Thanks very much. First, I agree with you, it is very hypocritical in my opinion for the NDP to sit here, particularly today, and launch some personal attacks on us with respect to our not giving her a comment at her demand with respect to Madam Joya. Of course we are monitoring this situation very closely because what's going on has some impact on women's rights at some point. But it is their Parliament. As I said early in my remarks, it is for the Afghan government and the Afghan people to make decisions about how their lives will go forward, and we're there to assist them in their decisions.
I want to talk about Rona Tareen specifically, whom I met in Kandahar City, and the stories she told me about what it was like under the Taliban before the international community was there: how her little girl could not go to school, how women could not own a business, how there were women whose bones would break during childbirth because they were not permitted to go outside to have sunlight so they could get the vitamin D they need. This is not something that they were able to have. What she clearly said to me with tears in her eyes was how much she appreciates Canada's presence there, because now her little girl is able to go to school. She gives clear credit to Canada and to Canadians. She knows the Taliban is working; they are being successful in breaking the resolve of the opposition parties in Canada. She clearly knows this, and her message to us, and the message she asked me to take back here, was to tell Canadians, please do not leave, do not go, and do not turn your back on us now, because all will be lost. We cannot fool ourselves; there would be mass murder.