Christine Moore

[Persons with Disabilities, February 5th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to speak to Motion No. 430 regarding employment opportunities for persons with disabilities. This motion refers to measures that are needed in order to give persons with disabilities improved access to stable employment. This means considering constraints related to their disability and recognizing their skills.

It is particularly important that we take the time to discuss this motion because it is related to what is happening in certain areas of my riding where it is increasingly difficult to fill available jobs. For example, there was a mining boom in my region recently, although there has been somewhat of a downturn as of late. Sometimes there are too many jobs available for the number of people who live in these areas. It is sometimes very difficult to fill certain jobs, so companies look to immigration.

It is becoming increasingly clear that we need to look to non-traditional pools of workers, including persons with disabilities, if we want to address this economic challenge in my riding. If we are successful at integrating persons with disabilities into the labour market, perhaps we will overcome the economic challenges in my region.

Integrating persons with a disability into the labour market requires a pan-Canadian strategy and therefore the collaboration of the provinces, territories and first nations. Unfortunately, the government did not include the collaborative approach in its proposals, depriving us of expertise that would help us integrate persons with disabilities into the labour market.

Many community organizations help persons with disabilities. For example, in the city next to mine, the Club de l'amitié des handicapés works to integrate persons with disabilities by organizing activities. It has built up expertise. However, since these community organizations fall under provincial jurisdiction, we are missing out on their expertise.

Still, these organizations can help us by sharing what works for them in their region. By getting involved in information sharing between the provinces and territories, we could have come up with a much better approach to integrating persons with disabilities into the labour market. The refusal to work with the provinces is hindering our overall objective. It is too bad.

Furthermore, the panel's report does not take a close enough look at the employability constraints that prevent disabled people from finding work, for example, inflexible schedules or the quality of the job. These criteria, which can deter people from working, are not mentioned in this report. It does not consider specific constraints related to a person's disability.

For example, if a disabled person's accessible transportation is not available before 9 a.m., they will obviously not be able to work a 9 to 5 job, since they would be late for work every day. There are constraints to that job. When there is a very strict schedule, that person loses a job opportunity.

We need to look at these specific constraints, which sometimes have simple solutions. There are people who would like to work, who feel able to work and who have the intellectual ability and the energy to work, but who cannot do so because of technicalities such as lack of transportation. If these simple issues had been addressed through consultations with disabled people, this could have been much more effective.

The analyses published by Statistics Canada clearly show the correlation between disability and low income.

Persons with disabilities are sometimes unable to find work because of constraints that are essentially easy to handle. As a result, they have low incomes. When you have a low income, it is often more difficult to acquire additional skills to find another job later. When you have a hard time making ends meet because you do not have a job, you obviously cannot afford to get additional training at university to improve your job prospects.

When we talk about persons with disabilities, we must look at the big picture and take a collaborative approach.

Unfortunately, although this motion contains some improvements and tackles the issue, some parts are not quite complete and could be improved. That does not mean that we have to oppose the motion. However, I think that if we really want to improve the job prospects of persons with disabilities, we must do better. The motion leaves something to be desired.

The participation rate of people with a temporary disability is lower than during times when they have no disability. According to Statistics Canada, approximately 55% of men and 39% of women without a disability worked the equivalent of a full-time schedule all year, compared with 21% and 14% of those with six years of disability.

These figures clearly show just how much a disability, even a temporary one, can affect a person's ability to remain active in the labour market. Accordingly, people with a disability are at a greater risk of having a low income, especially when their labour force participation is interrupted.

Canadians with a disability are affected in two ways. The disability hinders them physically or mentally, but it also makes them more likely to live in precarious circumstances. It often becomes more and more difficult to break such an impasse.

If I may digress for just a moment, I would point out that workplace mental health problems cost the Canadian economy $20.7 billion. It is an important issue. Mental illness is usually a temporary disability, but unfortunately, it can sometimes be permanent.

According to another statistic, every week almost 500,000 wage earners miss work because of mental illness. It seems to me we have a lot to think about. We have to do a better job of protecting the health and safety of our workers.

Gender inequality that is, unfortunately, already widespread within the labour market is even more marked when we compare the hours worked by women and men with disabilities. I think that is another point to consider.

