Foreign Affairs Committee on May 16th, 2022

[The Chair, Liberal, Ali Ehsassi]

Thank you, Mr. Sarai.

Again, Ms. Gray, please do bear in mind the issues that are being flagged and raised by our colleagues. Please make sure that you keep your comments restricted to the subamendment that we are debating.

Ms. Gray, the floor is yours.

[Tracy Gray, Conservative, Kelowna—Lake Country, BC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I was glad to hear the other member's comment about the Ukrainian interns who we have here. I know that we've seen them around the Hill, so I appreciated his comment. I will just say quickly that the night before the Vyshyvanka Day morning, I asked one of the women I met if her family was safe. She looked right at me and said, “I don't know.” I just wanted to bring that up, because it really did touch my heart actually, and it was one of the reasons why I came the next morning.

As I was saying earlier, there's the subcommittee that might be deciding on the studies, and it's relevant to hear from the members here about what would be important so that the members on that subcommittee know where the priorities are. I think it's difficult otherwise for them to really deliberate without having a clear understanding or a good knowledge as to what the priorities might be. What I'm attempting to do here, Mr. Chair, is to set the stage that, if this does go to the subcommittee, they have some thoughts, from my perspective anyway. I'm sure many of the other members here would agree that Ukraine is important, so in their deliberations they can have context as to where those conversations should be going.

I think it's just really important. We have a couple of other studies that are a priority as well, and they're all very important, but as we're moving forward potentially, it's really relevant to be mentioning the studies that are going to be talked about at the subcommittee. I'm not sure how members here at this committee could be saying that to even mention or talk about the studies that will be discussed at the subcommittee isn't relevant. That's what I'm trying to do here. I'm just focusing on one, because if it does go to the subcommittee, that would be the one I would think would be important, based on the input that I get from my community every day as to what's happening, the boots on the ground.

We do have refugees coming into my community. We have lots of community members who are trying to help citizens who have come from Ukraine, and I think it's important that the potential discussion at the subcommittee focus on what's happening across the country. I'm from British Columbia, and we have a very strong Ukrainian community in my community. I know they would appreciate that this committee would be continuing to focus on what's happening in Ukraine.

Again, bringing it back to the subamendment that we're talking about here, I don't know how we can talk about that without mentioning the three studies that they'll be considering. The continual points of order every time I bring up some of the rationale as to why one of those studies should be a priority just don't seem to make sense. I started out setting the tone, I think, setting the groundwork for where my conversation was going, and my rationale as to why I thought that Ukraine should be a priority.

I will just mention a couple of groups locally in my community that have been working with Ukrainians coming to our community.

The first one is the Bravery Foundation in Kelowna, but it's not just in Kelowna; it's actually across my entire region. We have another group, Kelowna Stands With Ukraine, that has been very active. They actually have done a lot of large fundraisers. I spoke at one of their fundraisers. They've had a lot of community support. A couple of the people who are really involved with them have been filling up luggage with all kinds of different items, flying to Poland and surrounding areas, and very carefully distributing them.

It's been amazing, actually, to see the amount of local community support. They've been taking some of the funds and buying different items. They've had people donating. They fill up all these luggage bags. Then they get on an airline and check all this extra baggage. That's how they're bringing a lot of these supplies to the people of Ukraine. The amount of dedication and time that something like that takes is incredible. These people all have jobs. They've been doing this in their free time.

I want to let that be known at this committee. If this does go to the subcommittee and they discuss this as a priority, I'd like to let them know how much of a priority this is for my community and just how it's affecting so many people, and how they're donating their time and their resources.

A couple of our local churches have done everything from bake sales to making by hand different items that people can sell. Then they'll go and buy different products. As I said, they've had people donating different items. It hasn't necessarily been simple things. They'll go out and buy bulletproof vests. They'll also bring medical supplies. It's a little bit of everything. People will donate these luggage bags, and then people will fly there and bring them with them.

