Mr. Speaker, there is no news here. News reports and opposition questions have suggested that Canada had given no money to the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission.
For example, an Ottawa Citizen article from March 19 reported: “Canada had earmarked just over $2,000 for the commission, but its report indicates that money was not disbursed”.
I felt obliged to reassure the House that this was simply not correct. The Canadian government had, as the member just pointed out, given the commission $1 million. That is a fact and that is what we told the House.