26/06/2024 | 16:36:54 Monsieur le Président, Mes chers collègues, This past February, Canada and Ukraine signed a significant new agreement on security co-operation. I bring it up today because an entire section of it deals with accountability. That's a common thread running though all three of the reports that we're debating. More specifically, our security agreement with Ukraine states that we'll continue to engage in the Core Group to examine options for establishing a special tribunal on the crime of... 25/06/2024 | 19:05:02 "Thank you, Madam President. My dear colleagues." [spoken in French] Let me begin by thanking the rapporteur for bringing the critical issue of human rights-compliant asylum procedures to the forefront of our attention. As highlighted by the Report, the movement of those seeking protection across borders often under perilous conditions is growing. The moment calls for a response that prioritises both humanitarian and national security concerns. In 2023 Canada received a record of just over... 14/10/2022 | 13:20:21 (Undelivered speech, Rules of Procedure Art. 31.2) Honourable colleagues, Let me begin by thanking the rapporteur for raising the issue of discrimination in relation to vaccine mandates. Her report makes a strong case for limiting the use of such measures to where they are “strictly necessary,” pointing to the potential discriminatory effect of the measures and the limits they place on unvaccinated persons’ human rights, including the freedom of assembly and association, and the freedom of... 13/10/2022 | 17:09:11 Thank you, Mister President. Honourable Colleagues, I would like to begin by thanking the rapporteur for his thorough and balanced report. Assessing the impact of Brexit on human rights and the fragile peace in Northern Ireland was a tremendous task, and the rapporteur was certainly equal to it. While I think it is premature for us to debate the overall legacy of Brexit, I do think we can agree that it has had some unintended consequences for the province of Northern Ireland. I hope the... 11/10/2022 | 20:33:47 (Undelivered speech, Rules of Procedure Art. 31.2) Honourable colleagues, Freedom of religion is a fundamental human right. People of all faiths must be free to teach, practise, worship and observe their beliefs without fear of violence or discrimination. Alarmingly, for Muslims around the world, that freedom is increasingly under threat. In Europe and in Canada, Islamophobia is on the rise, with devastating consequences for individuals and for democracy itself. According to the most recent... 11/10/2022 | 13:07:24 (Undelivered speech, Rules of Procedure Art. 31.2) Honourable colleagues, Polling in recent years has shown that significant majorities in most countries in the Western Balkans see their future in the Europe Union and would vote to join it if given the opportunity. At the same time, polling in these countries has also shown that many doubt the EU’s sincerity about their potential membership. As Rapporteur Papandreou’s report reminds us, next June will be the 20th anniversary of the historic... 23/06/2022 | 17:17:05 Thank you Madam President, dear colleagues, Thank you for the opportunity to speak to what may be the greatest challenge facing the world today. The blockade of the Black Sea has stripped Russia's war in Ukraine of any pretence. It is not just an unprovoked aggression against Ukraine, but against the whole world. The UN estimates that 1.6 billion people globally are exposed to the unprecedented cost-of-living crisis unleashed by Russia on food, fuel and finance. Russia's blockade in the Black... 23/06/2022 | 11:57:29 Merci, Monsieur Président et chers collègues, [Thank you, Mister President and Dear Colleagues] I am honoured to appear today in person for the first time in this Chamber. Eight years ago, a commercial airliner carrying 298 people was shot down over eastern Ukraine. Many of the passengers on that flight were from the Netherlands, but there were others from all over the world, including Australia, Malaysia, and my home country, Canada. The downing of the flight was a tragedy for hundreds of... 22/06/2022 | 13:10:09 Undelivered speech, Rules of Procedure Art. 31.2 Though Canada is a multicultural and diverse country, in 2020, Canadians nonetheless reported to the police more than 2,600 criminal incidents that were motivated by hate. That marked a 37% increase compared to the previous year and was the largest recorded number since 2009. In Canada, hate crime is defined as a criminal violation against a person or property motivated by hate, based on race, national or ethnic origin, language, colour... 25/04/2022 | 19:02:29 Thank you Mister President, dear rapporteur, and colleagues. As a new member of parliament, I am delighted to speak for the first time in this assembly although this topic is a difficult one – difficult because it presents hard challenges that we must solve and difficult because we know about the harmful impacts on children from exposure to pornography. As a Canadian, it is helpful to participate in these discussions. A real, workable solution to these challenges will require international...