44th Parl. 1st Sess.
February 28, 2022 11:00AM
- Feb/28/22 3:11:52 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, there have been discussions among the parties, and if you seek it, I hope you will find unanimous consent to adopt the following motion. I move:
That, given the Russian Federation's unprovoked and unjustified attack on Ukraine, the House:
(a) Condemns this unjustified and unprovoked attack, which was ordered by Russian President Vladimir Putin, as a clear violation of international law, the UN Charter, and the rights of Ukraine to sovereignty, territorial integrity, freedom and democracy;
(b) Condemns the illegal recognition by the Russian Federation of the Ukrainian regions of Donetsk and Luhansk as so-called “independent states”, and the 2014 invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation and their illegal annexation of Crimea;
(c) Calls upon the Russian Federation to immediately end the targeting of civilian infrastructure, including, hospitals and schools.
(d) Call upon the Government of Canada, and all parties in the House of Commons, to support:
(i) The continued imposition of severe economic penalties, including sanctions, targeting President Putin's inner circle, including Russian oligarchs, and those who have supported this egregious violation of international law; and
(ii) The provision of support to the Government of Ukraine, the Ukrainian Armed Forces and the provision of humanitarian aid to the people of Ukraine; and
(iii) The issuing of an order of general application directing the CRTC to a new broadcasting policy that would remove state-controlled broadcasters that spread disinformation and propaganda from the CRTC's list of non-Canadian programming services and stations authorized for distribution, effectively removing Russia Today (RT) from Canadian airwaves; and
(iv) The removal of Russia from the SWIFT payment system, a critical part of the global financial system, an action which must be pursued in collaboration with international partners.
e) Stands unwavering and united in our solidarity with the people of Ukraine.
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- Feb/28/22 7:30:20 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, New Democrats strongly condemn President Putin's flagrant aggression against Ukraine, and we stand in solidarity with the people of Ukraine. My thoughts go out to all Ukrainians who are worried about this unprovoked and unjustified attack by Russia.
War always brings terrible loss of life and human suffering. As Canada has welcomed a significant population of Ukrainian Canadians, I spoke with some of them today who shared their worries and fears. I spoke with a young man whose parents still live in Ukraine, and despite the fact that his parents live in the western region, which has not seen as much military action, his family lives just kilometres away from where rockets fell. I spoke with Bohdana, who shared with me her fears and that she cannot sleep at night. She has family, friends and cousins she is trying to sponsor, and she cannot sleep at night without making sure that they are okay. She has not slept many hours over the past number of days. She is constantly checking in and constantly worried that something might happen. These are just two of the many stories from Ukrainian Canadians who are deeply worried about what is happening in Ukraine.
In this serious crisis, I will outline two specific areas where Canada can play a significant role in supporting people at this time. First is stronger and more severe sanctions, and second is an emphasis on humanitarian relief.
To begin with the sanctions, the Liberal government must continue to use all tools to deter Putin's aggressive actions. What we can specifically do is impose additional economic sanctions where it hurts Putin, which is by sanctioning Putin's closest oligarchs. I spoke with Bill Browder who is the author and the motivating force behind the Magnitsky Law in Canada and the Magnitsky acts in other countries. He outlined that the current sanctions in place both in Canada and in other countries ignore many of the ultrawealthy oligarchs who hoard Putin's wealth. These oligarchs are well known through the diligent work of many activists and advocates, including Mr. Browder.
We can use the Magnitsky Law in Canada, and there are two categories, one for human rights violations and one for corruption. We know who these oligarchs are. Many of them were identified by Alexei Navalny, a political opponent who Putin imprisoned, tortured and attempted to kill with poison. We need to use the tools that we have to hit Putin where it hurts, with the money he has hoarded in the names of the oligarchs whose resources are located in countries around the world.
We also need more tools to identify where the oligarchs are hiding their money and deal with money laundering in general. We can accelerate the creation of a publicly available, nationwide beneficial ownership registry. This would provide transparency on property ownership in Canada, including those owned by oligarchs whom we know have property in Canada. The current timeline for this registry is 2025, which is simply too far away.
