Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Foreign Affairs.
There are now as many as 300,000 civilians in Sri Lanka who find themselves caught in the desperate last days of fighting between the government and the Tamil Tigers. The United Nations Secretary-General and the European Union, as well as our fellow federation in Switzerland, have all called for specific action to be taken to protect the lives of these civilians, whose lives are quite desperately threatened by the events.
I wonder if the minister can tell us why Canada has not been more forthcoming in attempting to say something and do something together with our friends--