In the House of Commons – December 3, 2009

 
Hon. Bob Rae (Toronto Centre, Lib.): RaeB@parl.gc.ca 
 
Mr. Speaker, the government speaks loudly of its commitment to human rights, but we heard yesterday of a decision by the government that is truly shocking. That is the decision by CIDA to cut all funding, not part funding but all funding, for the organization known as KAIROS, which is an organization that includes the Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Anglican Synod and a number of other Christian denominations that fight for human rights around the world.
 
How is this government’s alleged commitment to human rights possibly compatible with such a reactionary and retrograde decision?
 
Hon. John Baird (Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities, CPC): BairdJ@parl.gc.ca 
 
Mr. Speaker, this government has taken a strong position on human rights, and the Prime Minister has shown great leadership.
 
When Durban I was going on, it was this party and the Prime Minister who called on Canada to abstain and not to go. The United States and Israel walked out on that anti-Semitic hatefest. Israel begged Canada to leave and Canada refused.
 
Thank goodness we have a Prime Minister and a government that put human rights at the top of the agenda and are proud to do it and express Canadian values each and every single day.
 

 
Hon. Joseph Volpe (Eglinton-Lawrence, Lib.): VolpeJ@parl.gc.ca 
 
Mr. Speaker, yesterday in question period the member of Parliament for Kitchener Centre read from what he alleged was a private communication between me, an MP from Toronto, and my constituent regarding the Liberal Party’s policies toward Israel.
 
The House does not know how he came by that letter, indeed whether it contained the quote cited, or more importantly, whether he respected the privacy issues related to a communication between two individuals, he being neither of them.
 
Would he do the honourable thing and provide clarity and transparency by offering to table the document in its unredacted form, so that we can verify that legal and ethical practices were followed in the acquisition of private mail by a third party?
 
The Speaker: MilliP@parl.gc.ca  
 
I might suggest the hon. member for Eglinton-Lawrence could send a note, perhaps a letter to the hon. member for Kitchener Centre asking him if he could provide that information to him. It seems to be something the hon. member might want to send by mail rather than have an oral answer provided to his question on the floor of the House, whether it be in the form of a question of privilege or a point of order, whatever it might be. We will leave it there.
 
The hon. member for Thunder Bay-Superior North had the floor on a question of privilege before question period, so we will hear further from him at this moment.
 

To view the complete debate in the House of Commons click here