Madam Speaker, I am sure the member opposite, as well as everybody else in the House, will join with me in paying tribute to the Canadian Forces personnel. Under the leadership of General Charles Bouchard, they played a massive role in protecting Libyan civilians from the brutal Gadhafi regime.
Today in Parliament the Governor General, the Prime Minister, the Minister of National Defence and every member of Parliament were very proud to congratulate the excellent work done by the Canadian Forces in Libya.
The end of the Gadhafi era turns the page on over 40 years of tyranny and oppression in Libya and opens a new chapter in Libya's history. Libyans themselves have shown great courage and sacrifice in their fight for freedom.
The member's question was on the rule of law and the concerns over not following it. Let me just say that Canada is willing to help the NTC. The Libyan authorities have developed a draft constitutional charter for the establishment of a functional democratic government that guarantees and respects human rights and the rule of law. It contains an ambitious road map for a permanent constitution and subsequent election of a new government. In this regard, our government welcomes the announcement of a new interim cabinet, one that is highly representative of the various regions of Libya.
We wish the new Libya every success in addressing the numerous challenges facing the country in the transition period, building national reconciliation and public security and ensuring the protection of human rights for all Libyans.
Among these challenges, there is the need for the interim government to promote national identity and reconciliation among the Libyan people. It is therefore important for Libya to take the right approach to a fair and transparent judicial process in dealing with the recently captured son of Gadhafi, Saif al-Islam, and his brother-in-law, Abdullah al-Senussi.
The Libyan authorities were quick to react after Gadhafi's death in creating a commission of inquiry to investigate the circumstances surrounding his death. Bringing lasting peace to the people of Libya requires that those responsible for serious crimes be held to account by facing a fair trial.
Canada will continue to support Libya in the post-Gadhafi era as it takes steps towards freedom, democracy, human rights and the rule of law for all Libyans.