Mr. Chair, once again I appreciate the remarks of the foreign affairs critic for the New Democratic Party. I want to underline the critical point that he made toward the end of his remarks, which was that all Canadian political parties are very much on the same page when it comes to dealing with this issue.
We are deeply concerned by the news reports that we see emerging from Ukraine. We are concerned about the brutal treatment of the demonstrators, where ordinary human rights seem to be totally disregarded. We are concerned as well about the offices of political parties being raided and ransacked. This is a very troubling situation, and that is why we are having this special debate tonight.
I wonder if the hon. member would agree that it is important for Canada, with its international partners the United States, the European Union, and elsewhere, to pursue all means by which we can apply appropriate diplomatic pressure to bring about a change in attitude with the Yanukovych regime.
I am thinking particularly of the way in which that regime—the president himself, members of his government, the oligarchs that support him—seem to be able to carry out these actions to which we object with complete impunity. They have a disregard for the rule of law, a disregard for human rights, and a disregard for democracy.
Would it be possible for Canada to lead an initiative in the world that would bring the United States, European countries, and others together to develop a set of specific actions that would not be focused against Ukraine as a country or focused against the Ukrainian people, but would be focused directly against Yanukovych, his henchmen, and the oligarchs who back him up to make sure that they cannot enjoy their wealth, their assets, their ability to travel with impunity without regard to what they are doing to their own people back home?
Can Canada lead that kind of an international effort to develop that action plan, if necessary?