Omar Alghabra

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member says she does not trust politicians. I wonder if she put that as a slogan in her last campaign when she asked her constituents to vote for her.We take our responsibility as a solemn and serious responsibility. Canadians elected us to do some serious work. We call on all members of the House to join us on committee and work with us to ensure we come up with the best electoral reform to our system. We will not proceed until we have the support of Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, our government is seized by the unacceptable persecution of the Rohingya people in Myanmar and is actively engaged on this file. The Prime Minister and the Minister of Foreign Affairs have raised this at the highest levels, including with Aung San Suu Kyi and Kofi Annan. They will both continue to raise it this week at the UN General Assembly.We will continue to provide humanitarian aid to the Rohingya and call on the Myanmar government to allow access into Rakhine State to further assess the situation.This violence has been equated to ethnic cleansing. This is unacceptable and must cease immediately.

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the Canadian government and the House of Commons, I want to extend our sympathy to the family of Mr. Seyed-Emami. We are deeply concerned about the circumstances surrounding his death. We call on the Iranian government to conduct a thorough and transparent investigation into his death. On behalf of the Canadian government, we are asking for answers.

Mr. Speaker, on the one hand the opposition members do not want us to talk with China. On the other hand they are saying we are not talking enough with China.This government will never abandon our Canadian citizens abroad. Unlike the previous government, we will always stand up for citizens abroad. Our officials and our minister have raised the Garratt case and will not stop until the Garratts return home safely.

Mr. Speaker, our government is very concerned about the well-being of the Garratt family.I encourage the hon. members not to play politics with issues of concerns of Canadians who are struck abroad. Our government continues to raise this issue at the highest levels with Chinese officials. We will persist, and we will not stop until the Garratts return home.

Mr. Speaker, the Liberal Party was not the only party that ran on electoral reform, so perhaps the hon. member could redo his math.Let me stress what I just said earlier. We are looking forward to the special committee work. We will be consulting with experts. We will be consulting with Canadians. We will be consulting with members of the House. We will not proceed until we have the broad support of Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, our government is very committed to promoting human rights around the world. Our government has never shied away from raising human rights issues at the highest level. Our Minister of Foreign Affairs is embarking on a trip to Africa to make sure that we raise, obviously, the interests of Canadians but also human rights and our consular cases. I do not understand why the previous Conservative government wanted to stand on the sidelines and not raise these issues.

Madam Speaker, Canadians know very well the track record of this government and of our Prime Minister when defending Canadians abroad. We will never turn our backs on Canadians when they need our help abroad. We are very active on this file and we will not stop until we resolve this matter.

Mr. Speaker, we are clearly concerned about the well-being of Mr. Malekpour.I had the opportunity to meet with his sister. I committed to her that our government was following his case with great concern. Obviously, members of the opposition know that the lack of diplomatic presence in Iran has posed challenges for us. That is why our government is committed to re-engaging with Iran, making sure that we defend the interest of Canadians, and building on people-to-people relationships with Iran.

Mr. Speaker, this is a very important matter for us.However, I want to remind the hon. member of our Prime Minister's repeated confirmation that a Canadian is a Canadian is a Canadian. Unlike the previous government, we have never shied away from defending our Canadian citizens abroad.Consular services are being provided to all citizens who are in need. We are seized by this particular matter that the hon. member has raised. We are providing assistance to the family and we will continue to advocate for our citizens abroad.

Mr. Speaker, I am glad the member's constituents trust her to do the serious work on their behalf. That is what Canadians sent us here to do. We are working together. We are extending a hand to opposition members to work together with us on striking a study and consulting with experts and Canadians. Let us work together to find the best outcome for Canadians.Let me repeat this. We will not proceed without the broad support of Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, our government has raised the case of Mr. Badawi at the highest levels of the Saudi government.We continue to ask for clemency, so he can be reunited with his family. I have had the opportunity and the privilege of meeting with his wife on multiple occasions. I have reassured her that our government, our Prime Minister, and our Minister of Foreign Affairs are engaged on this case. We will continue to appeal for clemency for Mr. Badawi.

Mr. Speaker, on the contrary, the Garratts have not been abandoned by this government. We continue to be engaged on this file. We have expressed our concern for the well-being of the Garratts, and we have repeatedly raised the issue with Chinese officials at the highest levels. We will continue to persist in our call for their return home safely.

