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Bonita Zarrillo

Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
NDP

Port Moody—Coquitlam
British Columbia
Voting Attendance: 68%
Expenses Last Quarter: $129,260.13

Government Page

Context: House Hansard - 220 - Sep/19/23

Ms. Bonita Zarrillo (Port Moody—Coquitlam, NDP)

Sep/19/23 10:25:33 p.m.
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Madam Chair, I send my condolences to the family of Hardeep Singh Nijjar. This is a tragedy and must spur serious action from the government on these allegations of foreign interference wherever they arise. It is the duty of the federal government to pursue the facts and justice for Mr. Nijjar and future protection of every Canadian at risk of foreign surveillance, harassment and intimidation. We must come together across party lines to protect Canadians. As Conservatives choose to be silent tonight in this important debate, it sends a message to all Canadians living in fear of foreign governments in countries they fled that the Conservatives will not stand up to protect them in difficult times. Many Canadians need our protection. I am thinking about the Iranian community. I joined them this weekend in Vancouver as they commemorated the one-year anniversary of the murder of Jina Mahsa Amini. This weekend, communities across this country came together to stand for human rights, dignity and democracy. They stood together against violations of human rights. My constituents from Port Moody—Coquitlam, Anmore and Belcarra want action on violations of human rights in countries across the world, and they want the same thing here in Canada. Here in Canada, they want accountability. They want to make sure that they are safe and that every Canadian is safe. They have shared concerns with me. I know they have shared concerns with many members of Parliament in this community where they do not feel safe. They need a space where they can share their experience, where they can share their feelings and where they feel that they are being heard. Protection of Canadians' safety and upholding human rights and justice are a fundamental foundation of a stable and thriving democracy, and we must, especially the 338 of us here, stand for that every day. To do this, the government must do more to ensure that there is RCMP protection for people who may be at risk. The NDP is asking for diplomatic sanctions, a review of all the Indian diplomats in Canada and the inclusion of India in the foreign interference inquiry. I will close with the thought that it is time for this government to take foreign interference seriously and it is also time for the official opposition, the Conservatives in this country, to come together and unite for Canadians in Canada.

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Context: House Hansard - 174 - Mar/28/23

Ms. Bonita Zarrillo (Port Moody—Coquitlam, NDP)

Mar/28/23 11:20:27 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, I rise today as an opportunity to share the names of a family in my community that was impacted by the downing of the flight we are talking about today: Ardalan; his wife, Noulifar; and their son, Kamyar. This debate hits home for the Iranian community in Port Moody—Coquitlam, Anmore, Belcarra and Port Coquitlam. This impacted our community. This impacted people in our community. They were a part of our community that the community loves. I wanted to talk about family reunification because that is what I hear about in my riding. I hear about the need for families to reunify, and I wanted to ask the member about the super visa and whether the Conservatives and the member agree that the super visa program, which allows for family reunification, especially in times like these, could be enhanced.

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Context: House Hansard - 150 - Jan/31/23

Ms. Bonita Zarrillo (Port Moody—Coquitlam, NDP)

Jan/31/23 2:15:04 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I stand in solidarity with the people of Iran who are demonstrating against a brutal regime. Their courage and resolve are recognized here in Canada, and the residents of Port Moody—Coquitlam see them. Iranians are protesting worldwide, at great risk to themselves, for the human rights of women. Thousands have been arrested and imprisoned and some have been executed. Farhad Nakhaei was arrested at a protest in Chabahar, and Mahya Vahedi was arrested at work. Speaking their names in the House today is a show of my solidarity and sponsorship for their lives. Canada must not tolerate the Iranian government's brutality. The New Democrats have asked the foreign affairs committee to look at listing the murderous IRGC as a terrorist entity, and we urge all parties to support our motion. I will continue to work with Iranian Canadians to seek justice for political prisoners. Zan, zendegi, azadi. Women, life, freedom.

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Context: House Hansard - 110 - Oct/7/22

Ms. Bonita Zarrillo (Port Moody—Coquitlam, NDP)

Oct/7/22 11:04:13 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, the people of Port Moody—Coquitlam, Anmore and Belcarra are horrified and angry about the brutal murder of Mahsa Amini. Our community adds its voice to the women of the world who are protesting long-standing human rights abuses in Iran. Women of Iran are standing up at great risk to their personal safety, with heinous consequences. This must stop. No Iranians should live in fear. They should have protections in Iran and in Canada too. However, many here do not feel safe because people associated with the IRGC visit and live in our communities and have not been sanctioned. That is a failing of the Liberal government. The New Democrats stand with the women of Iran and wholly support the United Nations human rights commissioner's call for an independent investigation into Mahsa's death. We are holding the government to account to support women's rights in Iran and around the world.

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Member of Parliament

Bonita Zarrillo