Mr. Speaker, today Canada will sign the Convention on Cluster Munitions. This is the most significant treaty of its kind since the ban on anti-personal land mines that was signed exactly 11 years ago today. The treaty, led by Canadians and NGOs from across the globe, is now saving more than 17,000 lives a year.
While our government has been a laggard on this issue, it has finally come to the table to address this tragic situation. However, it still has not articulated a plan of action to fulfill our commitments to the treaty.
Canadian and international humanitarian mine action organizations have been bravely clearing land mines and cluster bombs to provide safety, security and prosperity to communities affected by these terrible weapons for many years. Cluster munitions are indiscriminate, they primarily kill civilians and destroy a nation's ability to get back on its feet after being war ravaged.
We in the Liberal Party call upon the Conservative government to present a plan of action that will back up our signature to remove the scourge of cluster munitions from our world forever.