Mr. Speaker, I regret the tone of the question.Having said that, the world needs more Canada, and Canada is better off with increasing engagement in the world. This is a harder choice than the previous government's choice. That means if we want to be effective in promoting human rights, including in Iran, we need to engage with our allies with our eyes wide open.Our allies are re-engaging with Iran, and I do not know why the Conservatives want us to stand alone on the sidelines. What we are doing is better for Canadians, is better for our allies, and is better for the people of Iran.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for New Brunswick Southwest for her advocacy on behalf of fishers and seafood exporters. I am happy to tell her that because of CETA, 96% of the EU tariffs on fish and seafood have been eliminated, and the remaining 4% will be phased out over the coming years.The EU is Atlantic Canada's third-largest market for fish and seafood. Thanks to CETA, Atlantic fish and seafood now has a significant competitive advantage in Europe compared to U.S. exports. For example, according to the Lobster Council of Canada, lobster exports to Spain grew by 345%.

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of all our colleagues, I want to wish my hon. colleague the best.I look forward to engaging my colleague in further debate on international trade, but our government is committed to supporting businesses to create wealth and create jobs for all Canadians all across Canada.

Mr. Speaker, when the Harper Conservatives chose to bail out Chrysler in 2009, they had no intention of ever recovering the loan to old Chrysler. They even went as far as to approve 100% of the loss at the exact same time they handed out the money. Our government put every effort into recovering that money, and when we could not do that, we did what the Conservatives intended on doing in first place.

Mr. Speaker, I am surprised the hon. member is justifying a foreign government action against Canadian farmers. It used to be that political parties debated internally on domestic policies, but we used to come together when a foreign government imposed actions against Canadian farmers. I ask the hon. member to join our government in standing up for Canadian farmers and defending our excellent and high-quality products as we resolve this issue.

Mr. Speaker, I want to reiterate our commitment to continuing to raise the case of Mr. Badawi at the highest level. We have done that in the past and we will continue to do so. The minister and I have been in touch with the wife of Mr. Badawi on her courageous work. We support her in her endeavour and we will not stop until this family is reunited.

Mr. Speaker, let us not prematurely assume what the outcome of the committee work is going to be. Let us work together. Our government has extended a hand to every party in the House to work together to consult with Canadians through various means, through town halls, social media, one-on-one consultations, and speaking with experts. Let us get our work done. We will not proceed without the broad support of Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, our government has been consistent. Human rights promotion is a pillar of our foreign policy. Everywhere we go, every time we meet with government officials, our ambassadors, our heads of missions around the world, are promoting human rights and calling for equal rights to all. Mr. Badawi's case has been important to our government. We will continue to appeal to the Saudi government, on a humanitarian basis, for clemency so he is reunited with his family.

Mr. Speaker, our government has been in contact with the Turkish government at the highest levels, advocating for two citizens who are detained in Turkey.I met this past summer with the parliamentary Turkish delegation. I met with Mr. Hanci's wife just last week to assure her that our government is highly committed to the well-being of her husband and all citizens abroad.

Mr. Speaker, the Government of Canada is very concerned about the well-being of the Azer children. We are engaged in this file. I have repeatedly met with Ms. Azer and our law enforcement agency and our consular affairs are providing services to the family. We will continue to be engaged on this file. We will do everything we can to bring the Azer family back home to their mother.

Madam Speaker, I want to assure the hon. member and all Canadians that we are following this case very closely. I had the chance to meet with their daughter and I spoke with their lawyer. Our government is highly engaged on this file. We are in constant contact with Chinese local authorities. We want to resolve this matter as quickly as possible.As the hon. member knows, due to the Privacy Act, we cannot reveal further details about this matter.

Mr. Speaker, as I said before, this is an important case to the Government of Canada. We are on it. We have raised this case repeatedly and we will continue to do so.

Mr. Speaker, this gives me a great opportunity to welcome Kevin Garratt and his family back to Canada.As the Minister of National Defence said earlier, we are engaged with China in a host of discussions on a variety of topics. We want to remind Canadians that we have high standards for anything we engage in and anything we sign. No agreement has been signed. Rest assured, we will always defend human rights and Canadian interests.

Mr. Speaker, this is an important matter that our government is seized with. The foreign affairs minister has been in contact with the foreign affairs minister of the Democratic Republic of Congo. We have raised this issue. We will continue to monitor the situation and we will follow it up. Any new changes will be reported to the House.

