Thank you very much, Chair.
As you will all have received from the clerk, I did bring forward a notice of motion, and you should have received it yesterday. I can read it into the record, if that's appropriate.
That, pursuant to Standing Order 108(2), the Foreign Affairs and International Development Committee undertake a study to examine the government’s decision to circumvent Canadian sanctions to allow the export of Gazprom turbines; that this study consists of no fewer than 5 meetings; that the Minister of Natural Resources and Minister of Foreign Affairs appear before the committee, along with officials from their respective departments, no later than July 22nd, 2022; that representatives from the Ukrainian Canadian Congress and the Ambassador of Ukraine to Canada be invited to appear before the committee; and that committee members submit lists of additional witnesses by July 19th, 2022.
I brought forward this motion because, frankly, I was quite appalled by the decision made by the Government of Canada to waive the sanctions that we have put on Russia.
We've all worked very hard in this committee and in the House of Commons to ensure that we are standing with Ukraine and that we are doing everything we can to isolate and punish Putin for the incredible harms that he is doing to Ukraine and for the genocide he is perpetrating on Ukrainians.
When we take the opportunity...when it becomes uncomfortable and we waive these sanctions, the sanctions become basically.... They're no longer something that helps isolate the Russian Federation.
I would like more information about this. I would like to understand how the Government of Canada came to this dangerous decision. I wrote a statement about being very worried about the precedent this sets. Every time it becomes uncomfortable for us, we choose to waive sanctions. That's not how this should be working. The trust that we're putting in Putin's following through with any promises he makes is very dangerous. We're allowing the Russian Federation to weaponize energy around the world, which is extremely, extremely dangerous. We've already seen the Russian Federation weaponize food, and my worry is that this precedent means that our sanctions will become basically meaningless as we go forward.
I need to be able to ask questions of both the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Minister of Natural Resources. I'd like to hear from the Ukrainian Canadian Congress. Of course, they are a pre-eminent voice in this space. The ambassador, who has come to this committee before, will be able to share some very important perspectives from the Government of Ukraine. I just think it's really important, despite the House not sitting at the moment, that this committee continue to work in this unprecedented time as Ukraine goes through this horrific war.
Thank you, Mr. Chair.