Clemency now only hope for Canadian on U.S. death row

The Liberals are calling on the government to step up efforts to save the only Canadian currently facing the death penalty in the U.S.

The U.S. Supreme Court has decided not to hear an appeal by Ronald Allen, the Alberta man who was convicted in 1982 of shooting two American Blackfoot Indian men to death. The court’s decision now means Allen’s only hope is the proverbial call from the governor himself. The Conservative government said three years ago it wouldn’t intervene on his behalf but then Allen won a Canadian Federal Court case that forced the government to attempt to win clemency for him due to Canadian laws against capital punishment. The government said it would comply with the ruling but Liberal consular affairs critic Dan McTeague said he’s concerned the Conservatives are only going through the motions.