Maybe we should pay special attention to what is happening to women with disabilities, who, sadly, struggle with tremendous instability. Women already have a hard time earning as much as men, and when a disability is thrown into the mix, they often end up in very unstable situations.

I would like to close by suggesting that the member who moved the motion should really think about women with disabilities, who are facing instability on both of these fronts.

[Business of Supply, February 4th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, before I changed committees, I was a member of the national defence committee, where members did not have access to documents classified as secret. That does not give parliamentarians the chance to understand fully what is going on when we talk about national security.

I would like to know if the member agrees if there should be a way that some members of Parliament, in a committee that already exists or a new one, have access to classified secret documents and the security clearance to do so?

[Financial Administration Act, February 3rd, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to speak to Bill C-473, which was introduced by my colleague from Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles. Because I am fortunate enough to share a desk with her, we have had a number of discussions about this bill.

This bill would introduce progressive measures to address the under-representation of women on crown corporation boards of administration. This bill is about professional equality between men and women. Equality in every dimension results from a long process of democratization that leads to recognition that both sexes have the same rights.

Nevertheless, women with the same skill sets as men still do not have equal access to senior positions. This problem affects both boards of directors and senior management teams.

This bill expresses the political will to fight this type of inequality. Politicians can commit to taking meaningful action to foster gender equality in the realms where it is possible for them to do so. I want to emphasize that it takes political will to walk the talk and pass this bill, a bill that can change things.

Women entering the workforce was a major change for our democracy. Our country is relatively young, but in its early days, there were hardly any women in the labour force. Things changed very fast. Now women are in the workforce. The labour market has also become more democratic over time. We have to keep up the fight and take meaningful action to conquer this kind of inequality.

Economically, implementing social policies that encourage women to join the labour force is a win-win situation. It is a technical win because when there are more women in the labour force, there is more taxable income, which means higher tax revenues for the state.

It is also a win because when men and women play an equal role in governing public corporations, their decisions take a much wider range of perspectives into account. Influenced by different viewpoints, their decisions are more thoughtful and effective. It is no secret that men and women often see the same problem from different angles.

When we have the views of both men and women on how to address specific problems, the outcome is more effective. Companies are usually at an advantage when they choose to include more women on their boards of directors or management teams. In fact, research conducted by Catalyst has shown a positive correlation between a company's sound financial results and a high number of women in its executive ranks.

For instance, the crown corporation Canada Post says it has financial difficulties, but its vision is probably more masculine. If more women had been on its board of directors, the visions would have been more varied and the corporation would have taken more acceptable and effective actions.

The vision of Canada Post would have been much broader. As we can see in the case of private companies, such a vision leads to better financial results. I think the government would benefit from adopting this type of policy, since it has a positive effect on financial results.

This legislation remains an effective tool for achieving the goal of gender parity. By examining international experience in the area, we can see that, unfortunately, voluntary incentives in no way lead to the expected results. When you rely on people's goodwill and you encourage them without putting legal measures in place, you will not achieve the desired results. In our example, what really matters is the outcome. Once we realize that a voluntary approach does not work, I think it is very important to take a stand and pass the appropriate legislation.

In addition, when legislation is not passed, inaction often seems to reinforce inequalities. The longer we wait to pass a piece of legislation, the more the situation worsens or at least does not improve. I think this clearly demonstrates the need to pass this legislation.

Once the bill comes into force, the objective of ensuring gender parity on the boards of crown corporations must be achieved within six years. Practically speaking, this means that it is important to pass such legislation quite quickly.

A gradual approach is used so as not to shake things up too much all at once and to allow people to adapt and slowly achieve their objectives. Quite often this means there will be one or two more women a year. At the end of six years, the target will be met. This is done gradually to give the organizations the time to develop new recruitment strategies. They will definitely need it. Often, women need to be encouraged to join boards of directors and they have to be sought out. Nonetheless, there are just as many well-qualified women as men. Sometimes women need to be sought out and encouraged to join boards of directors. The skills that these women have acquired and developed throughout their careers would be taken into consideration. This timeframe would allow the crown corporations to explore new labour pools and adjust their recruitment policies in order to bring qualified executives into their boards of administration.

The NDP has clearly demonstrated that it is leading the way in Canadian politics, and one way we have proven that is with our nominations. Fifty percent of NDP candidates are women. This has been good for democracy. I think I am a good example among my peers. By doing something tangible we are leading by example. The NDP currently has the largest female caucus in Parliament. It is important to do something tangible.