Mr. Speaker, on the same point of order. I know that in this House, sometimes it is easy to be partisan, because the cameras are on, and we want to show our constituents that we are fighting very hard on issues they care about.That is part of our democracy. I want to ask my colleagues to think long and hard about the anguish they are causing Mrs. Azer and all those people—

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his work on this file.We are relieved that Dr. Hoodfar has been released from jail and soon will be reunited with her family, friends, students, and colleagues.Our government has been engaged at the highest level in Dr. Hoodfar's case, and we have been advocating for her release. I want to take a moment to thank my colleagues in the House and the thousands of Canadians who raised this case.I also want to take a moment to recognize the strength of her family, particularly her niece, Amanda Ghahremani, for her work. We look forward to welcoming Dr. Hoodfar back home.

Mr. Speaker, I do want to thank the hon. member for raising this issue. This is a very important file. We are very concerned about the well-being of Dr. Hoodfar. Given the realities on the ground, we are raising this issue with our like-minded partners. Because of privacy concerns, I cannot get into further details on that.I want to assure the hon. member and everybody in the House that we are taking this case very seriously.

Mr. Speaker, the Government of Canada is deeply concerned and dismayed by the decision of the supreme court of Indonesia to overturn the acquittal of Mr. Bantleman.I have personally spoken with the brother of Mr. Bantleman yesterday, and reiterated our commitment to work with him on this case. Late last night, the minister spoke with his counterpart, the Indonesian foreign minister, and reiterated our point of view that this was a miscarriage of justice and that this case will have serious consequences on Indonesia's reputation for people to live, work, and travel abroad to Indonesia.

Mr. Speaker, we take seriously our job as parliamentarians and the noble responsibility that Canadians have bestowed upon us. Therefore, our government is looking forward to the work of the special committee to conduct a study on electoral reforms, to reach out to Canadians, to reach out to experts, to consult with members of this House, and to hold town hall meetings in our ridings. I am asking our colleagues in the House of Commons to engage in this process, not to presume the outcome yet, and to let us work together to ensure that Canadians support our electoral reforms.

Mr. Speaker, like Mr. Lim's family and friends, the Government of Canada is highly concerned about Mr. Lim's rights and well-being. We have been engaged with Mr. Lim's family and his advocate. I have met in the past and will continue to engage anyone who is interested in helping us work on this file. Our officials have been providing consular assistance. We are highly engaged on this file and we will not stop until Mr. Lim is back home.

Mr. Speaker, the Government of Canada is very concerned about the detention of Dr. Hoodfar in Iran. We remain in close contact with her family. In fact, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and I have met with her family. Our consular officials are in constant contact with her family as well. We have raised this issue with like-minded countries that will help us in raising this issue.Despite the difficulties of not having a diplomatic presence in Iran, we are going to do whatever we can to release Dr. Hoodfar.

Mr. Speaker, the case of Mr. Chang and Ms. Lu deserves much more dignity and respect than it is receiving from this opposition member. We are treating this case with great seriousness, and our government has been engaged on this file. I personally spoke with Amy last October. Our door is always open to meet with families of loved ones who are abroad, and we will never stop until we resolve this case.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the hon. member for his tireless work on this important file.Our government remains committed and deeply concerned about the safety and well-being of the Azer children. We have been in constant and regular contact with Ms. Azer. In fact, I met with her yesterday and spoke with her again today before question period. I want to assure the House that our officials are working closely with government authorities here and abroad, including law enforcement agencies. I want to take a moment to recognize Ms. Azer's strength and commitment. I want to assure her and the House that we are very committed to the return of her children safely at home.

Mr. Speaker, I do not know what the hon. member has against consultation. I do not know what the hon. member has against the hard work by the members of the Standing Committee on International Trade. Our minister, our parliamentary secretary, and our government are committed to fulfilling our promise to consult Canadians. We are working very hard on these consultations and I invite the hon. member and his colleagues to participate in these consultations.

Mr. Speaker, like Mr. Lim's family and friends, the Government of Canada is concerned about his rights and his well-being. We continue to work for his release. I have met in the past with members of his family and members of the community. We continue to be engaged on this file. Our officials are providing consular services to him and his family, and we will not stop until Mr. Lim is released.

Mr. Speaker, the government is open and has met with individuals with a range of views and beliefs, including members of the Baha'i community. We are committed to step-by-step re-engagement with Iran. Engagement does not mean agreement, but it does give a platform to raise Canadian values, like human rights and the rule of law, as well as consular cases.The Conservatives seem to want Canada to stand alone, which helps no one, not Canadians, not our allies, and not the Iranian people. We are committed to engagement with our eyes wide open.

