Mr. Speaker, three Canadian children have been illegally held in the state of California for over six months. Yesterday Canadian authorities met with their counterparts in the state of California to obtain custody of these children, but instead of gaining custody they will have to apply to a California judge three weeks from now and hopefully obtain custody then.
They have already been there for six months and three more weeks is entirely unacceptable, especially for young children to whom three weeks is a lifetime.
I would like the Minister of Foreign Affairs to explain to the House why sparing the life of convicted murderer Stanley Faulder in a Texas prison warranted his direct personal intervention but he will not lift a finger to help three Canadian children be returned home where they belong.