Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, the Halifax International Security Forum has announced the winner of the 2020 John McCain Prize for Leadership in Public Service: Tsai Ing-wen, President of Taiwan. Despite being pressured by the government to withhold the prize, the Halifax International Security Forum decided to stand up and speak out for human rights, democracy and the rule of law. President Tsai Ing-wen has been a…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Madam Speaker, volunteers are the backbone of our communities. Earlier this month was National Volunteer Week, when we pay tribute to the important work of volunteers. From church groups to service clubs to individuals looking to make a difference, I am always impressed by the volunteers in Wellington—Halton Hills. Especially this year, during a pandemic, their work does not go unnoticed. I would …
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, Canadians continue to raise concerns about the conflict in Ethiopia's Tigray region; Canadians like Professor Ann M. Fitz-Gerald, Canadians living in diaspora groups here at home and Canadian aid groups. Over a million people have been displaced, and there are reports of ethnic cleansing and gross violations of human rights. The government has committed funds to support humanitarian e…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Madam Speaker, yesterday the British Parliament followed this Parliament's example and adopted a motion recognizing the genocide of the Uighur Muslims. The Uighurs are being forced to pick cotton and produce tomatoes. The measures the government put in place in January to ban these imports are ineffective. Other countries are using more effective measures. Will the government bring in effective me…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Madam Speaker, countries around the world are waking up to the threats from China. The Canadian Parliament, the U.K. Parliament, the Dutch Parliament and the Biden administration have all recognized the Uighur genocide. Yesterday, Australia cancelled two Chinese infrastructure agreements, both part of China's belt and road initiative. When will the government do the same and withdraw from another …
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, today is the Queen's birthday. Her Majesty is 95. This birthday takes place at a sad time, following the death of His Royal Highness The Prince Philip. Her reign began on February 6, 1952. At that time, Louis St. Laurent was prime minister. Since then, the Queen has worked with 12 Canadian prime ministers and has been Canada's Queen for almost half the time since Confederation. At 18 …
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, Ontario is in crisis because of vaccine shortages. In Kitchener-Waterloo, public health announced last weekend that vaccination clinics were closing because of vaccine shortages. For example, the vaccination clinics at the Boardwalk in Kitchener and Pinebush Road in Cambridge will go from seven to three days a week. When will the government get serious and deliver the vaccines the pro…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, where is the urgency from the government? Ontario is in crisis. A third wave is upon us, all because the government has failed to deliver vaccines. We have 4,400 new cases a day, double the rate of the U.S. There were 19 COVID deaths in the last 24 hours alone, higher than the rate in the U.S. The U.S. and U.K. are avoiding the third wave. Over 40% of Americans have been vaccinated an…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, I am speaking truth to power: a power the current government is not using to deliver vaccines. Referring to the government's handling of the pandemic, The Globe and Mail said last weekend, “the best policy for Canadians is this: When it comes to COVID-19 you're on your own. Pretend you don't have governments protecting you because in many ways you don't.” The government punted much of…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, it has come to light that the government threatened to cancel future funding for the Halifax security forum if it awarded the John McCain Prize to Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen. The government’s attempt to silence those critical of China is shameful and it plays right into China's desire to silence its critics abroad. Will the Prime Minister admit this was a mistake and commit to co…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, determining the origin of the coronavirus is essential for preventing the next pandemic. However, we still do not know the exact origins of COVID-19, because Chinese leadership obstructed the investigation by the World Health Organization, the WHO. Will the Prime Minister publicly acknowledge that the WHO caved to pressure from China, and will he work with our allies in calling for an…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, Taiwan's handling of the pandemic has been one of the world's most successful. With a population of only 23 million, it has had only 1,000 coronavirus cases and 10 deaths. Next month, countries will be participating in WHO's annual meeting, but Taiwan has not been invited, even though it had observer status until 2017. On Monday in the House, the foreign affairs minister referred to T…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, there have been consultations among the parties, and I believe that if you seek it, you will find unanimous consent of the House for the following motion. I move: That this House (a) agree with the Statement of the Vice President of the Halifax International Security Forum that, with respect to the John McCain Prize for Leadership in Public Service, President Tsai Ing-wen of Taiwan "i…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, over the weekend, reports indicated the government threatened to cancel funding for the Halifax Security Forum if it awarded the John McCain Prize to Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen. The government’s attempt to silence those critical of China is shameful and it is counterproductive because it plays right into the hands of China. Will the government reverse its position, speak out for …
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, determining the origin of the coronavirus is essential for preventing the next pandemic. However, we still do not know the exact origins of COVID-19, because Chinese leadership is obstructing the investigation by the WHO. Will the government acknowledge that the WHO caved to pressure from China, and will it work with our allies in calling for an overhaul of that organization?
