of Council
House of Commons
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0A6

Dear Cabinet Members:

On behalf of the members of our branch, we ask that you turn down the denaturalization of Wasyl Odynsky.

Mr. Odynsky has been found by a Federal Court Judge not to have committed or to have participated in any criminal acts. Therefore, he could not possibly be guilty of a war crime or a crime against humanity under s. 7(3.71) of the Criminal Code, as those two terms are defined in s. 7(3.76). That being the case, he is not now and never was a war criminal. What, then, is the purpose of stripping him of his citizenship?

We are told it is because he materially misrepresented himself upon coming to Canada, thereby gaining access by false pretences. We are told that the Citizenship Act makes this a ground for denaturalization. We are also told that his "offence" occurred over 50 years ago during an interview that may or may not have taken place, when a V.C.O. may or may not have asked him a certain question, to which Mr. Odynsky may or may not have replied truthfully.

Both the Canadian Bar Association and the Canadian Civil Liberties Association are on record as opposing the balance of probabilities as sufficient onus to strip a person of citizenship; these groups also oppose absence of an appeal process.

In our respectful view, denaturalization and deportation as a process is a blight on our justice system. Now is the time to remove the process, not Mr. Odynsky.

Yours truly,

Eugene Yereniuk, Secretary