House of Commons photoWon her last election, in 2025, with 64% of the vote.
Business of Supply May 17th, 2017
Madam Chair, let me reiterate. Our support for the Yazidis is clear. Our support for the Yazidis is recognized in our support for them as refugees. I do want to recognize the work of the member for Calgary Nose Hill, who has worked hard on this as well. Our work in Iraq focuses on helping the most vulnerable, and that very much includes the Yazidis, with a particular focus on women and girls.
Business of Supply May 17th, 2017
Madam Chair, as the member opposite knows, we are very focused on the plight of the Yazidis. We are very focused on them as refugees. We are working hard to help some of the most vulnerable victims of Daesh, with the focus on Yazidi women and girls, to move to Canada. Our work in—
Business of Supply May 17th, 2017
Madam Chair, I thought the member opposite or one of the members opposite might ask about that.
As the member may well know, this is an old loan dating back to 1975. In 1982, Cuba began repayment, but stopped making payments in 1986 because of the financial situation. In December of 2015, members of the Paris Club creditors, a group that includes allies such as the U.K., Australia, France, and Japan, decided that the thing to do was to reach an agreement with Cuba to forgive the debt. We—
Business of Supply May 17th, 2017
Madam Chair, I think I was very clear. The issue of justice in Sri Lanka is one that our government is very focused on, that members of my caucus have been extremely active on, that I have instructed my officials to work on very—
Business of Supply May 17th, 2017
Madam Chair, I very much share the concern of the member opposite for justice in Sri Lanka, and we have many members in this House, including active members in our own caucus, who are extremely focused on it. It is something that our officials are working at, that our MPs are working at, that we have been focused on in international fora and directly.
Business of Supply May 17th, 2017
Madam Chair, we as a government have been very focused on this issue with our counterparts around the world, at the UN and diplomatically.
Business of Supply May 17th, 2017
Madam Chair, let me speak for myself and my own engagement. This is something I am absolutely focused on. I have taken a direct personal interest and have spoken with people who are directly focused on this issue. My department is supporting the Rohingya refugees. They are, indeed, a persecuted ethnic and religious minority, and they have Canada's support.
Business of Supply May 17th, 2017
Madam Chair, I am personally very seized with the issue of the Rohingya. It is something I am very focused on. In fact, shortly after becoming minister, I made a point of getting in touch with the UN special rapporteur on this issue, Professor Yanghee Lee. It is something Canada and my department are focused on. We have provided $4.3 million in support. We are on this one.
Business of Supply May 17th, 2017
Madam Chair, as I was explaining, we are not on the UN Economic and Social Council, so we did not have a vote. Saudi Arabia's regional candidacy was not contested.
That said, we are going to be very clear. We will never hesitate to—
Business of Supply May 17th, 2017
Madam Chair, I want to assure the member opposite that none of his constituents will mind us talking about the Oilers.
Saudi Arabia's membership on the Commission on the Status of Women was chosen by the United Nations Economic and Social Council. Canada, as the member opposite knows well—