Mr. Speaker, we advocated on behalf of Mr. Diab at every level on his return to Canada. We are very glad he is back in Canada with his family. We have read the reports on the involvement of government officials in his extradiction. This obviously happened under the previous government. This matter is worth looking into.

Mr. Speaker, our government is concerned about this file. We are aware of the visas that have been granted to American adoptees. We have a plan to speak with the foreign minister of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Our minister has spoken with him in the past. We will continue to be engaged on this file. We know the file involves many Canadians, and they are interested in seeing their adopted children at home, and we will make sure that happens very quickly.

Mr. Speaker, members of the House have been democratically elected. The special committee consists of members of the House who have been democratically elected by their constituents. We are taking this job seriously. We are calling on our colleagues on all sides of the House to join us, to participate in the committee process, consult with their constituents, and consult experts. Let us work together on finding the best outcome for Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, the Government of Canada is aware of the video that has been released. Our priority is the safety of our citizens, and that is precisely why we will not comment on anything that this government is doing right now. Our priority is the safety of Canadians, but we are on top of that file.

Mr. Speaker, like the family and friends of Pastor Lim, we are very concerned about his well-being and his rights.We continue to be engaged in this case, providing consular service to him and his family.I have met with advocates for Pastor Lim and members of the Canadian-Korean community, including today. I will be meeting with them after question period.I can assure the House that we will continue to be engaged in this file until we resolve this case.

Mr. Speaker, as the minister earlier stated, our government is very engaged on this file. We have raised this matter at a very high level with the Chinese authorities. Our consular officials are constantly meeting and offering assistance to Mr. Chang, Ms. Lu, and their family, and the minister and I are meeting with Amy Chang later this afternoon.

Mr. Speaker, the Canadian government made a commitment to consult Canadians before taking a decision on ratification. That is exactly what we have been doing since taking office. The government has consulted on this agreement on over 250 separate occasions and will continue to do so. I am also very glad that the House of Commons trade committee has invited Canadians to share their opinions with it in public hearings. Perhaps this is something the previous government is not accustomed to, but this is something we have promised Canadians and we are fulfilling this promise.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to repeat that our government is committed to consulting Canadians on the TPP. The House of Commons Standing Committee on International Trade is conducting a study on the TPP. Therefore, I invite all members of the House to participate in this consultation. We are looking forward to a meaningful discussion.

Mr. Speaker, it is precisely because of our commitment to human rights that we are engaging more effectively in the world. The promotion and protection of human rights, including freedom of religion, is very important for our government. The Minister of Foreign Affairs, when he was in Burma recently, announced a $44-million investment for the promotion of democracy and the protection of human rights, including ethnic minorities. We are continuing our important effort in promoting human rights, including freedom of religion, domestically and abroad.

Madam Speaker, I want to thank my hon. colleague for his question and his ongoing work on behalf of Neil Bantleman. It is our government's priority to see Neil Bantleman back home in Canada as a free man. Our government has reiterated that concern with the Indonesian government at the highest level. Our officials and myself have been engaged with this family. We have been working with his legal team and his family throughout this judicial review process. I want to take a moment to recognize the strength of his family and his friends, and particularly his wife Tracy, for her courage and her strength.

Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to opening markets for Canadian workers and businesses. We are the only country in the G7 that has a free trade agreement with all other G7 nations. We are committed to helping our businesses grow. That is why in the fall economic statement, the Minister of Finance announced our trade diversification strategy to help businesses in Quebec and across Canada. We want to bring more investment to Canada, we want to create more jobs for Canadians and we want to raise the quality of living for all Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, I want to reiterate our commitment to continuing to raise the case of Mr. Badawi at the highest level. We have done that in the past and we will continue to do so. The minister and I have been in touch with the wife of Mr. Badawi on her courageous work. We support her in her endeavour and we will not stop until this family is reunited.

Mr. Speaker, like Mr. Lim's family and friends, the Government of Canada is concerned about his rights and his well-being. We continue to work for his release. I have met in the past with members of his family and members of the community. We continue to be engaged on this file. Our officials are providing consular services to him and his family, and we will not stop until Mr. Lim is released.

Mr. Speaker, I do not know what the hon. member has against consultation. I do not know what the hon. member has against the hard work by the members of the Standing Committee on International Trade. Our minister, our parliamentary secretary, and our government are committed to fulfilling our promise to consult Canadians. We are working very hard on these consultations and I invite the hon. member and his colleagues to participate in these consultations.

