Hélène Laverdière

[Foreign Affairs, May 9th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday when we learned that the President of the United States was planning to pull out of the Iran nuclear deal, the Liberal members of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development rejected my motion calling for a study on Canada's role in the Middle East.

That comes as no surprise, given that the government refuses to discuss important issues such as Iran, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and Saudi Arabia. This is a dangerous time for international security.

Has the government signalled to our European allies its support for the Iran nuclear deal, and what will it do to ensure that it survives?

[Foreign Affairs, May 8th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, this is a deeply flawed bill that does not respect the spirit or the letter of the treaty.

The standard for Canadian arms exports is not conclusive evidence of the use of arms in human rights violations. It is reasonable risk. Clearly, with Saudi Arabia, there is a reasonable risk that Canadian arms have been and will be used to commit human rights violations in Saudi Arabia or Yemen. This is an embarrassment. The current government's approach to arms export control is shameful.

When will the government do the right thing and suspend arms exports to Saudi Arabia?

[Foreign Affairs, May 8th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, the government finally released its report on the use of Canadian arms in Saudi Arabia. It says that there is no evidence the arms were used to violate human rights. The UN and human rights advocacy groups say that the use of force was neither reasonable nor necessary, but the government chose to draw conclusions based on information from Saudi military and diplomatic sources.

Does the government seriously expect Canadians to accept this report?

[Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, May 7th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, no fewer than three ministers held a press conference this morning on the issue of asylum seekers, but they really did not have anything new to tell us.

The Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness announced that Canadian law will continue to be enforced and the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship said that he plans to go to Nigeria. However, there was nothing to address the root of the problem.

Will the government stop dithering and finally suspend the safe third country agreement?

[Foreign Affairs, May 3rd, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, a Canadian company is once again attempting to deliver helicopters to the Philippines, but this time it is going through the United States. I have repeatedly asked the government to close the loopholes that allow Canada to avoid scrutiny by exporting arms via the United States. The government's refusal to control that type of sale may be making it possible for Canadian arms to be used in the commission of human rights violations.

Why is the government refusing to tighten controls over arms exports to the United States?

[Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, May 1st, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, we learned today that the government is trying to negotiate an invisible wall for asylum seekers. In public, the Prime Minister says that he welcomes refugees, but behind closed doors, he is trying to send them back to the United States. The ministers responsible refuse to answer questions.

Will the government be clear and confirm whether it is trying to renegotiate the safe third country agreement?

[Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, April 24th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, for over a year now, we have been asking the government to suspend the safe third country agreement so that asylum seekers can go to official ports of entry, which would be safer for them and for Canadians. The government needs to come up with a concrete plan to manage the situation, and suspending the agreement has to be part of that plan if it is going to work.

Will the government finally suspend the safe third country agreement?

[Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, April 17th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, in 2017, the mass arrival of asylum seekers prompted a crisis in Quebec and Manitoba. This crisis did not come as a surprise, I should point out.

Everyone is calling on the government to get a plan. A year later, the same thing is happening again. Where is the plan? It does not exist or it is well hidden, because we have not seen anything. The messages on Twitter saying that they are welcome is not enough. We need action.

When will the government step up, present a plan, and respond to Quebec's demands?

[Foreign Affairs, April 16th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, it is not just chemical weapons that Assad is using against civilians, against his people. Other tactics include cluster munition attacks, torture, enforced disappearances, the blocking of humanitarian assistance, starvation, and displacement.

Does the government intend to contribute to the diplomatic efforts being made to put an end to the terrible suffering of the Syrian people, bring the perpetrators of these crimes to justice, and increase humanitarian aid?

[Rail Transportation, March 21st, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday I presented a petition signed by several thousand people calling on the Minister of Transport to finally listen to them and to obtain the necessary powers to build railroad crossings, in particular for the railway tracks separating Laurier—Sainte-Marie and Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie. These crossings are needed to keep the public safe and to give them more mobility.

Will the Minister of Transport put the interests of the public ahead of the interests of rail companies?