Mr. Speaker, 13 years ago a man single-handedly stopped a line of tanks ordered to put down a rally for democracy in Tiananmen Square. This showed that a man of courage could thwart the will of a despotic government.
Unfortunately our Prime Minister was unwilling to take that same stand. The last time the PM was in China he stated “You know we are 30 million. They are 1.2 billion”. If only the Prime Minister had a fraction of the courage of that one man.
The world outside China has not forgotten the events which transpired there 13 years ago. Countless people have disappeared, been brainwashed and been silenced by a government intent on repressing any form of dissent or free speech.
A government that turns upon its own people and cuts them down in the street does not deserve to be rewarded with favourable trade status. Nor does it deserve to host the Olympics.
We must not forget the crimes that have been committed.