Pam Goldsmith-Jones

[Citizen Engagement, September 20th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize how important public dialogue is for building public confidence and public trust. This summer, thousands of Canadians participated in town hall meetings on climate change, electoral reform, veterans issues, seniors issues, and national defence. Even more important, citizens stood up and offered their expertise in business and on the environment to help lead those discussions.

In my case, I would like to thank Tim Schoulz and Megan Dias on electoral reform; James Glave, Jim Pawley, Anna Stucas, David Hocking, Merran Smith, Peter Truheit, and Matt Rockall on climate change; Anne Titcombe, Sue Elliott, Pat Hunt, and Alison Leaney on seniors issues; and Harry Greenwood on veterans issues. It has been a remarkable summer of creating consultation and connection right across the country, and all parliamentarians are very grateful.

[Foreign Affairs, September 19th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, we are committed to strengthening Canada's export controls, something the former government failed to do. We will provide more rigour and transparency. We are acceding to the Arms Trade Treaty. Currently we are consulting with NGOs and industry and look forward to input from our parliamentary colleagues at committee and in the House as we bring the legislation forward.

[Foreign Affairs, June 13th, 2016]

On the contrary, Mr. Speaker, I would like to invite the party opposite to join with us in our pursuit of justice.

[Foreign Affairs, June 13th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to talk about what we are doing to fight ISIL. Our approach is a whole-of-government approach. It is absolutely integrated between military training and intelligence, between humanitarian aid, between intelligence on the ground to document these heinous crimes, and then, of course, to work through the International Criminal Court to bring justice to those innocent people.

[Foreign Affairs, June 13th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, forgive me for reading, but I will quote John Kerry who said:

I want to be clear. I am neither judge, nor prosecutor, nor jury with respect to the allegations of genocide, crimes against humanity, and ethnic cleansing by specific persons. Ultimately, the full facts must be brought to light by an independent investigation and through formal legal determination made by a competent court or tribunal.

We could not agree more John Kerry.

[Foreign Affairs, June 13th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, we strongly condemn the atrocities by the so-called Islamic state. Official recognition of genocide is to be done by a credible judicial process, following a proper international investigation, which is exactly what we are doing. It is exactly what our U.K. allies have said, which is that it is not for governments to be the prosecutor, judge, or jury. It is exactly what Secretary of State John Kerry said. We are working in concert with our allies and we are doing all we can in the fight against ISIL.

[Foreign Affairs, June 10th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, once again, we strongly condemn the atrocities committed by the so-called Islamic state.

Official recognition of genocide is a serious matter. There is no one in the House who takes that term loosely whatsoever. We are being proactive, working as responsible, reliable partners in the international community, to work with the UN Security Council to ensure that the atrocities committed by the Islamic state are held to account.

[Foreign Affairs, June 10th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, we have repeated often our commitment to re-engage cautiously with Iran in a step-by-step manner. Canada's severing of ties with Iran helped no one. It did not help Canada, it did not help the people of Iran, it did not help our allies such as Israel, and it certainly did not help for global security.

It was fortunate that at the end of the 1970s, when we faced that terrible hostage situation in Tehran, Canada had an embassy there. May we learn from the past.

[Foreign Affairs, June 10th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to remind the hon. member that we are doing more to fight ISIL and more to secure a lasting and stable future for the region than the party of the member opposite has ever done.

On February 8, we released our three-year strategy to address the ongoing crisis in Syria. I signed the MLU between Jordan and Canada for a $1.6-billion investment in this effort.

We are an active member of the anti-ISIL coalition. We have been invited to join the international Syria support group as well as the humanitarian task force and ceasefire task force.

Canada is entirely committed to the fight against ISIL.

[Foreign Affairs, June 10th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, we strongly condemn the atrocities by the so-called Islamic State. Official recognition of genocide is to be done by a credible judicial process following a proper international investigation. That is why we have called upon the UN Security Council to investigate this. The UN Secretary-General's special adviser on the prevention of genocide agrees with this. We feel that our UN, U.K., and U.S. allies have all said this needs a proper, formal investigation.