Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives are deeply committed to a foreign policy that advances freedom, human rights, democracy, and the rule of law, and in particular that advances the rights of religious and ethnic minorities.
Last night, you, Mr. Speaker, granted our request to convene an emergency debate to discuss the ethnic cleansing of Muslim Rohingya in Burma. I would like to add my voice to those of other members calling on the Burmese government and Burmese military to stop this vicious assault on fundamental human rights.
I also call on the Government of Canada to do more to respond. Canada should have done more earlier, but in any event we can do more now. The Liberal government needs to raise this issue more forcefully with all levels of the Burmese government.
We regret that the government did not act earlier, that the Prime Minister did not raise this issue during his speech to the United Nations, and that the Liberals eliminated the Office of Religious Freedom. We, the Conservatives, will continue to present constructive proposals for how the government can move forward. Canadians expect us to stand up for the most vulnerable, and we will continue to urge the Prime Minister to do just that.