Putin's greed is well documented. It is his weakness. It is well known that the oligarchs hoard his wealth, the wealth that he has stolen from the Russian people. We need to stand up to Putin and do it in a way that hurts him most, which is with his wealth and by sanctioning those oligarchs with the tools we have. We need to do that. It would create significant leverage by putting pressure on Putin to end this war.
Second, we need more support in humanitarian aid, and I will break that down into two areas. Since Russia invaded Crimea in 2014, 1.5 million Ukrainians have been displaced from their homes. Many came to Canada after the initial invasion eight years ago and have successfully resettled in communities across the country. With Russia's current invasion of Ukraine, the situation for people on the ground has become unfathomably more dire. Ukrainians will be seeking safety and refuge in Canada, and for years we have been calling for visa-free access for Ukrainians. We are calling for urgent action, and that is what we need to do.
The government must work collaboratively to support and resettle those who have been displaced by this escalating humanitarian crisis. We need to automatically extend expiring documents and permits for all Ukrainians currently in Canada. Those who are already here should not be compelled to return to severe risk and danger in Ukraine. We need to ensure that it is easy and that there is barrier-free access for people who are seeking refuge and safety.
We also need to increase humanitarian aid. Ukrainian people need our support more than ever and Canada needs to plan for that humanitarian aid. The crisis is worsening and families are torn apart. Children have been killed. Over half a million Ukrainians have fled the country in a few days, with many more internally displaced. All children in the Ukraine, at least 7.5 million, those who are under 18 years old, are in grave danger of physical harm, severe emotional distress and displacement.
Canada must work with our allies, including the United Nations, to respond appropriately to this terrible situation.
As we have seen with the Syrian crisis, neighbouring countries who host refugees rely on significant support from those donor communities to ensure that the basic needs of the refugees in local populations are met. We ask the government to ensure that additional funds to Ukraine will not be diverted from the existing humanitarian envelope that continues to necessitate Canada's attention.
We are pleased to see the matching funds for the $10 million for the Red Cross, but this is just a drop in the bucket in terms of the massive needs. We need a plan with significant financial commitments to helping Ukrainians, both within Ukraine and those who have managed to get to safety in neighbouring countries. Members of Canada's humanitarian coalition are operating in Ukraine and its neighbouring countries, and they also deserve our support.
The Ukrainian community in Canada is also offering to provide support and is raising funds. We need to support those efforts as well. We know that there will soon be a UN call for funding and Canada must provide its fair share of support for this call.
New Democrats strongly condemn President Putin's flagrant aggression against Ukraine, and we stand in solidarity with the people of Ukraine. My thoughts go out to all Ukrainians who are worried about this unprovoked and unjustified attack by Russia.
War always brings terrible loss of life and human suffering. Earlier today, I spoke with Canadians of Ukrainian origin who are terribly worried for their friends and family in Ukraine.
We must help immediately. We must boost sanctions against Putin's oligarchs and increase humanitarian aid to Ukrainians and to organizations helping those seeking refuge. We must work fast to help people seeking refuge in Canada get here safely.
In light of the escalating crisis, we must recognize that Ukrainians seeking safety from the dangers right now in their homeland do not have months to spare. The most urgent action is required. The government must do everything in its power to help these people find safe haven from the threat of violence in Ukraine caused by Russia.
New Democrats stand in solidarity with Ukraine and with the people of Ukraine. We commend and acknowledge their courage, and we encourage the government to offer all help possible to support them in this time of need.
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- Feb/28/22 7:49:58 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I will be sharing my time with the member for Thunder Bay—Rainy River.
I am proud to rise today during this take-note debate in the House of Commons to speak to Russia's military invasion of Ukraine. A couple of days ago, I was joined by several of my colleagues in requesting this emergency take-note debate in the House of Commons. We felt it was important to provide an opportunity for members of all parties from all parts of the country to speak to this issue and to discuss Canada's and the international community's response to what is happening in Ukraine. I would like to thank all parties for their support for the motion to have this emergency take-note debate.
