Mr. Chair, torture is illegal in Canada. The death penalty was abolished in Canada. So I do not see why Canada—an ardent defender of freedom and democracy and a committed abolitionist when it comes to the death penalty—would not act just as firmly when it comes to pressuring other countries regarding their policies.
No one is asking Canada to go and intervene in Iran. Canada is simply being asked to use its power, because it does so when it wants to. We have a Minister of Public Safety who claims that torture can be used more or less legally on occasion. It is time for the Canadian government to realize that torture has been illegal in Canada for quite some time, that the death penalty was abolished years ago and that, since it claims to be such an ardent abolitionist regarding the death penalty, it must speak out at every opportunity, in Iran and any other country.