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, Taiwan’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic has been one of the most successful in the world. With a population of only 23 million, Taiwan has only had about a thousand coronavirus cases and 10 deaths. In May, Canada along with other countries, will be participating in the meeting of the World Health Organization, but Taiwan has not been invited even though it had observer status until…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
With regard to the Prime Minister’s comments on February 16, 2021 about “not applying it to things that don’t meet the very clear internationally recognized criteria around genocide” in reference to not designating the treatment of the Uyghurs by the Chinese government as genocide: what specific criteria has not been met that is preventing the government from declaring it a genocide?
Read full speech →Statements By Members
Madam Speaker, there has been an alarming rise in discrimination and racism against Canadians of Asian descent. Asians have been attacked in public, yelled at, spat at and subjected to online hate and discrimination, just for being Asian. It is clear that despite the tremendous progress we have made as Canadians in recent decades to combat racism and discrimination and to build a society where Can…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Madam Speaker, I have a very simple question for the government. At the same time as the trial of Mr. Spavor was taking place last Friday in northern China and at the same time as the trial of Mr. Kovrig was taking place in Beijing last Monday, the government transferred $40 million to the China-led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, China's attempt to expand its influence throughout the Indo-P…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Madam Speaker, the government says that it likes to work multilaterally but often does not when given the chance. In 2015, President Obama and Vice-President Biden asked the government not to join the China-led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank. Now, several years later, it is clear President Biden was right about China's threats in Indo-Pacific, and Mr. Kovrig and Mr. Spavor are paying the pri…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, documents released last week by Global Affairs Canada paint a troubling picture of the naïveté of this government's foreign policy. After a bit of pressure was put on the government by the arms export lobby and by Turkish authorities, and after the government was told that these arms exports would be used for the defence of human rights, the government buckled and naively reversed its…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, the documents also reveal something else troubling: The Liberal Party put its own self-interest first. The documents reveal that when the foreign affairs minister met with his Turkish counterpart last September, the objective was not to discuss the Armenia–Azerbaijan conflict, and it was not to discuss Syria or other regional conflicts. It was to promote the Liberal Party and Liberal …
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, in light of these revelations, will the Prime Minister promise not to make the same mistakes that contributed to fuelling the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict and that were inconsistent with Canada's interests and values in the region?
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Madam Speaker, last week, the European Union and the United States announced sanctions against the Russians responsible for their repression of Alexei Navalny and protesters, yet Canada remained silent. Human rights activist Vladimir Kara-Murza called Canada's reluctance baffling and inexplicable. Why is the government not working with our allies to maintain rules-based international order?
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Madam Speaker, the government is not acting multilaterally. Last month, the FBI placed Russian oligarch Yevgeniy Prigozhin on its most wanted list for interfering in the 2016 U.S. election. Twitter released evidence that Prigozhin's Internet Research Agency has targeted Canada with thousands of disinformation tweets. Oligarchs target Canada with disinformation, target members of the government and…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Madam Speaker, last month, Parliament recognized that a genocide against Muslims is taking place in China. This week, a coalition of experts, including two former Liberal ministers of justice and a former Liberal minister of foreign affairs, concluded that a genocide is taking place. This week, the United States called out China at the United Nations for this genocide. Yesterday, Roméo Dallaire, w…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, last month the House recognized that China is perpetuating a genocide against Uighurs and other Turkic Muslims. Yesterday a coalition of global experts, including two former Liberal ministers of justice and a former Liberal minister of foreign affairs, concluded that China is perpetuating a genocide. The government must uphold its responsibility under international law and the 1948 ge…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, Parliament has recognized the Uighur Muslim genocide in Xinjiang. Upholding the rules-based international order means upholding treaties like the 1948 genocide convention. Article I of the convention clearly establishes Canada's obligation to prevent genocide, even if it is extraterritorial. This obligation is binding and is the norm of international law. What action is the government…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, 20% of the world's cotton is produced in Xinjiang, where half a million Uighurs are forced to pick cotton in a coercive state-run system. The measures announced last month on imports from Xinjiang are not enough. Does the government realize that these measures will not work, and will it impose better measures, such as banning imports from Xinjiang?
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, tomorrow the Prime Minister has a meeting with President Biden. We know that the issue of China will be discussed. Will the Prime Minister raise the issue of the genocide against the Uighur people in his meeting with President Biden?
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, today the House will vote on a motion that calls on the government to officially recognize the genocide against the Uighur people. Reports indicate that the Prime Minister and cabinet will abstain from this vote. Will the government uphold democratic norms, respect the will of the House and the terms of the motion and officially recognize the Uighur genocide?
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, does the minister worry that equivocation in response to China's belligerence and threats, its detention of Mr. Kovrig and Mr. Spavor and condemnation to death of Mr. Schellenberg, sends a message to China that these threats and this belligerence works?