During our last take-note debate I shared a story with all members about my grandfather, Yvan, and how I was with him when Ukraine declared its independence. He was a great patriot. When Ukraine declared its independence, it might have been the proudest day of his life. My grandfather said to me that day that, now Ukraine was independent, we would have to keep up the fight for Ukraine's independence. I was 14 years old at the time and I asked him what he was talking about. I thought Ukraine had declared its independence, as people wanted, and the world had recognized it. I said to him, “You are wrong.” However, I was wrong.
In 2014, Russia twice invaded Ukraine and Crimea and Eastern Ukraine. In 2014, the world did not do enough. It did not impose enough sanctions. It did not send weapons. It did not do enough to support Ukraine and to deter an invasion. Now Vladimir Putin has begun an unprovoked, full-scale invasion of Ukraine. He has attacked the entire country, and not just the soldiers defending Ukraine's borders. He is targeting and killing civilians: men, women and children. He is bombing buildings. He is bombing kindergartens and much more. Civilians are dying as we speak.
The courage of the Ukrainian people and the Ukrainian armed forces has been inspiring. It is not just soldiers who are fighting courageously, it is men, women, people of all ages, seniors, are taking up arms. They are outnumbered and they are outgunned, but they keep fighting. They are holding the line against a much larger, much more well-armed military.
In Ukrainian we say, “Slava Ukraini. Heroyam slava.” This means glory to Ukraine and glory to the heroes. I think we can all agree that Ukrainians are living up to those words right now. For those of us with Ukrainian ancestry, this touches us personally, but this is something that concerns all Canadians. It is a humanitarian crisis. We see not just the soldiers being killed, but civilians being killed, as well as civilians being displaced and civilian communities being bombed. This is an attack on Ukraine's sovereignty, but it is also an attack on democracy in the international rules-based order. It is a threat not just to Ukraine's security, but to Europe's security, the world's security and Canada's security.
Ukrainians are fighting bravely, and they are fighting for their freedom. They are fighting for their homeland, but they are also fighting for something else. They are fighting for all of us. Today, this impacts all of us. This affects all our security. It affects democracy around the world. It affects global security.
Today, they are fighting for all of us. Today, we are all Ukrainian. Ukrainians are fighting for us, and we need to fight for them. That is why Canada and our allies must do everything possible to stop this invasion and to ensure Russia withdraws from Ukraine.
Canada has taken a tremendous number of steps along with our allies. Today, we banned crude oil exports. We announced that we are going to provide additional lethal weapons to Ukraine, anti-tank weapons, and other rockets and systems that Ukraine has requested. We will ask the CRTC to review RT's presence on our airwaves. We need to get rid of RT in Canada.
We have previously provided two shipments of lethal weapons. We trained over 30,000 Ukrainian soldiers, who are fighting so bravely as we speak right now, and we have imposed a tremendous number of sanctions against Vladimir Putin, his oligarchs and the central bank and much more. These sanctions are having a significant impact, but it will not be enough until Vladimir Putin stops, until Ukraine is free.
Today, the House unanimously supported my motion that called on Canada to do a number of things, including continuing to impose sanctions, the provision of additional support to the government of Ukraine and the Ukrainian armed forces, the issuing of an additional order for the CRTC about RT and broadcasting policy, and the removal of Russia from SWIFT and the payment system.
We have to keep working until we stop Vladimir Putin, until the Ukrainians win. They are fighting for us.
In 1991, on that day with my grandfather, I was wrong. In 2014, the world was wrong. There is too much at stake. Ukraine's security is Europe's security and is Canada's security. Ukrainians are fighting bravely for freedom, but they are also fighting for us, and we need to fight for them.
Today we are all Ukrainian. Today everyone in the free world is Ukrainian, and today we can all say slava Ukraini, heroyam slava.
Glory to Ukraine. Glory to the heroes.
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- Feb/28/22 8:22:50 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I know, that the hon. member has pride for the men and women who serve in the Canadian Armed Forces, as I do, particularly at CFB Greenwood. I was stationed at Shearwater and did a lot of training at that incredible air base.
I think all parliamentarians are proud of any Canadian who steps up to put a uniform of service on for their country, whether service at home, which we have seen particularly in British Columbia in recent months, or abroad.