Mr. Speaker, the Government of Canada is deeply concerned and dismayed by the decision of the supreme court of Indonesia to overturn the acquittal of Mr. Bantleman.I have personally spoken with the brother of Mr. Bantleman yesterday, and reiterated our commitment to work with him on this case. Late last night, the minister spoke with his counterpart, the Indonesian foreign minister, and reiterated our point of view that this was a miscarriage of justice and that this case will have serious consequences on Indonesia's reputation for people to live, work, and travel abroad to Indonesia.

Mr. Speaker, our government has raised the case of Mr. Badawi at the highest levels of the Saudi government.We continue to ask for clemency, so he can be reunited with his family. I have had the opportunity and the privilege of meeting with his wife on multiple occasions. I have reassured her that our government, our Prime Minister, and our Minister of Foreign Affairs are engaged on this case. We will continue to appeal for clemency for Mr. Badawi.

Mr. Speaker, on the same point of order. I know that in this House, sometimes it is easy to be partisan, because the cameras are on, and we want to show our constituents that we are fighting very hard on issues they care about.That is part of our democracy. I want to ask my colleagues to think long and hard about the anguish they are causing Mrs. Azer and all those people—

Mr. Speaker, our government is seized by the unacceptable persecution of the Rohingya people in Myanmar and is actively engaged on this file. The Prime Minister and the Minister of Foreign Affairs have raised this at the highest levels, including with Aung San Suu Kyi and Kofi Annan. They will both continue to raise it this week at the UN General Assembly.We will continue to provide humanitarian aid to the Rohingya and call on the Myanmar government to allow access into Rakhine State to further assess the situation.This violence has been equated to ethnic cleansing. This is unacceptable and must cease immediately.

Mr. Speaker, our government has been in contact with the Turkish government at the highest levels, advocating for two citizens who are detained in Turkey.I met this past summer with the parliamentary Turkish delegation. I met with Mr. Hanci's wife just last week to assure her that our government is highly committed to the well-being of her husband and all citizens abroad.

Mr. Speaker, the opposition members have been asking us to change the makeup of the committee. We listened to their concerns. We extended a hand. We changed the structure of the committee. We are asking for all members of the House to work together with us on making sure that we come up with the best reforms for our electoral system. We will not proceed until we consult with Canadians, consult with experts, and have the broad support of Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, as I said before, this is an important case to the Government of Canada. We are on it. We have raised this case repeatedly and we will continue to do so.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for New Brunswick Southwest for her advocacy on behalf of fishers and seafood exporters. I am happy to tell her that because of CETA, 96% of the EU tariffs on fish and seafood have been eliminated, and the remaining 4% will be phased out over the coming years.The EU is Atlantic Canada's third-largest market for fish and seafood. Thanks to CETA, Atlantic fish and seafood now has a significant competitive advantage in Europe compared to U.S. exports. For example, according to the Lobster Council of Canada, lobster exports to Spain grew by 345%.

Mr. Speaker, the safety and well-being of the Azer family continues to be a priority of this government. As I have done before, the Minister of Foreign Affairs would be happy to meet with Ms. Azer to continue collaboration in the pursuit of the safe return of her children to Canada. Canadian consular officials and law enforcement agencies continue to work domestically and internationally with the relevant agencies to make sure that we return the kids home safely.

Mr. Speaker, the Government of Canada is aware of the video that has been released. Our priority is the safety of our citizens, and that is precisely why we will not comment on anything that this government is doing right now. Our priority is the safety of Canadians, but we are on top of that file.

Mr. Speaker, I am glad the member's constituents trust her to do the serious work on their behalf. That is what Canadians sent us here to do. We are working together. We are extending a hand to opposition members to work together with us on striking a study and consulting with experts and Canadians. Let us work together to find the best outcome for Canadians.Let me repeat this. We will not proceed without the broad support of Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, members of the House have been democratically elected. The special committee consists of members of the House who have been democratically elected by their constituents. We are taking this job seriously. We are calling on our colleagues on all sides of the House to join us, to participate in the committee process, consult with their constituents, and consult experts. Let us work together on finding the best outcome for Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, the case of Mr. Chang and Ms. Lu deserves much more dignity and respect than it is receiving from this opposition member. We are treating this case with great seriousness, and our government has been engaged on this file. I personally spoke with Amy last October. Our door is always open to meet with families of loved ones who are abroad, and we will never stop until we resolve this case.

Mr. Speaker, last week was a good week for Canadian canola farmers. The federal government, working with provincial governments, stakeholders and farmers, announced a support package for farmers, while recommitting our efforts to resolve the trade dispute with China. We continue to call on China to resolve this issue based on scientific evidence. On top of that, the Minister of International Trade Diversification is leading delegations around the world to promote the best-quality canola in the world.

