Mr. Speaker, yesterday morning we learned the sad news of the murder of Jean Dominique, a Haitian broadcast executive and close friend of President René Préval. He was killed in Port-au-Prince while on his way to work.
Mr. Dominique was one of his country's most respected commentators. He had been forced into exile on several occasions as a result of his fight against dictatorship.
I would remind hon. members that the atmosphere in Haiti at the present time is a very tense one, and President Préval is hesitant to hold a general election.
This death brings to mind what a difficult job journalists have in a number of places on this planet. In some cases, they are truly living on the edge.
Fortunately, Canada has a spotless reputation as far as freedom of the press and freedom of speech are concerned. Regardless of the country in which such a terrible event takes place, it is always a terrible shock for us to hear such news, as it runs counter to all charters of rights and freedoms.