Read full speech →Government Orders
moved: That, (a) in the opinion of the House, the People's Republic of China has engaged in actions consistent with the United Nations General Assembly Resolution 260, commonly known as the "Genocide Convention", including detention camps and measures intended to prevent births as it pertains to Uyghurs and other Turkic Muslims; and (b) given that (i) where possible, it has been the policy of the …
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, the United States is the only country in the world that has formerly recognized that this constitutes a genocide. It was first recognized by the previous administration. It has since been confirmed by two secretaries of the current administration, both the current secretary of state and secretary of the treasury. We are calling on the government to work with our allies, particularly…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I believe the government should work closely with our allies and everything should be on the table for consideration when working with our allies. We should be considering Magnitsky sanctions on the perpetrators of this genocide and the officials responsible for these gross human rights violations. We should be formally asking the International Olympic Committee for a relocation of …
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, we are very concerned about the wrongful detention of Mr. Kovrig and Mr. Spavor, as we are with the arbitrary decision to put Mr. Schellenberg on death row, as we are with Huseyin Celil and other Canadians who are the target of China's belligerence. That said, we strongly believe that being passive in the face of these threats is clearly not the way to respond to China's belligerenc…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, last month, the Government of Canada announced measures with respect to the importation of goods from Xinjiang in response to human rights concerns over violations that are taking place in that region. Does the member believe there is a better way to put in place these trade sanctions on that region of China? For example, does he believe it would be better to put a blanket ban on all …
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. It is with great hesitation that I interrupt another member's speech, but I was wondering if the member planned on speaking for the full 20 minutes or just for 10 minutes.
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, let me ask a slightly different question. If the House adopts the Uighur genocide motion but the government votes against it, will the government uphold democratic norms, respect the will of the House and recognize the Uighur genocide?
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask a simple and fair question. There is a motion before the House calling on the government to officially recognize that the People's Republic of China is carrying out a genocide against the Uighur people and other Turkic Muslims. Will the government support that motion?
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, moving on to the Indo-Pacific, President Biden is assembling a coalition of democracies to counter China's threats in the Indo-Pacific. Today, the Biden administration is participating for the first time in the quadrilateral security dialogue made up of Australia, India, Japan and the United States. Some say this could evolve into an eastern NATO. Is Canada going to be part of this, a…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, if this motion, and the amendment before of the House, are adopted, but the government votes against the motion, does the member believe the government has an obligation to uphold the terms of the motion? As the member knows, these motions are not statutorily binding, but they are binding in the normative sense of the word. If we believe in upholding democratic norms, it is importan…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I have been listening to the speeches all day today and taking notes. I appreciate the member's comments on the amendment and the motion in front of the House. In the member's opinion, what are the most effective measures that democracies could take in concert to put pressure on China to change? Is it Magnitsky sanctions on particular Chinese officials? Is it using trade sanctions? …
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, the Chinese government is committing genocide against the Uighurs, violating an international treaty by threatening 300,000 Canadians living in Hong Kong, and committing other warlike acts in the Indo-Pacific region. With that in mind, will the government take action? Will it at least refuse to send a representative to the opening of the Olympic Games in Beijing?
Read full speech →Statements By Members
Mr. Speaker, Canada has long been a world leader in standing up for human rights and dignity, but today Canada is silent. Some 75 years ago, Canada sacrificed blood and treasure to liberate Europe from the tyranny of Nazism. Some 35 years ago, Canada took a principled stand against apartheid in South Africa. Today it is clear that a genocide is taking place against Uighurs and other Turkic Muslims…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, Canada has long been a world leader in human rights and dignity, but today Canada is silent. Some 75 years ago, Canada liberated Europe from the tyranny of Nazism with blood and treasure. Some 35 years ago, Canada took a principled stand against apartheid in South Africa. Will the government recognize that a genocide is taking place against the Uighur people and other Turkic Muslims i…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, many reports indicated that a genocide was occurring. These reports document systematic population control, sexual violence and mass detention. Will the government keep silent or will it take a clear stand and recognize this genocide? Will it ask the IOC to relocate the 2022 Beijing games?
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, in 2009, when faced with the buy American policies of the Obama administration, the previous government worked with the 10 provincial premiers to present a united front to secure an exemption agreement. Is the current government going to do the same thing? Is it going to convene a first ministers' meeting on this issue?
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I will be splitting my time with the member for Prince Albert. For some 75 years, since the end of the Second World War, Canada and the United States have shared a strong relationship. As President John F. Kennedy famously said, “Geography has made us neighbours. History has made us friends. Economics has made us partners. And necessity has made us allies.” Seventy-five years after …
Read full speech →