Peter Kent

[Afghanistan, March 6th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, I would ask the hon. member to check Hansard. That is a complete misrepresentation of the answer. We have confidence in our foreign affairs professionals, even if the opposition does not.

[Afghanistan, March 6th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, we look forward to the minister's return to tell us about his highly successful trip to the Middle East and NATO.

Every country has to make its own decisions as to how they organize their engagement in Afghanistan. Some countries have a special envoy. Canada has asked other countries to consider more troops and development. Our brave men and women have been doing the hard work in Kandahar and this has earned Canada the diplomatic clout, unlike the Liberals when they were preoccupied with their soft power fantasies.

[Justice, March 6th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, I would remind the member that it would be nice if all of the opposition parties showed as much concern and compassion for the lives of victims and their families as they do for the perpetrators.

[Justice, March 6th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, before I respond to that exaggerated characterization of the court's decision, I would remind the member of the two young aboriginal men whose lives were cut short when Ronald Allen Smith marched them into a Montana forest and shot them execution style.

That said, we are currently reviewing the court's decision and it would be inappropriate to comment at this time.

[Sri Lanka, March 5th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, I am sure all Canadians share the government's revulsion at the continuing humanitarian catastrophe in Sri Lanka, a civil conflict born of a succession of repressive discriminatory Sri Lankan governments, which in turn spawned the terrorist organization known as the Tamil Tigers.

But I am sickened by the pandering of a Liberal member on the front lawn of Parliament to a flagrant display of the symbols of a listed terrorist organization. The Government of Canada would hope that all members of the House would abhor terrorism.

[Foreign Affairs, March 5th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for her exaggerated characterization of the question.

Mr. Barrio Terrazas' nomination by President Calderón and his confirmation by the Mexican Congress was accepted by Canada. The Prime Minister has built a strong relationship with President Calderón over the years. President Calderón is championing deep reforms of the judicial sector and human rights institutions in his country.

[Afghanistan, March 5th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague for his question.

I repeat: no allegations of abuse have been reported to the Minister of Foreign Affairs since December 2007.

The May 2007 agreement between Canada and Afghanistan makes explicit that Canada has full unrestricted and private access to any person transferred to an Afghan prison by the Canadian Forces.

[Afghanistan, March 5th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, as we know, Canada transfers Afghan prisoners to the Government of Afghanistan. We continue to work closely with that government to strengthen its capacity on the treatment of prisoners.

Since modifications were made to that process in December 2007, there have been no allegations of abuse received by the Department of Foreign Affairs.

[Afghanistan, March 5th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, I can only repeat that we do have confidence in our foreign affairs professionals. We heard the answer of the Prime Minister. The Government of Canada is confident that we are well-represented in the region.

[Afghanistan, March 5th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, I answer as I did yesterday. We do have a special envoy in Afghanistan; he is our ambassador. Our ambassador has direct access to the highest authorities of the host government.

We have a high commissioner in Pakistan.

This government has confidence in our foreign affairs professionals if the opposition does not.