UPDATED: The recorded votes are now available. Looks like Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff was one of those Liberals who had something better to do when Kennedy’s bill came to a vote. I find this significant because Harper remained for the vote.
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Late this afternoon: news that the Bill C-440 was defeated. The bill was sponsored by Gerard Kennedy (Liberal) and Bill Siksay (NDP) and would have amended the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act to allow US military deserters to stay in Canada. The vote was apparently 143 against the bill and 136 in favour.
I’ve never really understood why Kennedy was sponsoring this, as it is completely contrary to our own treatment of deserters from the Canadian Forces, and I’ve outlined the rationale for my opposition to his attempt previously on this blog.
So, I’m pleased that enough Liberals (I’m making assumptions about who voted how, since I haven’t seen the voting records yet) stayed away to let this bill fail.
robinmowat.ca 
No place left to run to cowards – you should have shutup and plugged a haji or two and you’d be fine now.
Add this to the –respectful standing ovations– George Bush has gotten from Toronto & Edmonton business crowds and think we can safely say that the LEFT IS FINALLY DEAD in Canada!
killing ain’t optional in the military – it’s joyfully MANDATORY (especially for muslems)!
I’m popping a cork on a bottle of happy juice tonight!
OooRAH!
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So disappointed that Canada has become the lapdog of American Imperial interests.
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And Luther, thanks for exposing the racist underbelly of conservatives in Canada. You’ve just made my point.
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Luther’s comment is ridiculous.
But so too are those from James.
I thank both of you for your idiotic additions to the debate.
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Soldiers should just follow orders? Hmmnnn… after WWII I thought Mr. Frum that we had agreed that soldiers do have obligations beyond those imposed by the state?
Perhaps, soldiers should also have rights to develop a conscience and act freely in a volunteer army, and in a democracy?
Isn’t that what they are supposedly fighting for – freedom of conscience and freedom of thought?
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David, thank you for your thoughtful comment (although, I’m not sure what the Mr. Frum reference is about).
Soldiers are not – and shouldn’t be – unthinking automatons. They should indeed act according to their conscience (as should everyone).
But just because you act according to your conscience doesn’t mean you should be free from the consequences of those actions.
I encourage you to fully read my position on this in my previous blog posts: http://atomicrobot.wordpress.com/2010/07/07/the-lumpless-deserters/
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