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Minister of Justice Attorney General of Canada

Hon. Arif Virani

  • Member of Parliament
  • Minister of Justice Attorney General of Canada
  • Liberal
  • Parkdale—High Park
  • Ontario
  • Voting Attendance: 64%
  • Expenses Last Quarter: $120,537.19

  • Government Page
Context: House Hansard - 147 - Dec/13/22
Mr. Arif Virani
  • Dec/13/22 11:00:59 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, I thank the member opposite for his contributions today and on many other occasions, on this issue and many others, in terms of holding the Chinese regime accountable. In terms of Magnitsky sanctions, it is right to note that the legislation was passed in the 42nd Parliament. There was a gradual uptake in terms of leveraging the Magnitsky sanctions. They have been used extensively vis-à-vis Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine, but I will agree with the member that it needs to be leveraged a bit more widely. I was happy to see sanctions being imposed on certain Chinese actors with respect to what is taking place. We know there are a number of concerns that need to be addressed. I mentioned many of them in my statement, and I hope that with the launch of the Indo-Pacific strategy, we are more forthright with respect to what the Chinese regime represents and how sanctions can be applied to address numerous human rights concerns in that part of the world.
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Context: House Hansard - 116 - Oct/24/22
Mr. Arif Virani
  • Oct/24/22 8:25:16 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, that is a really important question. What I have noted in the seven years that I have been serving in this chamber is, first of all, an aptitude toward enacting Magnitsky sanctions, for example, strengthening the Special Economic Measures Act and then seeking to apply it. I will take a note from the remarks the member delivered earlier about not cherry-picking where we wade in with sanctions and not being selective by picking on convenient targets, but also looking at the somewhat less convenient targets, if I can put it that way. I know, for example, in terms of the Ukrainian conflict, we have imposed a rash of over 1,000 sanctions on Russians, but we have not been as strident in other parts of the world. Speaking, again, very candidly, we need to be more open to expanding the sanctions envelope and targeting them toward other individuals. I know some Chinese officials have been sanctioned by the government. Certainly, on this issue, among others, and the member was including Hong Kongers, Taiwanese and Tibetans, I think there is more room for such sanctions to be applied and then for further seeking to ensure how such sanctions have bitten, so to speak, so we know they are actually doing the work they are meant to do.
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