Madam Speaker, the Government of Canada, as we said we would, is upholding an already signed commercial contract in the interest of Canada's international reputation, security, and economy.
We assessed the human right implications of this deal. We made the decision to honour the already signed contract. The Minister of Foreign Affairs granted the export permits based on an assessment that the export was consistent with Canadian foreign, defence, and security interests, including human rights.
The government is committed to restoring Canada's role as a constructive actor on the world stage and to continue to pursue global security and stability. One component of this will be Canada's accession to the arms trade treaty, which will take place at the earliest opportunity.
This is yet one more demonstration of our government's commitment to transparency, to rigorous export permits, and to vigilance with respect to human rights.
