Madam Chair, I have heard this comment about the UN Security Council made by the opposition several times this evening. Frankly, in my personal opinion, anyone who thinks that Russia or China would have done anything differently, whether or not Canada was on the UN Security Council, that is just an absurb statement.
As my colleague pointed out earlier this evening, there are 15 permanent members of the UN Security Council and 190 members of the United Nations. The vast majority of all of those countries have been speaking out against the violence in Syria, urging Assad to comply with the UN peace plan, yet the violence continues.
Russia has a veto. China has a veto. They are countries with a long term interest in Syria, and I just categorically reject that the fact that Canada is not currently on the security council would make any difference in this situation.