01/10/2026 | 16:48:33 Dear colleagues, Artificial intelligence is transforming the way we work. Across economies and sectors, it is reshaping how tasks are performed and how services are delivered. AI is no longer a specialised technology used by a limited number of experts. It is rapidly emerging as a general-purpose technology, one that is being integrated into workplaces, public institutions and economies around the world. We are already seeing its potential. Healthcare professionals use AI to reduce... 30/09/2026 | 11:12:57 Dear colleagues, A free and independent media is one of the foundations of a democratic society. But across much of the world, including Canada, media freedom and media pluralism are facing growing challenges. As Chair of the Senate of Canada, Transportation and Communications Committee, I know this all too well. The threats to press freedom include harassment and violence against journalists, state censorship and surveillance, and the use of laws that criminalise or restrict independent... 22/04/2026 | 19:41:31 Dear colleagues, I am pleased to address you today about tracking the proceeds of the crimes uncovered by Mr Sergei MAGNITSKY and making sure those responsible are held accountable. I want to thank the rapporteur, Ms Lesia VASYLENKO, for her many efforts on behalf of the Parliamentary Assembly. I lend my full support to the rapporteur’s appeal to Council of Europe states to enact Sergei Magnitsky-style legislation. I emphasised this point in the Canadian Senate during our October 2017 debate... 22/04/2026 | 17:50:39 Dear colleagues, I am pleased to address you on the critical issue of the universal abolition of the death penalty. I would like to thank the rapporteur, Ms Gala VELDHOEN, for this comprehensive report. Although Canada abolished capital punishment for ordinary crimes in 1976 and last carried out a civilian execution in 1962, public support for its use has persisted. Since abolition in Canada, particularly shocking cases of violence and murder have, at times, sparked calls among the general... 26/06/2024 | 18:42:33 Dear colleagues, The European continent has borne witness to many atrocities and wars over the centuries, and continues to in Ukraine today. Naturally, in the wake of these atrocities, and even as they unfold, the question of reparations and post-conflict reconciliation arises time and time again. And time and time again, we struggle to come up with a just approach. As rapporteur Lord Richard KEEN rightly points out, post-war discussions on the question of reparations and post-conflict... 26/06/2024 | 11:34:08 Dear colleagues, Today's joint debate covers three distinct but interrelated subjects. I thank all three rapporteurs for their good work. Given my limited time today, however, I'm going to focus on sanctions. Since 2014, the Canadian government has imposed sanctions on more than 784 entities and 2 190 individuals in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. I say more than because that's government data from late February, and rarely a week goes by without a Canadian sanctions announcement... 25/06/2024 | 19:21:48 Thank you, President. Dear colleagues, The Report we were debating today highlights the critical importance of upholding the right to seek asylum. People who have a well-founded fear of persecution deserve an asylum system that's fair and compassionate. At the same time, it's crucial to recognise that fairness to refugees is enhanced when the asylum systems are also orderly and efficient. People cross borders for a multitude of reasons. It's to the benefit of refugees and to our societies at... 17/04/2024 | 20:30:52 (Undelivered speech, Rules of Procedure Art. 31.2) Colleagues, Last June, the Canadian Senate and House of Commons unanimously supported motions to bestow the title of “honorary Canadian citizen” on Vladimir Kara-Murza, and call for his immediate release. Mr. Kara-Murza was a familiar face in Canada, including as a witness at the Senate Foreign Affairs committee. He was forthcoming, clear and great value to our study. He urged Canada to adopt the Magnitsky Act. Then he pushed us to use it. It... 15/04/2024 | 17:34:46 (Undelivered speech, Rules of Procedure Art. 31.2) Honourable colleagues, Former Canadian prime minister John Diefenbaker once said: “The reading of history proves that freedom always dies when criticism ends.” To paraphrase him, it’s when the opposition in a parliament fearlessly performs its function – protecting the rights of minorities, exposing wasteful expenditures, eliciting information, and proposing amendments – that our freedom is preserved. Some might argue that’s an... 12/10/2023 | 16:49:54 Thank you, Chair. Dear colleagues, the report were debating today allows us to reflect on what this organisation has achieved in almost 75 years of existence. It allows us to consider new ways the Council of Europe can be strengthened. With respect to the latter, rapporteur Ms Lesia VASYLENKO's report contains some very innovative proposals, but there's one in particular that I would like to focus on today, the proposal that the Council of Europe promote "the duty to prevent aggression" as a...