Madam Speaker, I suspect I will get a bonus two minutes for that.
I look at the motion, of which I read parts (a) and (b). There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that every member of the House of Commons would support those two aspects of the motion. It is the (c) clause that is poison pill. If we vote for (a) and (b), then we have to agree to (c).
For many members of the House, it is the (c) clause that is causing members to indicate that they are not going to support the motion. That is why I made the suggestion that the Conservative Party is really off base. This is not what I believe most of us, not only in the House of Commons but also most Canadians, would want us to be talking about regarding the issue of Ukraine and having one voice coming from the House of Commons.
I do not have to talk about the horrific things many people have done in Ukraine. I thought maybe what I would do is talk about that special relationship that Canada has with Ukraine, because it is a very special relationship. Countries around the world are getting behind Ukraine, but I would argue that not only is Canada behind Ukraine, but that it also has a very special relationship with Ukraine.
We have seen the federal government act in a number of ways to support Ukraine in this difficult time, in terms of humanitarian aid, and when I talk about humanitarian aid, it is not just the federal government providing it. We have seen provincial governments contribute. We have seen individual Canadians and residents of Canada contribute, whether through organizations that are well established, such as the Ukrainian Canadian Congress and others, or through the Red Cross, where the federal government, although indicating a limit of $10 million, will match contributions Canadians are making, all in the name of humanitarian aid.
We have supplied lethal weapons. We recognize how important it is that the people of Ukraine, those brave men and women, have lethal weapons in order to protect themselves. We have also provided other financial support. We can talk a great deal about sanctions. Those are some of the things we are doing. The Prime Minister, and our ministers responsible for that file, because there are many, are open to all sorts of ideas of how we can continue to support Ukraine.
For an understanding of the community, there are 1.3 million people of Ukrainian heritage across Canada, hundreds of thousands of which come from the prairies. Many would argue they were the pioneers, to a certain degree. Obviously, we recognize first nations being there first and foremost, and then there were the waves of immigrants that came. It was Ukrainian immigrants that helped build what we have today in our prairies. One only needs to take a look at Winnipeg North to see the beautiful cathedral and the many businesses of Ukrainian heritage that have operated for decades in the north end of Winnipeg.
We go to the Ukraine-Kyiv Pavilion every year or every summer, or the Spirit of Ukraine Pavilion, and we get a sense of the deep-rooted heritage. That is why when things happen in Ukraine, the people in Canada care. It is not just the people of Ukrainian heritage. It is also the friends of the community and, in fact, all Canadians.
I believe what they would want of the House of Commons today is for us to be in unison, as one, as we continue, as we have from day one, to criticize Russia and to have the backs of the people of Ukraine.