Mr. Speaker, today marks the 87th anniversary of the genocide of 1.5 million Armenians. The tragedy does not end there.
To this day Turkey persists in its refusal to acknowledge this grotesque inhumanity. To our collective shame our own Liberal government still refuses to officially acknowledge that the Armenian genocide ever took place.
When the Deputy Prime Minister was pressed yesterday for an official acknowledgment in the House he stated the Minister of Foreign Affairs made a full and complete statement in the House of Commons regarding the issue. However, the Minister of Foreign Affairs actually said:
We still urge that we should consider these tragic events in their historical context and remember that we must move forward and try to ensure peace and harmony among all people.
That is the government's idea of a full and complete statement on the genocide that remains a raw wound for Canadian Armenians. It is an insult to the Armenian people, here at home and around the world. They deserve better from their government. Genocide is genocide in any context.