02/10/2025 | 19:23:15 Honourable colleagues, I would like to thank the rapporteur for this comprehensive and thorough report on the promotion of universal healthcare. Universal healthcare is one of the key principles of the Canadian healthcare system. It is designed to provide free access to family doctors, specialised healthcare workers in hospitals and more recently, dental care services for the most vulnerable Canadians. While medications are free during hospitalisation, most prescription drugs remained... 01/10/2025 | 20:09:41 (Undelivered speech, Rules of Procedure Art. 31.2) Honourable colleagues, I would like to thank Rapporteur Kravchuk for the report we are debating today. Today we debate the question of how best to strengthen youth participation in our democratic life. Some suggest, like the report before us mentions, that we lower the voting age to 16. Personally, I do not believe that is the right approach. Lowering the voting age is like handing a young driver the keys to a Ferrari before they’ve learned... 25/06/2025 | 17:22:36 I am certain much of this conflict could have been avoided, and that we would be on a path toward long-term peace if Hamas had released the hostages and disarmed. Palestine is not the only country who foolishly refused to act in the interests of global peace. After decades of warning, Iran pursued its weaponised nuclear agenda while failing at the bargaining table. Justifiably, Israel intervened before Iran could complete their schemes and follow through on their abundant threats towards this... 25/06/2025 | 11:40:57 Honourable colleagues, For decades, female athletes have fought hard to be treated like their male peers. Whether in terms of resources for amateurs or salaries and prize money for professionals, unacceptable disparities have long existed, and many persist. Thankfully, with the growing popularity of women’s sports, that is starting to change. In other respects, however, female athletes remain just as – if not more – vulnerable than before. Nearly 21% of professional female athletes report... 23/06/2025 | 17:10:30 Honourable colleagues, I would like to thank the rapporteur for his exceptional work acting as the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe’s head of delegation during the joint observation mission’s monitoring of the May 2025 parliamentary elections in Albania. I would also like to commend all those involved in the joint observation mission, which drew on 365 observers from 47 countries. The rapporteur noted that there were many positive aspects in relation to the parliamentary... 25/06/2024 | 17:32:05 Thank you. Honourable colleagues, I would first like to extend my gratitude to the rapporteur for this comprehensive and thorough Report. As a firm believer in the fundamental principle that everyone's voice should be heard, I stand before you today to emphasise the critical importance of the freedoms of speech and expression, especially when it comes to defending human rights. No individual should live in fear of speaking out, and this is a value deeply ingrained in Canadians. Canadians... 25/06/2024 | 13:11:09 (Undelivered speech, Rules of Procedure Art. 31.2) Honourable colleagues, I am proud to address this Assembly today as this year marks the 75th anniversary of the Council of Europe and its Parliamentary Assembly. The values of democracy were firmly anchored in their creation in 1949. But times change, and with change come new challenges. This Assembly is right to examine democracy through the lens of the 21st century. Today, democracy is under threat, and we need new tools to address this... 11/10/2023 | 20:04:16 (Undelivered speech, Rules of Procedure Art. 31.2) Thank you, Mr. President, I am honoured to be here today to speak in this Assembly for the first time, to discuss an important topic and one that we can work together to eradicate. We know that gender-based violence can affect all people, but some are more at risk, including women with disabilities. A survey in Canada found that in 2018, more than half of women with disabilities experienced some form of intimate partner violence in their...