Mr. Speaker, although the Prime Minister says he is concerned about human rights issues, on his recent trip to Russia to attend ceremonies celebrating the 50th anniversary of V-E Day, it was clear once again that the Canadian government's only priority is trade.
In fact, at the very moment when the Russian army continued its attacks in Chechnya, the Prime Minister was discussing a Team Canada trade mission with his Russian counterpart.
My question is directed to the Prime Minister. Considering the foregoing, would the Prime Minister agree that his attitude and that of his government, which subordinates human rights to strictly commercial interests, does not give the Russian authorities any incentive to show more respect for the rights of the Chechen who are now being attacked by the Russian army?