Mr. Stephen Woodworth (Kitchener Centre, CPC): Woodworth.S@parl.gc.ca
Mr. Speaker, the Liberal Party continues to mislead Canadians about its disgraceful attendance at the Durban conference in 2001.
I have a letter that the member for Eglinton-Lawrence sent to one of his constituents where he says, “We stayed at the request of the Israeli government”.
Yet Ambassador Alan Baker, who the National Post reports led the Israeli delegation at Durban, said:
Would the Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister explain how our government is standing up for Israel?
Mr. Pierre Poilievre (Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and to the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, CPC): PoiliP@parl.gc.ca
Mr. Speaker, the facts are in. Alan Baker confirms that Israel asked Canada to leave Durban, and the Liberals stayed.
The Conservative government has reversed the Liberal policy on the Middle East. The Prime Minister was the first in the world to cut aid to the Hamas regime in Gaza, the first to walk out on the Durban hate-fest, the first to walk out on Ahmadinejad at the UN, and the only one to oppose anti-Israel resolutions at the Francophonie.
The Prime Minister stands for what is right, even if it means standing alone.
Hon. Joseph Volpe (Eglinton-Lawrence, Lib.): VolpeJ@parl.gc.ca
Mr. Speaker, during question period, the member for Kitchener Centre made a reference to a communication that I sent to some of my constituents, wherein he referenced a statement by a representative of the Israeli delegation to Durban I.
Today, for example, there is an item in the National Post where the reporter contacted Rabbi Melchior, who led that delegation and directed it, with respect to what Canada’s role at Durban I might have been, and I quote from that article:
The order of things is that Canada and the Liberal Party at the time, and currently, have always stood up for Israel and against anti-Semitism.
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World Conference against Racism
