Evidence of meeting #18 for Subcommittee on International Human Rights in the 39th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was prisoners.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Marcus Pistor  Committee Researcher
Dulce-Maria Cruz-Herrera  Research Associate, Centre de recherche sur l'immigration, l'ethnicité et la citoyenneté, Université du Québec à Montréal
Archibald R. M. Ritter  Economics and International Affairs, Carleton University

12:55 p.m.

Conservative

Kevin Sorenson Conservative Crowfoot, AB

Let's see why it hasn't been signed, and then we may want witnesses. I want to look and see why it hasn't been signed.

12:55 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Jason Kenney

Next week we'll do our last hearing on Cuba.

In the meantime, perhaps, Mr. Marston, if you intend to do a motion, you could draft something and work collaboratively with Mr. Sorenson. Then if you want to have witnesses prior to the consideration of the motion, I'm sure we could accommodate that.

Presumably it's the Department of Foreign Affairs or the Department of Justice that has objections; I don't know which department. Perhaps this would provide an opportunity for government officials to explain what their objections are, along with witnesses—for example, Alex Neve—to explain the value of this.

Mr. Cotler, you have a body of knowledge on this and you have an advantage over some other members, for whom this is something relatively new.

12:55 p.m.

Liberal

Irwin Cotler Liberal Mount Royal, QC

I think you can have witnesses people feel comfortable with.

12:55 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Jason Kenney

I get your point.

Are there any other comments before we break here?

Okay. Thank you very much, folks.

The meeting is adjourned.