Mr. Speaker, this gives me a great opportunity to welcome Kevin Garratt and his family back to Canada.As the Minister of National Defence said earlier, we are engaged with China in a host of discussions on a variety of topics. We want to remind Canadians that we have high standards for anything we engage in and anything we sign. No agreement has been signed. Rest assured, we will always defend human rights and Canadian interests.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my friend from Brampton East for his championing the interests of Canadians abroad. I am happy to report that Salim Alaradi is on his way home. I thank his courageous family, his legal team, and our consular officials who worked tirelessly in getting him home. I also want to thank our Prime Minister, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, my colleagues, and members of the House for raising his issue.On behalf of the Government of Canada and all members of the House, we look forward to welcoming Mr. Alaradi home.

Mr. Speaker, we are clearly concerned about the well-being of Mr. Malekpour.I had the opportunity to meet with his sister. I committed to her that our government was following his case with great concern. Obviously, members of the opposition know that the lack of diplomatic presence in Iran has posed challenges for us. That is why our government is committed to re-engaging with Iran, making sure that we defend the interest of Canadians, and building on people-to-people relationships with Iran.

Mr. Speaker, I regret the tone of the question.Having said that, the world needs more Canada, and Canada is better off with increasing engagement in the world. This is a harder choice than the previous government's choice. That means if we want to be effective in promoting human rights, including in Iran, we need to engage with our allies with our eyes wide open.Our allies are re-engaging with Iran, and I do not know why the Conservatives want us to stand alone on the sidelines. What we are doing is better for Canadians, is better for our allies, and is better for the people of Iran.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to repeat that our government is committed to consulting Canadians on the TPP. The House of Commons Standing Committee on International Trade is conducting a study on the TPP. Therefore, I invite all members of the House to participate in this consultation. We are looking forward to a meaningful discussion.

Mr. Speaker, on the contrary, the Garratts have not been abandoned by this government. We continue to be engaged on this file. We have expressed our concern for the well-being of the Garratts, and we have repeatedly raised the issue with Chinese officials at the highest levels. We will continue to persist in our call for their return home safely.

Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to opening markets for Canadian workers and businesses. We are the only country in the G7 that has a free trade agreement with all other G7 nations. We are committed to helping our businesses grow. That is why in the fall economic statement, the Minister of Finance announced our trade diversification strategy to help businesses in Quebec and across Canada. We want to bring more investment to Canada, we want to create more jobs for Canadians and we want to raise the quality of living for all Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, it is precisely because of our commitment to human rights that we are engaging more effectively in the world. The promotion and protection of human rights, including freedom of religion, is very important for our government. The Minister of Foreign Affairs, when he was in Burma recently, announced a $44-million investment for the promotion of democracy and the protection of human rights, including ethnic minorities. We are continuing our important effort in promoting human rights, including freedom of religion, domestically and abroad.

Mr. Speaker, we take seriously our job as parliamentarians and the noble responsibility that Canadians have bestowed upon us. Therefore, our government is looking forward to the work of the special committee to conduct a study on electoral reforms, to reach out to Canadians, to reach out to experts, to consult with members of this House, and to hold town hall meetings in our ridings. I am asking our colleagues in the House of Commons to engage in this process, not to presume the outcome yet, and to let us work together to ensure that Canadians support our electoral reforms.

Mr. Speaker, like the family and friends of Pastor Lim, we are very concerned about his well-being and his rights.We continue to be engaged in this case, providing consular service to him and his family.I have met with advocates for Pastor Lim and members of the Canadian-Korean community, including today. I will be meeting with them after question period.I can assure the House that we will continue to be engaged in this file until we resolve this case.

Mr. Speaker, our government is concerned about this file. We are aware of the visas that have been granted to American adoptees. We have a plan to speak with the foreign minister of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Our minister has spoken with him in the past. We will continue to be engaged on this file. We know the file involves many Canadians, and they are interested in seeing their adopted children at home, and we will make sure that happens very quickly.

