44th Parl. 1st Sess.
March 28, 2023 10:00AM
- Mar/28/23 11:00:55 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, is the member aware of the sanctions that were announced yesterday by the Minister of Foreign Affairs? This is the 10th package of sanctions. Canada is leading the way in the world.
In addition, does the member know that Canada is actually considered the second leader, if not the leader, in the strongest sanctions and measures against Iran? This includes understanding the state as a sponsor of terrorism, as well as strong sanctions that have been placed against the leadership of the IRGC.
In every sense, this is a way of ensuring that Canada's leadership is strong, dedicated and committed to the women and men of Iran. Is the member aware of that?
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- Mar/28/23 11:14:37 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, I have no doubt that they are listening intensely to the words I am sharing.
Parliament, in the midst of the minority circumstances we find ourselves in, has spoken quite clearly over the last three Parliaments about how it is important to take a strong and consistent message to demonstrate Canada's commitment to support the Iranian people and ensure against the types of terrorist activities that the IRGC have shown itself to be so willing to employ to further its political agenda. We can see that in the two instances related to this motion here today.
Parliament has made it very clear. I believe there have been a number of votes. It was not until just recently that the Liberals finally started taking some more concrete actions, although it seems to, in what is honestly a confusing word salad, continue to bring sanctions forward to those involved with the IRGC, and those who defend their actions, but it refuses to outright list it as a terrorist entity. Certainly, Parliament has made it very clear, and because we are the supreme legislative authority in this country, I suggest it would behoove the Liberals to listen to the will of Parliament and take strong and firm action to stand up for the people who are suffering from the consequences of the IRGC's terrorist-like actions.
While the government has brought about sanctions, taking some steps in the right direction, it is troubling that it does not seem willing to go quite far enough, especially when it comes to the downing of the Ukrainian airline, where 176 people tragically lost their lives, including 55 Canadians and, I believe, around 30 permanent residents, as well as a number of students and other individuals. They all had their entire lives ahead of them. The families had loved ones ripped from them without justification or cause, as a clear act of terrorism, something that was most definitely an attack on the peace and security of all of those involved.
We talk about the importance of this motion and the need to ensure that we do not allow the victims of these terrible actions to be diminished in the midst of debate and dialogue. This place needs to stand up for what is sound and right in the world so we can continue to call out terrorist actions, such as those of the IRGC, the Iranian armed forces, which is in control, and other Iranian intelligence organizations.
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- Mar/28/23 11:38:54 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, I hope the member, as part of the Liberal-NDP coalition, would be able to put pressure on the Liberals to finally do the risk analysis and provide the exemptions required to ensure Canadians who are of Iranian descent are not caught up in these sanctions being brought forward. More important, they need to have a better explanation why one of the most murderous regimes in the world, one of the greatest terrorist organizations we have ever witnessed, has not been listed by the Government of Canada.
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- Mar/28/23 12:18:48 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, just a few days after the parliamentary secretary for foreign affairs stormed out of an event in Toronto in a stadium of 15,000 people there to support the revolution in Iran, the government decided on more sanctions. It cannot add sanctions to a list of 10,000 when it does not have 10,000 names.
The member opposite, whom I live probably half a dozen kilometres from and share a community with, voted in this House to list the IRGC as a terrorist organization in 2018. Therefore, why did he change his mind? Has he advocated to his own government to do the thing that they all voted to do years ago? Why the inaction?
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- Mar/28/23 12:19:49 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, with regard to putting pressure on the Iranian regime, we are continuing to work and collaborate with our allies, working through the international court system to hold those accountable in Iran for the shooting down of PS752 and imposing sanctions on those individuals and only those individuals who need to be held accountable in the IRGC.
We will continue to do that and to impose sanctions. This is not only the Canadian direction; many countries have taken this direction on increasing the numbers of entities and individuals we have imposed sanctions on. We want nothing less for the Iranian people and nothing more than that they have a country that is democratic, secular and free and all of the individual rights that we enjoy as Canadians in this blessed country we call home.
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- Mar/28/23 12:20:54 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, these are obviously sensitive issues that we are addressing in the House, but we are talking about what we should do. That is always what I do. What can we do to change things?
Economic sanctions are all very well, but I feel that they perpetuate the status quo and that does not lead to the change in the regime that we want to see. Is there a way we could go further? That is my question to my colleague from Vaughan—Woodbridge.
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- Mar/28/23 12:23:41 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, to the hon. member from the Lower Mainland, who is a good friend and colleague, I wish to say that our government will continue to work at a very quick pace in terms of continuing to impose sanctions and pressure. This may be done directly by Canada to the oppressive regime in Iran or done by working with all of our allies to hold Iran and the Iranian regime accountable for its actions, from the downing of PS752 to the oppressive actions against its citizens that continue to occur to this day.
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- Mar/28/23 12:51:09 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, throughout my speech, I said that there was a lot of talk but no real sanctions. What my colleague just mentioned is real action. It is about making sure that these people are on the list of terrorist groups and that, ultimately, real powers are granted to find out where they are and to urge them very strongly to leave the country.
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- Mar/28/23 1:04:19 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague and tell her how much I deeply appreciate our collaboration on the Standing Committee on the Status of Women and our work on the senior file, which we share. We are working together in both these areas.
That being said, as my colleague from Beauport—Limoilou mentioned and I reiterated, the government is not doing anything about the situation in Iran. I heard the same thing when I attended the protests in Montreal in support of the “Woman, Life, Freedom” movement.
I was there with my colleague from Longueuil—Saint-Hubert. Protesters told us that the Canadian government was not doing enough, that it was not taking enough concrete action, and that it appeared to be afraid to go any further with its sanctions against the regime. What is it afraid of?
People asked us. We had no answer for them, but we decided to bring back their demands. My colleague mentioned this as well: we have been having this discussion since 2018. Let us move forward and try to work faster to take action in support of Iranian women.
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