If women do not make up 50% of the parties' candidates, then it will be hard to have more female members of Parliament. We have to force the hand of the authorities in place. By having female candidates, we are able to have female MPs. The same goes for boards of directors. By passing legislation and forcing their hand a bit, we will end up with excellent women contributing to our crown corporations. The government can then also contribute to the increased use of professional practices that are based on balanced representation and that, I hope, will go beyond those of the public enterprises in question.

In other words, the bill before us can truly provide a concrete strategic advantage to our crown corporations. What is more, considering that some crown corporations are in financial difficulty, this might even help them face the future much more effectively.

I think this bill will truly benefit Canada, and I recommend that all members support it.

[Income Tax Act, January 30th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to speak to the bill introduced by my colleague, the member for Hamilton Mountain, because it will help the people in my riding in particular. I will explain in real terms what they experience, and this will help everyone understand how beneficial the bill is.

This bill allows tradespeople—mainly construction workers—and apprentices to deduct from their taxable income any travel and accommodation expenses that they incur in order to secure and maintain employment at a job site that is located more than 80 kilometres away from their residence.

In order to help members understand how the bill works, I will briefly explain the geography of my riding.

My riding includes four RCMs: Abitibi to the east, Abitibi-Ouest to the northwest, the city of Rouyn-Noranda a little further south, and Témiscamingue. Each RCM has a main city located more than 80 km from the next city.

With this bill, a worker can work for a while in another RCM in order to honour a contract and can deduct travel and accommodation expenses from his taxable income.

Why is this particularly attractive? In some RCMs, there is often too much work for one person in specific construction trades, but not enough for two people, or there is work, but not enough to hire a worker on a full-time basis.

For example, if a plumber in the Témiscamingue RCM does not have enough work, he can accept one- or two-month contracts in a neighbouring RCM in order to earn a full-time income. Thus, he will be able to complete a job in a neighbouring RCM. In a situation where there is too much work for one person, but not enough for two, this plumber can accept a portion of the work.

At present, there is a problem in the Témiscamingue RCM, to the south, which has a smaller population. It probably has the smallest number of available hours of work. Often, it is not worth their while for people from other RCMs to accept contracts there.

There are municipalities that put out a call for tenders to install air conditioners, for example. This has to be done by someone with a competency card. However, no one wants the job because the pay is not high enough to offset their costs. No one bids or the bids are ridiculously high. If the individual who accepts the contract were able to deduct his costs from his taxable income, it would be worth his while to go.

This bill definitely recognizes the reality of rural areas where the major centres are more than 80 kilometres apart. Of course, major centres are relative. In my riding, a town of 10,000 people is a major centre. I know that it is not the same everywhere. Given that the major centres are more than 80 kilometres apart, this bill really reflects the local reality.

I think it would be interesting to have some statistics on the construction industry in Abitibi-Témiscamingue.

In 2009 and 2011, there were 3,000 construction jobs on average. That represents 4.4% of regional employment. Many people in my region would tangibly benefit from the bill.

I would also like to say that the number of housing starts keeps increasing because the vacancy rate has been under 1% for the past few years in cities such as Amos, Rouyn-Noranda and Val-d'Or.

Another factor, in addition to the vacancy rate, is that sometimes builders cannot find the people to do the job. These construction sites slow down. This bill could help get projects up and running because the financial incentive for workers who want to go elsewhere will make it possible to move labour around. Vacancy rates are one factor, but so are the projects themselves. Although the industrial mining sector has slowed down somewhat, there was a significant boom in 2013.

In real terms, investments are not growing. In 2011, they apparently totalled more than $2 billion, including mining and hydroelectric projects in northern Quebec and Abitibi-Témiscamingue, and not counting the activities that could develop from the Plan Nord of the Quebec government of the time.

From 2000 to 2011, according to the Institut de la statistique du Québec, the value of construction permits grew at an annual average of more than 10% in most RCMs in the Abitibi-Témiscamingue region, particularly in the Vallée-de-l'Or RCM and the city of Rouyn-Noranda, for a total of $154 million and $80 million respectively.