Madam Speaker, I want to thank my hon. colleague for his question and his ongoing work on behalf of Neil Bantleman. It is our government's priority to see Neil Bantleman back home in Canada as a free man. Our government has reiterated that concern with the Indonesian government at the highest level. Our officials and myself have been engaged with this family. We have been working with his legal team and his family throughout this judicial review process. I want to take a moment to recognize the strength of his family and his friends, and particularly his wife Tracy, for her courage and her strength.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the hon. member for his tireless work on this important file.Our government remains committed and deeply concerned about the safety and well-being of the Azer children. We have been in constant and regular contact with Ms. Azer. In fact, I met with her yesterday and spoke with her again today before question period. I want to assure the House that our officials are working closely with government authorities here and abroad, including law enforcement agencies. I want to take a moment to recognize Ms. Azer's strength and commitment. I want to assure her and the House that we are very committed to the return of her children safely at home.

Mr. Speaker, the Canadian government made a commitment to consult Canadians before taking a decision on ratification. That is exactly what we have been doing since taking office. The government has consulted on this agreement on over 250 separate occasions and will continue to do so. I am also very glad that the House of Commons trade committee has invited Canadians to share their opinions with it in public hearings. Perhaps this is something the previous government is not accustomed to, but this is something we have promised Canadians and we are fulfilling this promise.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to be part of a government, for the first time in Canada's history, to create an office for social corporate responsibility. Our government has fulfilled our promise, and today we are consulting with stakeholders on the mechanisms that are needed. We recently announced the chair of the CORE office, and we are currently consulting. I look forward to the hon. member's support for that office.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my hon. colleague for the question. The Conservatives have not asked a single question on trade for the last few months, and I am happy to engage him in this debate on this issue.Today Canada is the only country in the G7 that has a free trade agreement with all G7 countries. Our government, under our Prime Minister and the minister of international trade, has been diversifying trade, investing in Canadian businesses and making sure that we are creating—

Mr. Speaker, this is a very important matter for us.However, I want to remind the hon. member of our Prime Minister's repeated confirmation that a Canadian is a Canadian is a Canadian. Unlike the previous government, we have never shied away from defending our Canadian citizens abroad.Consular services are being provided to all citizens who are in need. We are seized by this particular matter that the hon. member has raised. We are providing assistance to the family and we will continue to advocate for our citizens abroad.

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of all our colleagues, I want to wish my hon. colleague the best.I look forward to engaging my colleague in further debate on international trade, but our government is committed to supporting businesses to create wealth and create jobs for all Canadians all across Canada.

Mr. Speaker, we advocated on behalf of Mr. Diab at every level on his return to Canada. We are very glad he is back in Canada with his family. We have read the reports on the involvement of government officials in his extradiction. This obviously happened under the previous government. This matter is worth looking into.

Mr. Speaker, when the Harper Conservatives chose to bail out Chrysler in 2009, they had no intention of ever recovering the loan to old Chrysler. They even went as far as to approve 100% of the loss at the exact same time they handed out the money. Our government put every effort into recovering that money, and when we could not do that, we did what the Conservatives intended on doing in first place.

Mr. Speaker, I am surprised the hon. member is justifying a foreign government action against Canadian farmers. It used to be that political parties debated internally on domestic policies, but we used to come together when a foreign government imposed actions against Canadian farmers. I ask the hon. member to join our government in standing up for Canadian farmers and defending our excellent and high-quality products as we resolve this issue.

Mr. Speaker, the Liberal Party was not the only party that ran on electoral reform, so perhaps the hon. member could redo his math.Let me stress what I just said earlier. We are looking forward to the special committee work. We will be consulting with experts. We will be consulting with Canadians. We will be consulting with members of the House. We will not proceed until we have the broad support of Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, the Government of Canada is very concerned about the well-being of the Azer children. We are engaged in this file. I have repeatedly met with Ms. Azer and our law enforcement agency and our consular affairs are providing services to the family. We will continue to be engaged on this file. We will do everything we can to bring the Azer family back home to their mother.

Mr. Speaker, our government is very concerned about the well-being of the Garratt family.I encourage the hon. members not to play politics with issues of concerns of Canadians who are struck abroad. Our government continues to raise this issue at the highest levels with Chinese officials. We will persist, and we will not stop until the Garratts return home.

Mr. Speaker, our government has been consistent. Human rights promotion is a pillar of our foreign policy. Everywhere we go, every time we meet with government officials, our ambassadors, our heads of missions around the world, are promoting human rights and calling for equal rights to all. Mr. Badawi's case has been important to our government. We will continue to appeal to the Saudi government, on a humanitarian basis, for clemency so he is reunited with his family.

