Randeep Sarai

[Committees of the House, April 7th, 2022]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the first report of the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights in relation to the motion adopted on Tuesday, March 29, 2022, regarding the request for a government response to the ninth report of the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights, entitled “The Shadow Pandemic: Stopping Coercive and Controlling Behaviour in Intimate Relationships,” which was presented to the House of Commons on Tuesday, April 27, 2021, during the second session of the 43rd Parliament.

Pursuant to Standing Order 109, the committee requests that the government table a comprehensive response to this report.

[Generosity in Surrey Centre, April 1st, 2022]

Madam Speaker, I am very fortunate to rise in the House often to acknowledge the incredible acts of generosity of individuals and organizations in my constituency of Surrey Centre. Today is no different.

Today I would like to acknowledge Paul and Ruby Arora of Gagan Foods for their generous donations to the Surrey Food Bank, shelters and free kitchens. Their donation included four skids to the Lookout Society, four skids to the Muslim Food Bank and three skids to the Surrey Food Bank. It added up to 23 skids delivered to six local food banks and kitchens to support the people of Surrey. In addition, they sent a full truckload of juice and cookies to the Guru Nanak Food Bank in both Abbotsford and Surrey and a full truck to Guru Nanak's Free Kitchen in Vancouver.

I thank Paul and Ruby for their generosity and support for these important establishments in Surrey.

[Support for Ukraine, March 23rd, 2022]

Mr. Speaker, on February 24, 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine. Millions began to be displaced, thousands killed and people's lives turned upside down, but Canadians rolled up their sleeves and opened their hearts.

In my hometown of Surrey, I received a call from our local community activist, philanthropist and doctor, Dr. Gulzar Singh Cheema, saying the community wanted to help. Quickly, Kulwinder Sanghera of RED FM and Billa Sandhu of Sanjha TV stepped up and consulted with Alex of the Canada-Ukraine Foundation and, on March 7, did a radio telethon raising over $300,000 in less than eight hours.

I offer special thanks to all my colleagues in the House who crossed party lines, called, donated and encouraged Canadians to donate, as well as to Jati Sidhu and all the volunteers from RED FM, Sanjha TV and the Canada-Ukraine Foundation who attended calls and processed donations. I am hugely grateful to the people of Surrey for stepping up.

[Russia's Attack on Ukraine, February 28th, 2022]

Madam Chair, yes. I was very happy to hear that members of the Sikh community led by Dr. Gulzar Cheema, a philanthropist and fundraiser for the community, stepped up and had spoken with several TV stations as well as radio stations to do a cross-Canada telethon and radiothon to raise funds to help those who are in need in a time like this, and to give any financial support that we can. I am very proud of the community in Surrey, and also across the country, who are helping their brothers and sisters in a time of need.

[Russia's Attack on Ukraine, February 28th, 2022]

Madam Chair, actually that issue came up earlier today while I was speaking with some colleagues from the opposite side. The government cannot tell the CRTC who to remove, but I think there can be direction just as many of the broadcasters have removed it. I think a direction can made and some instructions given on what type of propaganda television should not be allowed in Canada. Based on that policy, I am hoping that the CRTC will be able to remove such channels.

[Russia's Attack on Ukraine, February 28th, 2022]

Madam Chair, I thank the member for mentioning my private member's bill and hopefully he will support that motion.

I am very open to it, if our government can work out the semantics of Ukraine visas. This country in times of need has demonstrated that, whether it is for Syrians or for any community in the past, including those fleeing from Eastern Africa, or for any people in need of refuge and a place to stay, we are open to that. I would be very supportive of our government relaxing conditions so that Ukrainians who needed to flee would be able to leave.

[Russia's Attack on Ukraine, February 28th, 2022]

Madam Chair, it is a good question. I think all cards are on the table. As we have seen, this government has put in place severe sanctions. Any tool in the tool chest that we can use to dissuade President Putin from his invasion into Ukraine is on the table. Many other G7 and G20 countries will be looking at that, and at the OSCE as well.

