Mr. Speaker, on January 31 and February 17, American customs officers seized computer equipment en route to Cuba. It was being sent to Cuban hospitals under a World Health Organization program.
Furthermore, on March 21, a Canadian government representative in San Diego said he had no intention of intervening to have the equipment released. Also, for more than 36 days now, four members of Pastors for Peace and a Canadian driver have been on a hunger strike to have the material returned.
What is the foreign affairs minister waiting for before he will take a hand in the defence of humanitarian assistance organizations helping Cuba, as he did yesterday in Washington for Canadian companies engaging in trade with that country? This is just as hard to understand as it is hard to know where human compassion has gone within this government.