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member says she does not trust politicians. I wonder if she put that as a slogan in her last campaign when she asked her constituents to vote for her.We take our responsibility as a solemn and serious responsibility. Canadians elected us to do some serious work. We call on all members of the House to join us on committee and work with us to ensure we come up with the best electoral reform to our system. We will not proceed until we have the support of Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, I do want to thank the hon. member for raising this issue. This is a very important file. We are very concerned about the well-being of Dr. Hoodfar. Given the realities on the ground, we are raising this issue with our like-minded partners. Because of privacy concerns, I cannot get into further details on that.I want to assure the hon. member and everybody in the House that we are taking this case very seriously.

Mr. Speaker, this is an important matter that our government is seized with. The foreign affairs minister has been in contact with the foreign affairs minister of the Democratic Republic of Congo. We have raised this issue. We will continue to monitor the situation and we will follow it up. Any new changes will be reported to the House.

Mr. Speaker, as the minister earlier stated, our government is very engaged on this file. We have raised this matter at a very high level with the Chinese authorities. Our consular officials are constantly meeting and offering assistance to Mr. Chang, Ms. Lu, and their family, and the minister and I are meeting with Amy Chang later this afternoon.

Mr. Speaker, like Mr. Lim's family and friends, the Government of Canada is highly concerned about Mr. Lim's rights and well-being. We have been engaged with Mr. Lim's family and his advocate. I have met in the past and will continue to engage anyone who is interested in helping us work on this file. Our officials have been providing consular assistance. We are highly engaged on this file and we will not stop until Mr. Lim is back home.

Madam Speaker, I want to assure the hon. member and all Canadians that we are following this case very closely. I had the chance to meet with their daughter and I spoke with their lawyer. Our government is highly engaged on this file. We are in constant contact with Chinese local authorities. We want to resolve this matter as quickly as possible.As the hon. member knows, due to the Privacy Act, we cannot reveal further details about this matter.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague from Newmarket—Aurora for his question and for his leadership on the international trade committee.Consecutive governments talked about trade diversification, but it was only our government that made it a reality. Under our government, we signed and ratified CETA and CPTPP. That is 1.5 billion new customers for our businesses.This week, the minister announced new measures to help SMEs trade, grow and create jobs. We are aiming to grow our global exports by 50% by 2025.

Mr. Speaker, on the one hand the opposition members do not want us to talk with China. On the other hand they are saying we are not talking enough with China.This government will never abandon our Canadian citizens abroad. Unlike the previous government, we will always stand up for citizens abroad. Our officials and our minister have raised the Garratt case and will not stop until the Garratts return home safely.

Mr. Speaker, our government is very committed to promoting human rights around the world. Our government has never shied away from raising human rights issues at the highest level. Our Minister of Foreign Affairs is embarking on a trip to Africa to make sure that we raise, obviously, the interests of Canadians but also human rights and our consular cases. I do not understand why the previous Conservative government wanted to stand on the sidelines and not raise these issues.

Mr. Speaker, let us not prematurely assume what the outcome of the committee work is going to be. Let us work together. Our government has extended a hand to every party in the House to work together to consult with Canadians through various means, through town halls, social media, one-on-one consultations, and speaking with experts. Let us get our work done. We will not proceed without the broad support of Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, the Government of Canada is very concerned about the detention of Dr. Hoodfar in Iran. We remain in close contact with her family. In fact, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and I have met with her family. Our consular officials are in constant contact with her family as well. We have raised this issue with like-minded countries that will help us in raising this issue.Despite the difficulties of not having a diplomatic presence in Iran, we are going to do whatever we can to release Dr. Hoodfar.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his work on this file.We are relieved that Dr. Hoodfar has been released from jail and soon will be reunited with her family, friends, students, and colleagues.Our government has been engaged at the highest level in Dr. Hoodfar's case, and we have been advocating for her release. I want to take a moment to thank my colleagues in the House and the thousands of Canadians who raised this case.I also want to take a moment to recognize the strength of her family, particularly her niece, Amanda Ghahremani, for her work. We look forward to welcoming Dr. Hoodfar back home.

Madam Speaker, Canadians know very well the track record of this government and of our Prime Minister when defending Canadians abroad. We will never turn our backs on Canadians when they need our help abroad. We are very active on this file and we will not stop until we resolve this matter.

Mr. Speaker, the government is open and has met with individuals with a range of views and beliefs, including members of the Baha'i community. We are committed to step-by-step re-engagement with Iran. Engagement does not mean agreement, but it does give a platform to raise Canadian values, like human rights and the rule of law, as well as consular cases.The Conservatives seem to want Canada to stand alone, which helps no one, not Canadians, not our allies, and not the Iranian people. We are committed to engagement with our eyes wide open.