There has been clear growth in construction in Abitibi-Témiscamingue, primarily in the residential construction sector, followed by institutional and commercial construction, industrial construction, and civil engineering and road construction. It is hard to find workers for this growing sector because the financial compensation is inadequate.

Nonetheless, we have a tangible way of helping a rural region like mine. That is why I hope that the members of all parties will support this bill, which was introduced at the very start of the session. We were quite anxious to talk about it. My colleague from Hamilton Mountain introduced it just after the election. I am extremely pleased to finally speak to it and to say how beneficial it will be to my riding, Abitibi—Témiscamingue. I sincerely thank my colleague for introducing this bill that will help my riding.

[Business of Supply, January 30th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, it is already hard enough to ask for help, to admit that you are not doing well and to talk about your experiences with another person face to face, even if that person has listened to others and understands military issues.

Now, imagine suffering that much. You are not even able to talk to someone in person, and when you call you hear, “For English, please press 1; Pour le français, appuyez sur le 2.” It is already hard enough. That does not make sense.

When people are in distress and are thinking about dying, they are rarely able to talk about what they went through with their spouse, for example. It is too hard and they do not want to make their loved ones sad by talking about their experiences.

It is ridiculous that we are not even able to ensure that someone will directly answer their call. The person in distress could hang up. They would have gathered their courage to phone, but as soon as they heard the recorded message, they would give up. They will no longer be able to talk and will hang up, and it may be too late to help ease their suffering.

[Business of Supply, January 30th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to speak to the motion moved by the hon. member for Châteauguay—Saint-Constant. I want to point out that if there is any time left over, I will share it with the hon. member for Windsor West.

Some members in the House know that I used to be a soldier. I enlisted on May 11, 2002, as a medical assistant in the reserves. Then I spent some time in the regular forces as an armour officer cadet.

Having been a soldier has changed me as a person. It has forever changed my personality. I was no longer the same person when I left the forces. I learned how to work on a team, even if I did not always like the people I was required to work with. I had to work with them nonetheless. I learned to take responsibility even though it was not always easy and even though I was tired at times. I learned that there is no one to blame but me. I learned that sometimes I have to accept that I am wrong and take responsibility for my mistakes instead of blaming everyone else for my problems.

I learned to manage my fear and stress. As soldiers, we do not learn how to overcome fear; we learn how to manage it. If we lose our fear, then we become reckless and that can be fatal. I learned to push my limits and exceed them. All those skills have made me a different person. I would say that the majority of veterans also learned to be different.

It is often said, once a soldier always a soldier. It is true. The people we served with will always be our brothers and sisters. The Canadian flag will always have a special meaning for us. Every day for the rest of our lives, our national anthem, O Canada, will stir up certain emotions. Maybe that is why I am so proud to sing it every Wednesday. Even though I do not have such a great singing voice, I love singing our national anthem.

There is something else that is different about us. Even if soldiers do not believe in the politics of a mission—we agree that soldiers have political opinions—we still want to go because we do not want to let our brothers and sisters go alone. We want to participate even if, in the end, we do not believe the political reasons the people we serve under have given for the mission.

We help and support one another. I remember that, when I was a soldier, even though I weighed only 110 pounds—I will not say how much I weigh now, but at the time I was quite petite—I grabbed a second rucksack and carried it because one of my colleagues was injured. I walked with two rucksacks. Even though they weighed approximately 60 to 80 pounds each, I did it. Another time, I took a C9 machine gun, which is a heavier weapon, and I gave my much lighter gun to an injured colleague. I wanted him to carry a lighter load.

We take care of one another. Even when the problems are psychological, we try to support one another as best we can. However, it is problematic when too many people have mental health issues and are suffering. Someone who is injured and hurting cannot help his or her colleagues as much. There is an imbalance and that is when there is a problem.

The number of disturbing stories I have heard is nevertheless surprising. A colleague told me that he saw a river in Rwanda that was red with blood and had corpses floating in it. He will carry those images with him for the rest of his life. I also heard about Yugoslavia. A colleague took down bodies that had been nailed to a wall. That too stays with you for the rest of your life. People have told me about unimaginable injuries, smells that will stay with them forever. All those images stay in your mind. Why did they tell me about them? Maybe because they thought that I could understand, that I would know what they were experiencing and that I would be able to listen without judging.

Canadian Forces members often talk about why they joined the military, but they do not often talk about why they left.

