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House Hansard - 174

44th Parl. 1st Sess.
March 28, 2023 10:00AM
  • Mar/28/23 11:11:33 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, I always find it troubling that, when we speak about the communities we represent, it seems to be offensive to those in the Liberal Party. When it comes to the issue we are addressing here today, part of the reason I brought up the rich history that exists in the community of Drumheller is because it has a rich Ukrainian diaspora. It is a melting pot, and that speaks to, whether with respect to the mining or agricultural resources we have here, how this region has a very rich history we can all be incredibly proud of. Therefore, as we speak about the 11th report of the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration, it is in that context that I bring forward these remarks today. I heard the parliamentary secretary earlier today dismiss how important this issue is. However, I would remind the House and all Canadians watching that, as we talk about the tragedy of the downing of Ukrainian International Airlines flight PS752 by the IRGC, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, it is a tragedy that has touched so many Canadians. I know that, although this happened a number of years ago, the impacts have reached far and wide, over the breadth of our country, with a number of personal connections made with my constituents. It was astounding to see how the history of the people of Ukraine is so deeply connected with that of our country. Then of course there was the killing of Mahsa Amini by what is basically the morality police in Iran and the absolute tragedy that represents to the Iranian people, as well as the fact that we have an instance of terrorists more or less operating as a legitimate state arm of the Iranian government. It is incredibly troubling, as we have seen over the last number of years, since I was elected in 2019, that Parliament has taken—
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