Mr. Speaker, the Canadian ambassador to France missed a fine opportunity to remain quiet on Friday at a luncheon gathering in honour of Quebec deputy premier, Bernard Landry.
In defending his federalist ideal, the ambassador exploited the misfortune of the two Canadian victims of the bombing in Paris last Tuesday. According to him, Hélène Viel, who was killed, and her husband, who was wounded, illustrated what he described as the ability of anglophones and francophones in Canada to understand each other in a very special way.
It is distressing to find such cynicism and lack of judgment in Canada's representative. I ask him today to issue a public apology for having exploited the misfortune of the two families for his own partisan purposes.
The only respectful thing to be done is to offer, on behalf of the official opposition, our sincere condolences to the family and friends of Ms Viel and to wish her husband a speedy recovery.