Hélène Laverdière

[Business of Supply, December 1st, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, as we are talking about the Americas and human rights, I cannot help but point out once again that the Conservatives made deep cuts to Canada's contribution to the Inter-American Human Rights Commission, a key organization that does good work and has produced results in the entire region, including Cuba. A few months ago, it issued an urgent call to the Canadian government for support, which has yet to be acknowledged.

I would like to ask my colleague whether Canada will finally provide ongoing support for the Inter-American Human Rights Commission.

[Business of Supply, December 1st, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, this would be comical if it were not so sad.

I hear my Conservative colleagues talking about the human rights situation in Cuba, which, yes, definitely needs some major improvements. There are some serious problems there. However, what did the Conservatives do when they were in power? I will tell you what they did. They cut funding to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.

They cut funding to an organization that works specifically on defending human rights across the Americas, including in Cuba.

Does my colleague think that makes sense?

[Business of Supply, December 1st, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague for his speech. However, what struck me the most is what he said at the end about his hope that Cubans will be able to pursue a path towards democracy and respect for human rights.

Hope is not enough. We also need action. The Conservatives cut the budget of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, which works specifically on protecting human rights across the Americas, particularly in Cuba.

The Conservatives say they want to protect human rights in Cuba, yet they cut resources to a well-known organization that does excellent work. There is not only a contradiction here, but also an element of cynicism.

Would my colleague like to comment on that?

[National Defence, November 28th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, a new Statistics Canada survey released today shows that one in four women in the Canadian Forces has been sexually assaulted at least once in her career.

In fact, the rate of sexual assault in the Canadian Forces is double that in the general population, and often these women are assaulted by a superior. That is unacceptable.

What does the government plan to do about this crisis?

[Railway Safety Act, November 24th, 2016]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-322, An Act to amend the Railway Safety Act (road crossings).

Mr. Speaker, I am very happy and very proud to introduce this bill this morning. It will give the Minister of Transport the power to save lives.

In cities like Montreal, railways go right through densely populated neighbourhoods. They impede pedestrians and cyclists, among others. When people do not really have a safe way to cross the tracks, they do so unsafely. Let us not wait for an accident to happen. There are places where, some mornings, up to 500 people cross railroad tracks unsafely.

When we asked the Minister of Transport about this, he told us that, unfortunately, he could not do anything because the law does not authorize him to require the construction of road crossings. It only allows him to have them removed. I am very pleased to help the Minister of Transport by introducing this bill, which will enable him to order the construction of road crossings that will keep people safe and alive.

(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)

[Foreign Affairs, November 22nd, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, the Turkish government has arrested not only professors, students, journalists, and public servants, but also a number of Kurdish MPs who were democratically elected to their national Parliament. This constitutes a direct attack on the principle of parliamentary immunity that is at the core of our democracies. I hope many of my colleagues are driven to action by the news.

What specific action is the minister taking to denounce this situation and defend democracy and human rights in Turkey?

[Canadian Human Rights Act, November 18th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, much like my colleague, I am thrilled that this bill has been introduced, so that trans and non-binary individuals can finally enjoy the same rights and protections as all other Canadians. It is the very least we can do.

I am sure all New Democrats are delighted, because this bill is basically a carbon copy of bills we have been introducing for quite some time. We have been working on this file for quite a while now, and we really hope that it goes through, because it is so crucial.

Of course this is an important step, but it does not mean that the entire issue is resolved. LGBTQ communities still face problems and challenges.

I do not like putting the cart before the horse, but I want to ask my colleague what he sees as the next challenges and concerns to overcome.

[Foreign Affairs, November 18th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, last month, a UN committee voted in favour of complete nuclear disarmament. Unfortunately, Canada did not support that initiative. While other countries are moving forward and working hard on this file, this government is dragging its feet.

Will Canada show some leadership, support the efforts being made toward nuclear disarmament, and participate in the negotiation process that will begin next year?

[Foreign Affairs, November 17th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, the government has provided very little information about the selection criteria for Canada's next peacekeeping missions. So far the government is refusing to include the opposition parties in this discussion.

Can the minister tell us when this matter will be debated in Parliament, and can he confirm whether the Central African Republic is one of the possible deployment options for a peacekeeping mission?

[Foreign Affairs, November 14th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, we have learned that the Minister of Foreign Affairs blocked a shipment of weapons to Thailand because of human rights concerns. Meanwhile, he continues to allow military equipment to be exported to Saudi Arabia despite that country's role in the war in Yemen and the fact that its human rights record is even worse than that of Thailand. The government is refusing to create a parliamentary committee to examine Canadian arms sales.

When will the government be transparent on this important issue?