Today, I am going to talk about those reasons. I would like to say that all of our men and women in uniform are truly wonderful people who are dedicated to their duty. I have nothing bad to say about any of the people in uniform I served with.

However, after being assigned to the holding platoon for various reasons, I realized that the managers and administrators who do not wear a uniform are sometimes—and I would even go so far as to say often—out of touch with the reality and the practical needs of the people on the ground. At the time, I was an officer cadet, but I told myself that I would not be able to give explanations to the soldiers. When a soldier would come and see me to ask why his medical file had been on hold for over a year, I would be unable to explain to him why the government had not taken action.

At first, I wanted to stay, but I finally decided to leave the armed forces. The first thing I did after I left, in December 2005, was to run in the federal election as the NDP candidate for the riding of Abitibi—Témiscamingue. It was one of the first things I did. I decided that I was going to fight for my former brothers and sisters, that I was going to try to make a difference for them. I decided to fight for the things that are important to me, to fight for my home region and for the people who watched me grow up. I am very happy to do so. It is a different way of fighting, but it is just as important.

Soldiers are taught how to fight and to go to war. They become experts in this area. However, they are not taught how to fight with words against public servants who force them to fill out an endless number of forms and go through countless processes. Veterans have said that they get the impression that they are at war against their government.

It is unbelievable. They are experiencing mental anguish because of all the horrific images they have in their minds from the atrocities they have witnessed. However, when they ask for help, all the government seems to want to do is undermine them; put obstacles in their way; and think nothing of sending them here, there and everywhere in search of documents.

They are told to find help online or on the phone. It is already hard to talk about what they went through in person, to someone they know or to their loved ones. It is already hard to speak to a sympathetic-looking person, and now they are being told that they will have to try talking about their emotions online or on the phone. That makes no sense. If they manage to get professional help, there is a good chance that this professional will be tired and worn out because there are never as many professionals as are needed.

In light of this, is it so surprising that the stress is causing some people to commit suicide? The minister does not think it is right to link the suicides to the closing of the centres. I do not think it is right that the Conservatives are not asking whether closing these centres will increase the risk of psychological stress and suicide. That is not right, and the minister needs to put a stop to this.

We ask soldiers to be brave and to fight. We asked soldiers not to be afraid to give their life for their country. However, now, Conservative members are unable to rise and are all too afraid to tell the Prime Minister and the Minister of Veterans Affairs that this is not the right thing to do. Is that it? Do they lack the honour to be able to say that?

It is unacceptable, and that is why I believe that all members should adopt the NDP's motion. They should all say that no, we will not abandon our veterans.

[Ukraine, January 27th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, that was a rather long question, but I will try to give a simple example. For example, if there were some sort of co-operation among countries, the current trade relations with Ukraine could be used to add a little pressure. I think there are many possible answers to that question; this is only one example among many, but I would need more time to answer such a long question.

[Ukraine, January 27th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, I believe I already addressed that question in my answer to the previous question.

Canada should start considering the option of imposing sanctions on those responsible, such as travel bans and asset freezes.

I do not believe we should wait for other countries to act first. We can impose sanctions independently. At the same time, we can discuss options with our allies. When it comes to sanctions, however, Canada can act alone at any time, if it so desires and deems it appropriate.

[Ukraine, January 27th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, at the very least, I believe we should use diplomacy to take a firm stance with the Ukrainian president.

Then, Canada should start considering the option of imposing sanctions such as travel bans and asset freezes on those responsible for the crackdown. The government should also hold discussions with our allies to determine if other measures should be taken.

I suggest that Canada stand firm and use the political clout afforded to us by the large number of Ukrainians currently residing here, while at the same time relying on diplomacy.

[Ukraine, January 27th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, before I start my speech, I would like to explain why the member for Abitibi—Témiscamingue, in northern Quebec, is rising to speak to the situation in Ukraine.

To explain, I want to share a little of my riding's history. During the First World War, we were allies with Great Britain. At some point, an order was issued to intern enemies of the state, people who were of German origin, from the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

Accordingly, 24 internment camps were set up in Canada, including four in Quebec. The first was set up in Spirit Lake, a small village next to my riding. This was, unfortunately, a strategic place to intern people, because when the camp was opened in 1915, the railway was virtually the only thing there.

