Canadian government 'lied' over $12bn arms sale to Saudi Arabia
Source: Agence France-Presse
Canadian government 'lied' over $12bn arms sale to Saudi Arabia
AFP in Ottawa
Wednesday 13 April 2016 23.12 BST
Canadas Liberal government has refused to back down in the face of growing criticism for having approved arms sales to Saudi Arabia that could help it wage war in Yemen.
A previous Conservative administration announced the US$12bn sale of light armoured vehicles in February 2014.
However, the Conservatives are now raising the alarm over the arms sale believed to be the largest in Canadian history while the New Democratic Party (NDP) accused the Liberals of misleading Canadians.
The Liberals have refused to cancel the sale since coming to power in November, saying it was a done deal that could not be broken off without possibly incurring significant penalties and job losses.
But documents released this week by the justice department in response to a lawsuit seeking to block the deal showed foreign minister Stéphane Dion signed crucial export permits only last Friday.
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http://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/apr/13/canadian-government-lied-over-12bn-arms-sale-to-saudi-arabia