Mr. Speaker, Birtukan Mideksa, the Ethiopian opposition leader, was put in prison on December 29, 2008, by the Ethiopian junta. I have dozens of petitions from the Ethiopian community in the region of Ottawa and 1,800 that were sent in online. They ask the Canadian government to take a very clear position that should force the Ethiopian government to release both Birtukan Mideksa and all other political prisoners in Ethiopia.
As the House knows, there is a very strong Ethiopian community in Canada and they are very concerned about the imprisonment of this opposition leader, which is why they have sent this petition to Parliament. I am presenting it on their behalf.
In this Ethiopian new year, I would like to wish the Ethiopian community Aderesachihu.