Mr. Speaker, as Canadians, we take pride in the role we play on the international stage, committed to international law and to the principle that power must be constrained by rules, not exempt from them. Today, that commitment matters more than ever before.
There are too many places, such as Lebanon, Ukraine, Sudan, Iran, Yemen and Palestine, where civilians bear the weight of conflict, instability and the erosion of rights that should never be negotiable. Many in Mississauga Centre have lived that reality first-hand.
On April 17, we mark its inverse, the anniversary of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, a declaration not only of who we are but of who we must continually choose to be.
As Canadians, we know that these rights, which stem from struggles against injustice, are rooted in the belief that every person has the right to dignity, freedom and security.
Human rights are not conditional. They are not selective. They are universal, or they are meaningless.