Hélène Laverdière

[Foreign Affairs, November 30th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, we provide humanitarian assistance and then we provide arms to the country that prevents that humanitarian assistance from reaching those who need it.

We have been calling on the government for three years now to stop exporting weapons to Saudi Arabia. Some of the reasons for that include political prisoners, torture, the oppression of women and forced disappearances, not to mention the terrible war in Yemen, which brought famine, destruction and war crimes to that ravaged country.

What is the government waiting for? When will it finally stop exporting weapons to Saudi Arabia?

[Foreign Affairs, November 30th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, according to news reports, many experts say there is definite proof that Canadian weapons have been used in the Saudi-led war in Yemen. They say photos and videos clearly show Canadian armoured vehicles and rifles on the scene and that Canadian companies train pilots taking part in hostilities.

We are talking about potential complicity in war crimes. Will the government wake up and launch an immediate independent investigation?

[HIV/AIDS, November 30th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, December 1 is World AIDS Day. It is a time to remember that too many lives have been affected by HIV and AIDS, to thank the people on the front lines who work with HIV-infected individuals, and to raise public awareness.

In 2016, more than 63,000 people were living with HIV across Canada, and we saw an 11% increase in the number of reported cases.

We are therefore very concerned about the fact that some community organizations may have to shut down because of a lack of funding. Many people are reporting a decline in services for individuals living with HIV and their families. If we want to end the stigma associated with HIV/AIDS and prevent the virus from spreading, we must continue to invest in a variety of approaches.

If we truly want a future without HIV-AIDS, we all have to work together.

[Foreign Affairs, November 21st, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, Germany has permanently stopped selling arms to Saudi Arabia. That is what leadership looks like.

Nearly a month ago, our Prime Minister announced that the government was reviewing existing export permits—not future permits, but existing permits.

Can the Prime Minister update the House on the status of the review of existing permits to export arms to Saudi Arabia and tell us when we can expect a decision?

[Foreign Affairs, November 20th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, today we learned that despite the fragile ceasefire in Yemen, Saudi-led forces resumed air strikes on the port city of Hodeidah, through which 80% of Yemen's humanitarian aid arrives, presumably including Canadian aid. We provide humanitarian aid to Yemen, but then we sell arms to the country that is preventing the humanitarian aid from arriving.

Can someone please explain the logic behind that?

[Foreign Affairs, November 1st, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, Amnesty International, Oxfam and several other organizations join the NDP in calling on the government to immediately stop sending arms to Saudi Arabia.

For years, the Liberals have been repeating that they are very worried and that they are closely monitoring the situation. Canadians, however, are sick of waiting. You cannot put a price on human rights.

Will the government step up and stop arms sales to Saudi Arabia?

[Foreign Affairs, October 29th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, it is not enough to expect that the arms will not be misused. It is necessary to ensure they will not be misused.

The war in Yemen has created the worst humanitarian disaster on the planet, to say nothing of the Saudi regime's treatment of women, dissidents and minorities. We already know that Canadian weapons have been used against civilians in eastern Saudi Arabia. The murder of Jamal Khashoggi is just one more atrocity to be laid to the Saudis' account.

What is the Prime Minister waiting for to suspend not only future permits, but existing permits as well?

[Foreign Affairs, October 25th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, the explanations coming out of Riyadh concerning the murder of Jamal Khashoggi are inconsistent and contradictory.

Today, for the first time, the Attorney General of Saudi Arabia spoke of a premeditated act. With the treatment of women, dissidents and religious minorities, not to mention the war in Yemen, and now this murder, we have reached the tipping point. We have been calling on the government to take action for years.

When will we stop selling arms to Saudi Arabia?

[Foreign Affairs, October 25th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, for our allies, like Germany, the murder of Jamal Khashoggi was the tipping point. Chancellor Angela Merkel decided to stop exporting weapons to Saudi Arabia because it was the right thing to do. We have been calling for years for the Canadian government to do the same.

Everyone knows the kingdom is one of the worst human rights offenders in the world. This alone should be enough. What are the Liberals waiting for?

[Foreign Affairs, October 23rd, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, every new detail in the Khashoggi case is worse than the last. The whole thing is truly horrendous, but the Saudi regime's treatment of women, dissidents and religious minorities is also horrendous. The war crimes and famine in Yemen are also horrendous.

How much are human rights worth to the Prime Minister? How about the lives of thousands of women and children?