[Russia's Attack on Ukraine, February 28th, 2022]

Madam Chair, Canada's ties with the people of Ukraine have historical roots since well before Ukraine was a sovereign nation. This is why we were the first western country to recognize Ukraine's independence just over 30 years ago.

Let me begin by saying that I am with Ukraine. Russia's invasion is unlawful. It is uncalled for and needs to be stopped. We must do everything we can to stop this unprovoked war. We have developed a strong diplomatic relationship fuelled by a passionate, engaged Ukrainian diaspora of over 1.4 million people. The Ukrainian diaspora and other communities across the country are stepping up to support Ukrainians in need. I am very proud of the Sikh community members in Surrey who are organizing a radiothon and telethon with the Ukrainian Canadian Congress to raise funds for Ukraine. Efforts like this are happening all over Canada, and bringing people together to support those affected in this time of need.

Historically, we signed the Joint Declaration on Special Partnership between Canada and Ukraine in 1994, which affirmed our countries' shared interests and desire for international co-operation. In 2014, thousands of Ukrainians stood up for a democratic future during the Revolution of Dignity. Canada supported many of the activists, human rights defenders and civil society organizations that fought tirelessly for a free and democratic future, and we continue to do so today in response to President Putin's aggressive actions.

Canada condemns Russia's unprovoked and unjustifiable invasion of Ukraine in the strongest possible terms. We reject President Putin's attempt to rob Ukraine of its history, identity, democracy and independence. President Putin's actions are a blatant violation of international law, including the UN Charter, and they threaten our shared security. President Putin has no interest in resolving the crisis peacefully. Instead, he is putting millions of innocent lives at risk and causing a humanitarian crisis.

In coordination with our allies and partners, Canada has implemented immediate and hard-hitting sanctions that target President Putin himself and Russia's leadership: key individuals in President Putin's inner circle and key Russian banks and financial institutions. They also target export control and sovereign debt restrictions. By hitting at the heart of Russia's financial sector, we are suffocating the Russian regime's ability to fund this war.

To support Ukraine's defensive capabilities, Canada recently announced more than $7 million in lethal equipment and support items to the Ukrainian armed forces. This is in addition to the previously announced non-lethal equipment. On February 27, the government announced that Canada would send an additional $25-million worth of protective equipment to Ukraine to support the Ukrainian armed forces.

Since 2015, we have been helping to enhance the capacity of Ukraine's armed forces through our non-lethal military training and capacity-building mission: Operation Unifier. We were pleased to announce the extension and expansion of this mission to March 2025.

Further, we also backstopped Ukraine's resilience to Russian aggression through offers of financial assistance. This will help support Ukraine's economic stability. We also announced an additional $35 million in development assistance that will help coordinate and scale up support for services for those affected by the conflict, particularly women and marginalized groups. Furthermore, we are continuing to provide over $10 million per year in peace and security programming, including support to Ukraine's defence and broader security sector, to advancing the women, peace and security agenda, and to countering disinformation.

In order to meet the needs of those affected by the conflict, we responded rapidly by providing an initial $15 million in humanitarian assistance, which has been allocated and disbursed to experienced human rights partners in Ukraine who are ready to respond flexibly to the situation as it evolves. This early response is now being complemented by the launch of a matching fund, and I am sure my colleague the Minister of International Development will speak more on how Canada reaffirms our unwavering commitment to Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity. We will continue to stand with the government and people of Ukraine as we have for the past three decades of diplomatic relations.

[Permanent Residency for Temporary Foreign Workers, February 28th, 2022]

Mr. Speaker, I consent to the amendment.

[Permanent Residency for Temporary Foreign Workers, February 28th, 2022]

Mr. Speaker, I have worked with the member for Vancouver East extensively for almost four years on the citizenship and immigration committee. She has worked very hard and passionately.

I would be more than happy to accept the amendments. We need to have pathways for all temporary foreign workers to get permanent residency in Canada, including caregivers.