We have also been steadfast, going back to the Conservative government, with operations such as Unifier and Reassurance. We have had great collaboration within NATO and particularly on training operations in Ukraine and in the Baltics to make sure we have a presence.
I really do think that there has been a creeping barrage of aggression by Vladimir Putin and we have been lulled into a sense of complacency in the western world.
It started in 2014 with the Revolution of Dignity, which led Mr. Putin to go into Crimea and into the Donbass. We saw Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 shot down. We saw cyber-attacks in 2015 that took out part of the Ukraine energy grid. There has been a steadfast and consistent approach of aggression, and we had hoped that the post-war world order would not change. It has changed.
I know that member shares an interest in our Canadian Armed Forces. In the spirit of co-operation, we need a non-partisan plan to build out capacity for our Canadian Armed Forces and to exert control over our land mass in the Arctic. With regard to that, right now even our friends in the U.S. have stepped away from the relationship Mr. Mulroney and former president Reagan negotiated with respect to the Northwest Passage.
We must act now to help our friends in Ukraine, but also to make sure we defend our own territorial sovereignty.
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- Feb/28/22 9:03:26 p.m.
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Mr. Chair, I rise in the House this evening to add my voice to those of millions around the world who now see just how dangerous Vladimir Putin is.
I spent years in the Canadian Forces learning the structure of the Warsaw pact by heart, studying and memorizing Soviet tactics, learning to recognize vehicles, such as T-80s, BRDM-1s and BMPs, and various types of aircraft. I can say for sure that one thing I hoped for all those years was to never come up against the red army.
In the 2000s, international terrorism became the enemy. All the while, Vladimir Putin was getting ready.
I would like to start with a quote from Steve Rosenberg, the BBC's Moscow correspondent who said, “Many times I’ve thought: 'Putin would never do this.' Then he does it. 'He’d never annex Crimea.' He did. 'He’d never intervene in the Donbas.' He did. 'He’d never launch a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.' He has.”
He added that he has concluded that the phrase “would never do” does not apply to Vladimir Putin, and that raises an uncomfortable question: He would never press the nuclear button first, would he? This is not a theoretical question. Putin has just put his country's nuclear forces on special alert, complaining of “aggressive statements” about Ukraine by NATO members.
It is not playing petty politics or partisan political games to be worried about this situation. Now more than ever, we need to come together as a country to ensure that Canada plays its part with its allies. Canada is not and never has been a military superpower, but we can still exert influence to pressure Putin to back down and withdraw from Ukraine.
In the short term, we can and should declare the Russian ambassador to Canada, Oleg Stepanov, persona non grata and expel him from Canada. We should recall Canada's Ambassador LeClaire from Moscow and bring her home. Canada should isolate Russia internationally by seeking to remove it from organizations such as the G20 and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe. Canada should also implement a visa-free travel system between Ukraine and Canada.
Vladimir Putin is a dangerous man. He has long shown us that he is ready to do anything to hold onto and increase his power. After all, early in his career, he worked as a KGB officer for 16 years. It is not for nothing that every one of his critics dies under suspicious circumstances.
In the long term, Canada can truly be a superpower in our own way to our friends in Europe. For example, we must build new pipelines that reach the east coast to replace Russian natural gas. Russia provides 40% of Europe's natural gas and uses that to intimidate Europe and Ukraine, by threatening to cut off the supply. If that supply is cut off, people will freeze, European industry will cease to function and Europe's GDP will collapse. Now that the Russians have invaded Ukraine, the Liberal government may finally acknowledge that Canadian oil and gas are essential to the security of Canada and Europe. Let us open our eyes to that reality.
It is also time to take Canada's Arctic security and sovereignty seriously. Russia shares the waters to the northwest of Canada. We can no longer allow ourselves to take our peace and security for granted. The government must propose a solid plan for the Arctic that will help modernize NORAD's early warning system, improve the ailing military procurement system, speed up the national shipbuilding program, buy F-35 fighter jets, and work in close collaboration with the Scandinavian countries and the United States to ensure peace and security in the Arctic.
In closing, we must equip the Canadian Forces to a professional level with equipment worthy of the 2020s. Let us build our capabilities so we can be proud and effective.
