Mr. Speaker, for the last two centuries Ukrainians have come to Canada in search of a new life.
Generations of Ukrainian newcomers have made significant contributions to the building of Canada, one of the most successful democracies in the world.
Ukrainians have enriched the cultural mosaic of Canada with their unique heritage.
This spring, the Canada-Ukraine parliamentary program celebrates 15 years of work in the Canadian Parliament with the arrival of 28 students from 15 universities in Ukraine and Georgia.
For the past 15 years the House of Commons has welcomed a generation of young Ukrainians who have all had a chance to personally experience life in a civil society and to see democracy in action.
By taking an intern, members of Parliament contribute to the best kind of foreign aid a democracy can give to the future leaders, namely, the opportunity to observe firsthand the work of a democratic Parliament in an open society.