Garnett Genuis

[Extension of Sitting Hours, May 29th, 2017]

Then answer the question.

[Extension of Sitting Hours, May 29th, 2017]

Mr. Speaker, unfortunately it is going to take more than extended hours to get the current government to keep its promises, since it has broken so many of them already.

If the minister is seeking partisan co-operation, she did not really start on a strong note by completely misstating the opposition's position on Bill C-24. Bill C-24 is about the government wanting to pay its junior ministers more. It has nothing to do with gender equality. The minister claimed it is about gender equality. The Prime Minister happened to choose to appoint women to junior ministerial portfolios. That was a choice he made, not a choice anyone else made.

I want to ask a really simple question for the minister about Bill C-24. Under that bill, are these junior ministers now empowered to bring a memorandum to cabinet? That is an important part of the powers of senior ministers. If we have real ministerial equality, then they would have that power. Would Bill C-24 empower junior ministers to bring memoranda to cabinet, yes or no?

[Business of Supply, May 17th, 2017]

Of course, Madam Chair, the minister will get no disagreement from us that we should concern ourselves with the situation of all different kinds of minorities, including the issues in Chechnya, which I think many members in the opposition have spoken about.

However, it is not just enough to talk about these issues. I have asked about actions taken. The minister has referred, for example, to the actions allegedly of our ambassadors, but I have raised in the House before that if we review the Facebook page for our mission in Burma, we do not see public statements on there with respect to the situation of the Rohingya.

What is needed from the government, what is missing, is action on these issues. We have heard a lot tonight about concern, about empathy, but empathy is not enough. People expect Canada to actually step up and be involved in these issues, not just talk about them. We want to see actual money addressing these communal issues. The minister needs to speak out more clearly with her counterparts in other countries.

[Business of Supply, May 17th, 2017]

Madam Chair, here is the thing. The office of religious freedom did not just express concerns, and I do not think that is all people in these communities around the world are looking for. They are actually interested in concrete action and projects. It was the fact that the vast majority of the budget of the office of religious freedom went to projects on the ground.

If the government wants to deliver these funds in a different way through a different mechanism, that is its choice, but I would really like to know what kinds of projects the government has funded, if any, around the world to build communal harmony in the way that was done previously through the office of religious freedom.

[Business of Supply, May 17th, 2017]

Madam Chair, my impression so far is that there are many cases and situations around the world that have the minister's concern and attention, but I have asked specific questions about actions taken. I have asked specific questions about whether she is satisfied with the response of her officials. Again, I think the record will show that we did not hear an answer.

I want to now ask about projects of the office of religious freedom in Nigeria. There are major issues of building communal harmony in a number of countries in Africa between Christian and Muslim communities. Canada was involved previously through the office of religious freedom in a very important project in central Nigeria promoting harmony between those two communities.

Since the office of religious freedom has been cancelled, I want to ask the minister if the government has supported any projects promoting communal harmony in Nigeria or elsewhere in Africa.

[Business of Supply, May 17th, 2017]

Madam Chair, I would certainly appreciate hearing some of the statements coming from the minister and reflected on the Foreign Affairs website because if one looks at the website, at least, to the statements coming out of the department and the minister, one might get a bit of a skewed perception.

I want to ask about a case in China which has been brought up already, but I just was not satisfied with the answer. This is the case of Chung Nan Chang, who is a Canadian citizen. He is in prison in China. This is a consular issue, but it is also an issue of China violating its trade obligations. Article VII of GATT is very clear about mechanisms for customs valuation and China is ignoring its trade obligations at the same time as it is imprisoning a Canadian.

Mr. Chang was told by Canadian consular officials that the government of Canada, including the trade commissioner service, “cannot interfere in the judicial affairs of another country.”

I want to know if the minister is satisfied with the response of Canadian officials to date given that statement that was given to Mr. Chang.

[Business of Supply, May 17th, 2017]

Madam Chair, the foreign affairs minister says that statements have been made with respect to the persecution of Christians. I would like to know in what countries those public statements have been made and where I might be able to find them. I looked through the Foreign Affairs website today, looked for press releases and statements referencing the persecution of Christians. I was not able to find any.

I wonder when and where those statements were made and with respect to what countries.

[Business of Supply, May 17th, 2017]

Unfortunately, Madam Chair, if the Minister of Foreign Affairs cannot answer a simple yes to that question, it is quite telling.

It is also quite telling that when I asked two questions where I referred to Yazidis and Assyrian Christians, the minister talked about her concern for Yazidis but did not at all mention the situation of the Assyrian Christians.

In terms of the government's concern for Christians facing persecution, has the government made any public statements with respect to the persecution of Christians in any country?

[Business of Supply, May 17th, 2017]

Madam Chair, I am asking short questions, and short answers would be sufficient.

Does the Government of Canada recognize the genocide of Yazidis and Assyrian Christians in Iraq and Syria?

[Business of Supply, May 17th, 2017]

Madam Chair, I am sure Cuba was more than happy to sign on to that agreement.

I want to ask about Syria and Iraq. I know it has come up before. Does the Government of Canada recognize the genocide of the Yazidis and Assyrian Christians in Iraq and Syria?