Mr. Speaker, I congratulate you on your election, and it is great to be back.
I am presenting a petition regarding the dire situation of minority communities in Afghanistan. The petitioners call on the government to note the situation of the Sikh, Hindu, Hazara, Christian and other minority communities whose position was precarious prior to the Taliban takeover and is much worse now.
This petition was gathered prior to the Taliban takeover and calls on the government to create a special program to help vulnerable minorities receive direct sponsorship to come to Canada. Conservatives have been calling for this special program for over six years and Liberals have failed to act. Rather than focus on the crisis in Afghanistan, the government chose to call an unnecessary election on the very day that Kabul fell, putting its own interests ahead of its responsibility to lead. The petitioners want to see real leadership by Canada in defence of justice and human rights, standing up for the most vulnerable in Afghanistan and around the world.