Conrad Black, who was convicted on $6 million fraud and obstruction of justice charges remains an officer of the Order of Canada. He is presently serving time in the Coleman Correctional Complex in Florida. Not exactly the profile of an appointee to a top Canadian honour.
There are other reasons to question why Black retains the honour. In 2001 he gave up his Canadian citizenship. He claimed he was forced to it because of a court decision that blocked his passage to a British peerage.
Nobody 'forces' you to give up your citizenship. Black gave it up because he was angry with Jean Chrétien and mesmerized by the prospect of becoming a peer of the realm... but not before insulting Canada by describing it as "an oppressive little world."
Two recipients of the Order, Dr Margaret-Ann Armour, a University of Alberta prof and ecologist David Schindler, told the CBC that they felt Conrad Black was no longer a part of the group.
Professor Armour said "This is something where one is upholding the honour of our country, and you don't do a very good job of it if you are not an honest business person."
When you consider the fate of two other appointees to the Order, David Akenakew and T. Sher Singh, who have been stripped of the honour, the appearance of a double-standard, even racism is hard to avoid.
David Ahenakew, former National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations, was appointed to the Order in 1978. Akenakew didn't defraud anyone or renounce his citizenship. He made a number of highly controversial and offensive remarks about Jews during an interview with the Saskatoon Star Phoenix. He was stripped of the Order on July 8, 2005 - an outcome that in his opinion was due to the lobbying efforts of the Canadian Jewish Congress.
It has been suggested that the council responsible for the Order of Canada are withholding a decision on Conrad Black pending the outcome of his appeal. However Akenakew was stripped of the honour before he completed his appeal - an appeal moreover that resulted in his conviction being overturned.
On February 23, 2009 Akenakew was acquitted in Provincial Court. Judge Wilfred Tucker said that while Akenakew's remarks were "revolting, disgusting and untrue" they did not show an intent to incite hatred.
More recently an Indo-Canadian lawyer named T. Sher Singh had his appointment to the Order terminated. According to the Governor-General's office the termination was `"pursuant to the Law Society of Upper Canada finding Mr. Singh guilty of professional misconduct and revoking his license to practice law."
For all their sins, neither Ahenakew nor T. Sher Singh have been sentenced for obstruction and fraud to the tune of millions. Neither did they cast aside their Canadian citizenship so they could accept a British peerage.
There is a glaring double-standard in the exception accorded to Conrad Black and it needs to be addressed.
