Evidence of meeting #93 for Foreign Affairs and International Development in the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was need.
A recording is available from Parliament.
5:40 p.m.
Liberal
Mélanie Joly Liberal Ahuntsic-Cartierville, QC
Yes.
We have sent, since October 7, non-lethal equipment, including night vision goggles and protective gear. That was through Canadian companies sending them to Israeli companies.
5:40 p.m.
Liberal
5:40 p.m.
Conservative
Michael Chong Conservative Wellington—Halton Hills, ON
I'll give my time to MP Hoback, Mr. Chair, if you will permit it.
February 7th, 2024 / 5:40 p.m.
Conservative
Randy Hoback Conservative Prince Albert, SK
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Minister, thank you for being here this afternoon.
Michael Spavor alleges that the GSRP bears some responsibility for his wrongful detention. The report from the NSIRA concluded that the global security reporting program operates under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. However, there is no legal guidance, risk assessment, security protocol or sufficient training to ensure the 30-plus GAC officers in the GSRP operate within international law. This report came out in 2020.
Has anything changed in that regard? Is there any accuracy to what this report is saying?
5:40 p.m.
Liberal
Mélanie Joly Liberal Ahuntsic-Cartierville, QC
I'll be super-frank. When we talk about Michael Kovrig not abiding by the Vienna convention, we're falling into China's narrative. I'm very mad that you and the Conservative Party would raise this question, because we fought to get the two Michaels back. We got them—
5:40 p.m.
Liberal
Mélanie Joly Liberal Ahuntsic-Cartierville, QC
Let me finish.
I'll answer your question, but I refuse the premise of the question. It's not partisan, guys.
5:40 p.m.
Conservative
5:40 p.m.
Liberal
Mélanie Joly Liberal Ahuntsic-Cartierville, QC
Randy, these two Canadians were arbitrarily jailed in China, and every single day was a day they shouldn't have been jailed.
5:40 p.m.
Conservative
Randy Hoback Conservative Prince Albert, SK
It's not me saying that. It's Michael Spavor saying that. Do you understand that?
5:40 p.m.
Liberal
Mélanie Joly Liberal Ahuntsic-Cartierville, QC
Really, you can ask me questions about the GSRP. That's no problem, but please don't get into the narrative of China saying that because he was a GSRP officer, he was not abiding by the Vienna convention and they were therefore allowed to jail him. I'm sorry, but this is—
5:40 p.m.
Conservative
Randy Hoback Conservative Prince Albert, SK
Minister, this is Michael Spavor. He's a victim making the allegations. It's not the Conservative Party.
5:40 p.m.
Liberal
Mélanie Joly Liberal Ahuntsic-Cartierville, QC
I'm sorry, but this is going against our national interest and—
5:40 p.m.
Conservative
Randy Hoback Conservative Prince Albert, SK
I have to ask you, then, why you waited three years to release the report.
5:40 p.m.
Liberal
Mélanie Joly Liberal Ahuntsic-Cartierville, QC
This is a problem when it comes to dealing with arbitrary detention, but the GSRP—
5:40 p.m.
Conservative
5:40 p.m.
Conservative
Randy Hoback Conservative Prince Albert, SK
Yes, we just saw it in December 2023. It was written in 2020, so why, for three years—