It's been quite amazing, actually, to see the community spirit. In my community, I call it the “spirit of Kelowna”, and it's not just around Ukraine. It's also around any time our community comes together to rally behind something. Right now what's happening in my community is that we have a flood.

I won't go there, Mr. Chair, because that's not relevant. It was just to talk about the spirit—

[The Chair, Liberal, Ali Ehsassi]

You have conceded, Ms. Gray, that some of the points you're making are not relevant. That's the first part.

[Tracy Gray, Conservative, Kelowna—Lake Country, BC]

Yes, about the flood; I won't talk about the flood.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ali Ehsassi]

Second, you have spent quite some time talking about developments as they've been unfolding in your riding. Surely we can all agree that is not relevant to the subamendment here.

You have been provided with numerous warnings. This is truly the last warning I'm providing.

[Tracy Gray, Conservative, Kelowna—Lake Country, BC]

Okay.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ali Ehsassi]

Please ensure that your remarks are relevant.

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

On a point of order, Mr. Chair, I'm not sure what our job is but to draw on—

[The Chair, Liberal, Ali Ehsassi]

Mr. Genuis, you were not recognized.

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

I apologize. May I have the floor on my point of order?

[The Chair, Liberal, Ali Ehsassi]

Yes, Mr. Genuis.

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

Mr. Chair, I think it's core to our function as members of Parliament to draw on the things we're hearing in our riding and the concerns being brought to us by people in our riding insofar as we advocate for issues internationally. I mean, I do that often—

[The Chair, Liberal, Ali Ehsassi]

Mr. Genuis, you're engaging in debate. That's not a point of order.

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

It was actually about relevance. I mean, you—

[The Chair, Liberal, Ali Ehsassi]

I can clearly tell you that it's not relevant to the subamendment before us.

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

I think that's a bit of a filter there, Mr. Chair, but I wanted to raise that point in any event.

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ali Ehsassi]

Thank you, Mr. Genuis.

Ms. Gray, the floor is yours.

[Tracy Gray, Conservative, Kelowna—Lake Country, BC]

Great. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I appreciate Mr. Genuis's comment. Really, our purpose in being here in this place is to bring forth the voices of our community. I fully understand that we're talking about the subamendment, but everything we do in this place has to be with the mind of bringing our community to this place. Whatever topic we're discussing, whether it's legislation, amendment, subamendment or whatever it is, we always have to bring the voice of our community and keep that in mind, that filter, in everything we do here. I think it's important to do that as we're here.

Again, what I've been mentioning is that this subamendment talks about a committee discussing what studies are before it. It's important for the subcommittee to know what the members who are here think about the different studies they will be discussing. Otherwise, how could they possibly represent everyone? The whole purpose of a subcommittee is to represent everyone at the committee. That's the purpose of a subcommittee.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ali Ehsassi]

Ms. Gray, I'd just like to remind you that, once a subcommittee does make a decision, then it comes back to the committee, and there can be debate at that particular juncture.

At this particular point, I'm asking you to keep your remarks relevant to the subamendment.

Thank you.

[Tracy Gray, Conservative, Kelowna—Lake Country, BC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I think what I'll do is move that we proceed to schedule additional witnesses on Ukraine, because I feel that we've had a number of references about relevance, so it's time to move on.

I'd make that motion.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ali Ehsassi]

We will put that to a vote.

[Rob Oliphant, Liberal, Don Valley West, ON]

There's no debate; it's a dilatory motion.

[The Clerk]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

The motion is that you proceed to the scheduling of other witnesses for Ukraine.

Dr. Fry.

[Hedy Fry, Liberal, Vancouver Centre, BC]

Am I finally able to speak at this committee on my motion and the amendments to it? Why did someone call my name?

[The Chair, Liberal, Ali Ehsassi]

Dr. Fry, we have a vote before us. Ms. Gray has brought a motion.