Rob Oliphant on Questions on the Order Paper

Mr. Speaker, Canada expects all foreign representatives to exercise their functions in keeping with the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, or VCDR, and the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, or VCCR, including respecting applicable Canadian laws and regulations and avoiding interference in internal affairs. The context for a decision to declare a foreign representative persona non grata, under either article 9 of the VCDR or article 23 of the VCCR, varies from case to case, and each decision would be based on specific circumstances. The Vienna conventions provide that the receiving state, which is Canada, does not have to explain its decision to the sending state. In order to protect this prerogative, data with respect to the concerns giving rise to persona non grata declarations cannot be disclosed.