Mr. Chair, I rise this evening to participate in this important debate on the serious democratic situation in Ukraine. As others have stated before me, this is an important issue, and over the last months Canada has not shied away from making its views known on the situation.
Canada has long been a special partner to Ukraine. For over 20 years we have supported and co-operated with Ukraine as it sought to develop into a free, democratic and prosperous country.
Against this backdrop, I and all Canadians cannot help but find the recent conviction of former prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko to be very troubling. The apparent political motivation behind this act would seem to be not only to eliminate the individual who came so close to defeating current President Yanukovych in the last presidential elections in 2010, but to intimidate and eliminate all political opposition.
I will be sharing my time with the amazing member for Edmonton Centre.
Is this to eliminate and intimidate all political opposition? Those are strong words, and I acknowledge that, but the indications are there for all of us to see.
Sadly, the Yulia Tymoshenko trial and conviction is just the tip of the iceberg. Over the last year, a series of arrests and intimidating actions have been carried out against former opposition members.
I was honoured to be a member of the Canadian delegation that went there in October 2010, and we sensed that things were happening. We met with a number of people, and a lot of concern was expressed to us.
While no one can argue against the fact that it is essential to tackle the scourge of corruption that so cripples Ukraine's economic and social development, it must be tackled in a transparent manner that respects the proper judicial process and the rule of law.
This would appear not to be the case. The prosecutions have been very selective, focusing extensively on leading members of the opposition. There are clear signs that the court proceedings fall far short of internationally recognized norms of fairness, transparency and due process. All of this is deeply distressing to the Ukrainian people, who so courageously stood up against political corruption in 2004, challenging the presidential election results and forcing the election to be re-held.
The Orange Revolution, as it came to be known, marked a turning point in the newly independent Ukraine's democratic development. We cannot allow the democratic gains won through those brave civil actions to be taken away.
Canada has proudly supported the Ukrainian people as they rebuilt their society after 70 years of Soviet rule. Canada was the first western country to recognize Ukraine's independence in 1991, and we have provided significant assistance since then as part of our special partnership. We have done so out of principle, but also out of friendship. Ours is a deep friendship, rooted in shared values and shared history.
Canada is home to more than 1.2 million Ukrainian Canadians, who collectively have contributed so much to building Canada. I am one of those Canadians whose grandparents came from Ukraine about 115 years ago. I am a proud Canadian and proud of my Ukrainian heritage. I am proud that I was with the Prime Minister in Ukraine.
We owe it to our friends in Ukraine to support them as they work to build a new future.