Law group at Université de Montréal tries blocking $15B Saudi arms deal
Group led by former Bloc MP Daniel Turp asks Federal Court for judicial review of controversial arms contract
A group from the Université de Montréal's law faculty is demanding a judicial review by the Federal Court of Canada to block a controversial $15-billion deal to sell military equipment to Saudi Arabia.
The federal Liberal government has promised to honour the contract, signed by the previous Conservative government, to supply Saudi Arabia with light-armoured military vehicles.
The group, led by law professor Daniel Turp, filed for a judicial review of the deal Monday morning.
- Stéphane Dion stands by $15B Saudi arms deal after executions
- How Saudi Arabia, and a $15B armoured vehicle deal, became an election issue
Turp, who also heads a Quebec sovereignty research institute and is a former Bloc Québécois MP and Parti Québécois MNA, said Canada should not be entering into an arms deal with a country that has such a poor human rights record.
Turp said the Trudeau government isn't being transparent, arguing the government should release details, such as when the contract is to come into force.
"Even though, Minister [Stéphane] Dion and Prime Minister [Justin] Trudeau argue now that this contract was a contract concluded by a Conservative government, a previous government, it doesn't mean that the laws that exist that are on the books should not be respected," Turp said.