House of Commons photoWon her last election, in 2015, with 38% of the vote.
Foreign Affairs January 29th, 2016
Mr. Speaker, the UN adopted the Arms Trade Treaty in 2013. I would remind the House that this treaty is meant to regulate trade in arms across international borders, specifically to ensure that those arms are not used in any way that violates international law or human rights. However, Canada has yet to sign the treaty. In fact, Canada is the only NATO country that has not signed it.
When will the government keep its promise and sign that treaty?
Human Rights January 29th, 2016
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Foreign Affairs suggested yesterday that maintaining Canada's Office of Religious Freedom will not be a priority for his government. By the same token, the minister indicated that he intends to defend all human rights, including freedom of religion, as a whole. We agree with that approach. As always, however, the devil is in the details.
Can the Minister of Foreign Affairs tell us exactly what his game plan is and the timeframe he has in mind?
Public Safety January 28th, 2016
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals and Conservatives have approved thousands of takeovers of Canadian companies by foreign interests.
Recently, Allstream, a Canadian company with a fibre optic network that carries confidential data on thousands of Canadians, was sold to an American firm. The upshot is that sensitive information will now be subject to American surveillance.
Why did the government authorize that sale without even conducting a national security review?
Resumption of Debate on Address in Reply January 26th, 2016
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for her very interesting speech. She clearly cares very much about her riding.
The member mentioned problems with drought in wetlands. Could she say more about how climate change is affecting her riding and could she tell us how people are concerned about these issues?
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship January 25th, 2016
Mr. Speaker, on December 10, the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship told the House that he would reinstate the moratorium on deporting citizens of Zimbabwe and Haiti, but we checked, and the department has received no such instructions.
When will the minister act on his statement here in the House and reinstate the moratorium? Does he understand how excruciating this is for the people who fear deportation?
International Human Rights Day December 10th, 2015
Mr. Speaker, today is International Human Rights Day.
This year, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights is raising global awareness of two international covenants on human rights, covenants that establish a universal framework of rights and freedoms that everyone in the world should enjoy.
As we mark this occasion together, we should be mindful of those who have struggled to guarantee these basic liberties: men and women like Raif Badawi, the Saudi blogger and dissident sentenced to imprisonment and lashes for his ideas; or Malala, whose advocacy for the right to education has inspired us all.
On behalf of the New Democratic Party, I invite all members to honour those who fight so valiantly for the rights of all human beings.
Business of Supply December 10th, 2015
Madam Speaker, I completely agree. We also want to fight against Daesh or ISIS. We are proposing different tools that we think will be more effective. Like the Liberals, we believe that bombing is not the right approach for Canada to take. We would go even a little further than that. Yes, I completely agree that withdrawing the CF-18s does not mean that we are stepping away from the fight against ISIS.
Business of Supply December 10th, 2015
Thank you very much, Madam Speaker.
I understand that it is a quasi state, but there are further ramifications that make the problem more complex. Yes, all of us would like to stop the killings and the atrocities committed by ISIS, or let us remember, by Bashar al-Assad's regime. The question is how best to do that. There is a gut reaction of saying the best way to do that is to go bombing, and that is what we question.
Business of Supply December 10th, 2015
Madam Speaker, I hope the Liberal government plans to introduce a concrete plan to combat radicalization, in partnership with communities, here and around the world.
At this point, the problem is that we are up against a war that is not a traditional or conventional war, but we are using conventional fighting methods that are not at all suited to the situation.
I want to come back to the issue of radicalization around the world. In the early weeks of the American bombings, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a widely recognized organization, said that during that period, ISIS managed to recruit 6,000 new jihadists.
We really need to ask ourselves whether bombing is simply leading to more recruiting; if so, then it is counterproductive.
Fighting a new kind of war with tools from the last century is simply not going to work.
Business of Supply December 10th, 2015
Madam Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague for her question, and I welcome her to the House.
As I pointed out, we are already providing some humanitarian aid, but we could do more. In my opinion, this aid is absolutely vital, both from a humanitarian and compassionate point of view and also to support the fight against these terrorist groups. I would like to expand the debate a bit on that point.
There must be more humanitarian aid for this region, where there is such terrible suffering. However, we must not forget other crises, such as those in South Sudan and the Central African Republic, which could lead to problems in the future. We must work in the long term to build democracy and solve the current political crises.
The problem emerging in Libya is a very good example. Even though we participated with other countries in the bombings, we did not have a sufficient presence to help the people build a new country. Today, there are significant problems that could affect neighbouring countries, and action is required.
I have something else to say about bombings, but I will save it for later.