Madam Chair, as the member for Thornhill knows very well, consular cases are among the issues that any Canadian government, certainly our government, and I, as foreign minister, take the most personally. These Canadians are often suffering extremely difficult situations abroad. I take extremely seriously my duty toward them.
I would like to thank the member opposite for mentioning the success we have had in some consular cases. In my view, a single Canadian detained abroad unfairly is one too many, and this a duty that all governments have.
It was quite a moving moment for us here when former prime minister Brian Mulroney spoke to a cabinet committee. He was thanked by one of my colleagues, the Minister of Infrastructure and Communities, for the work that Brian Mulroney's government did to secure his release. Prime Minister Mulroney then joked, “You could have at least run for the Conservatives”.
On the specific Chinese cases the member opposite mentioned, I am very personally seized of them. Ms. Sun, Mr. John Chang, and a number of other cases in China, and very much in Iran, are cases of which the department is seized. I am personally engaged in them, as is my outstanding parliamentary secretary.