Mr. Speaker, I too want to rise tonight to speak about what we are here for this evening. Our thoughts and prayers are with the people of Ukraine.
Some communities in my riding are watching this debate and are thinking as well of their families and colleagues back in Ukraine. Our own colleague, the member for Edmonton East who went as an observer said, “The people of Ukraine are telling the world that they have been robbed, and they want their country back. We have seen buses filled with soldiers stationed in the suburbs waiting for the order to go in”. The member for Edmonton East has said, “He personally saw examples of ballot fraud while touring polling stations over the past few days”.
I am pleased that our own government and our Prime Minister acknowledged the allegations of intimidation, double counting and double voting and that these allegations will be taken very seriously. I am pleased that today our Deputy Prime Minister also stated that Canada rejected the results of the Ukrainian election, calling it a serious and significant electoral fraud, and warned that Canadian relations with Ukraine could be cut off if authorities they did not produce non-fraudulent election results.
As we talk this evening, and I hear members from all sides of the House speak on this serious issue, I am pleased that we are all together when we say that Canada has now rejected the Ukraine election results and warned that diplomatic relations could be cut. This is a threat of diplomatic sanctions which consequences translate into the threat to recall the Canadian ambassador from Ukraine or worse and to close the Canadian diplomatic mission in the Ukraine.
Canada has not yet warned of economic sanctions, which is the higher level of consequences. Economic sanctions can range from travel bans and armed embargoes to complete trade bans. Usually economic sanctions are threatened only after diplomatic channels have been exhausted. I hope, in conclusion, that these will not be some of the measures we will be compelled to take.
I would like to, as Pope John Paul II told Ukrainian pilgrims, say that we are praying for the country in a very special way.