Therefore, these people were in the middle of nowhere, in a desolate, tree-covered landscape. In the winter, it was bleak, snow-covered landscape. All that they had to monitor was the railway.

About 1,200 prisoners passed through the camp between 1915 and 1917. For the most part, they were Ukrainians. There were 200 soldiers guarding the prisoners and some civilians worked there. More than 50 buildings were built over two kilometres of land. Twenty-two people died there, and 19 of them were buried in a nearby cemetery.

I think it is important to explain why there is a Ukrainian community in Abitibi-Témiscamingue, as odd as this may seem.

The Spirit Lake camp interpretive centre opened not too long ago, at the start of my term. The Minister of Employment and Social Development, the parliamentary secretary for national defence and the member for Etobicoke—Lakeshore came with me to the opening of the centre to remember and acknowledge these events.

My riding also saw a second wave of immigration after the Second World War. Immigrants from Eastern Europe came to work in the mines and the smelter, and Ukrainians started to come, too. They left their mark on the region. Many buildings were built for the Ukrainian community.

Many people of Ukrainian descent settled in the area. Some changed their names. They cut off the ending so their name would sound more French-Canadian. When we ask about their history, we find out that they changed their name, so there are even more Ukrainians in the region than we may think. They have been in Abitibi since the beginning.

Abitibi's first city, Amos, is celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2014. Ukrainians arrived basically when the city was being built. They were there when the first cities were established. They have always been part of life in Abitibi.

That is why I wanted to take the time to explain why I felt strongly about speaking.

People are still attached to Ukraine. That is why I was delighted, last November, when the Department of Foreign Affairs selected me and my colleague from Etobicoke—Lakeshore to take part in a ceremony marking the 80th anniversary of Holodomor.

My colleague and I were supposed to take part in the ceremony. Holodomor refers to a time in 1932 and 1933 when millions of Ukrainians fell victim to a widespread Soviet famine. A huge number of people died. It is a sad period in Ukrainian history.

This ceremony was important to me, since I am aware of how important Ukrainians have been in my riding's history.

My colleague and I were supposed to leave on November 21. A few minutes before departure, we were told that we were no longer leaving because of what had happened and been set in motion. I want to point out that on November 21, the Ukrainian government suspended its preparations for the signing of the association agreement with the European Union. This news triggered the first wave of protests. Although these protests were democratic, they were violently repressed by the police. Therefore, we did not go to Kiev.

Since then, the violence has continued in a rather marked fashion in Ukraine, even though protesters are peaceful. They want a new truly democratic presidential election.

Some people in my community are affected by the situation. Jim Slobodian, who has worked for years to see the opening of the Spirit Lake camp said that, of course, people are affected when they look at what is happening. Mr. Slobodian, a native of Rouyn-Noranda, explained that his father came from Ukraine in 1920. His father said that even at the time, when he left Ukraine at the age of 16, the Russians were really domineering and that was one reason why he left the country with his brothers. They could no longer withstand this treatment.

Therefore, this situation has a real impact on certain people in my riding. These events affect them and concern them.

Father Lev Chayka, who founded the Ukrainian churches of Val-d'Or and Rouyn-Noranda 60 years ago, is following the discussions on the crisis very closely. He hopes the Ukrainian people's protest will have a positive effect on the European Union. He is also praying that Viktor Yanukovych will step down and elections are held in Ukraine to elect a president who supports the European Union. He also expressed his fear of the Russian government, which, in his opinion, is trying to build an empire. I would like to point out that Father Chayka is 90 years old. He says this is not just about trade, but about building another Russian empire today, as under Stalin.

People are very worried about this situation. What the descendants of Ukrainian immigrants in my riding want for their people is the right to free speech and to peaceful protest, so that they can be proud of their country.

I talked about all of the links with people in my riding. They want Canada to use its position to play a leading role in bringing back democracy as much as possible. We have many connections to Ukraine, so we can play a major role in bringing swift resolution to this conflict. Protesters have been killed, young people like me. It is heartbreaking to think that these people died because they wanted democracy and freedom.

The situation is all the more alarming because people are afraid there might be more violence. We hope that will not be the case; we do not want the protesters to be punished again, nor do we want more young people to be killed during protests.

Canada must play an effective leading role in trying to find solutions to bring democracy back to Ukraine.