The Canadian government announced today that it has postponed indefinitely the United Nations conference on the prevention of crime which was scheduled to be held in Toronto, Sept. 1-12. In making the announcement to the House of Commons, Allan McEachen, Secretary of State for External Affairs, said the postponement was agreed upon with UN Secretary General Kurt Waldheim.
The government’s decision came after several Cabinet meetings following the refusal of the provincial government of Ontario to host the conference at which representatives of the Palestine Liberation Organization were scheduled to attend as observers.
Members of the opposition Conservative and New Democratic parties as well as the overwhelming majority of Prime Minister Pierre Elliot Trudeau’s own Liberal Party had urged the federal government to refuse permission for the PLO representatives to enter Canada. They had noted that Canada’s immigration laws bar admission to members of terrorists groups or those associated with terrorist organizations.
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