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- Feb/28/22 10:50:06 p.m.
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Madam Chair, in 2014, after Putin invaded Crimea, Russia was expelled from the G8.
Should Canada seek Russia's removal from the G20 and possibly the OSCE? What is the member's view of that?
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- Feb/28/22 11:35:35 p.m.
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Madam Chair, tonight I rise in this place, only months after my arrival in this House, to discuss a matter of utmost importance and true urgency, albeit I wish this day would never have come. However, we all must rise to this occasion, a moment in our history, a moment for unity and a moment for all of us to stand with Ukraine at this time in its hour of most need.
Prior to moving to Edmonton, I grew up in a small Métis community in Alberta called Fishing Lake. Many who know that part of our province well know that there are largely two groups: many who are indigenous, like me, and Ukrainians, our neighbours for over 100 years.
The Ukrainians are the very same people who paint our fields gold each summer, a truly remarkable sight to see. Ukrainian families were some of the very first people to settle Treaty 6 territory. They were here long before Alberta was even a province. A true example of the spirit and intent of a treaty, many of these friendships still endure today.
Ukraine has shocked the world with its heroic resistance against Putin's war of aggression. President Zelensky and hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians have bravely resisted the Russian attack, even in the face of overwhelming odds. However, despite the brave efforts of Ukraine's military, the situation on the ground is dire, especially for the many civilians who are caught in the crossfire.
As we speak, Russian artillery and missile attacks are pounding Ukraine's cities day and night. Kyiv, Ukraine's capital, is under siege. Its three million inhabitants have been forced to take shelter in their homes, in Kyiv subways and in improvised bomb shelters. According to the UN Secretary-General, there are credible accounts of residential buildings, other civilian infrastructure and non-military targets sustaining heavy damage under Russian attack. He emphasized in his speech today that this escalating violence is resulting in civilian deaths, including children.
The people of Ukraine are no strangers to Russian imperialism. Putin's invasion is the latest in a long line of aggressive and illegal attacks on Ukraine's sovereignty. The escalating tactics that the Russian military is employing against Ukraine's military and civilians alike are in keeping with a long line of atrocities. As Amnesty International's secretary general recently put it, “The history of Russia's military interventions, be it in Ukraine or Syria or its military campaign at home in Chechnya, is tainted with blatant disregard for international humanitarian law.”
The Russian military repeatedly flouted the laws of war by failing to protect civilians and even by attacking them directly. Russian forces have launched indiscriminate attacks, used banned weapons and sometimes deliberately targeted civilians and civilian objects, a war crime.
While Russia's government and military and, above all, its president deserve our complete condemnation, it is vital that we recognize that the Russian people are far from united in this war. Many of them are showing incredible bravery by standing up to Putin and saying no to war.
Tens of thousands of ordinary Russians have stood up against this brutal war in the streets of cities across Russia, from St. Petersburg to Vladivostok. Night after night, they have flooded into city squares to call on the government to withdraw its troops from Ukraine and leave its people in peace. These brave protesters have put their freedom and their physical safety on the line to say no to war and no to Putin. The growing number of Russians who are bravely protesting against this authoritarian government understand a fundamental truth about this invasion: This is Putin's war.
To stop it, we must act aggressively with sanctions not only against Vladimir Putin himself, but also the wealthy class of oligarchs who support his rule over Russia. I strongly agree with the member for Burnaby South and experts like Bill Browder that the only way to truly deter them is by seizing the wealth they have hoarded from Russian people and stashed abroad in tax havens and luxury real estate.
Canada must immediately expand our sanctions and target the assets of Russia's ultrawealthy and act decisively to ban their financial transactions here in Canada and across the globe. We must ensure that those in Putin's inner circle are not able to hoard their wealth in luxury real estate in Canadian places like Vancouver and Toronto.
Even after the invasion of Ukraine, many oligarchs with well-documented ties to Putin's regime are not the subject of Magnitsky sanctions. This must change and it must change now.
Canada cannot stop there. We must do everything in our power to ensure that Ukrainians fleeing this horrific war find a safe haven here in Canada. Even before Putin's invasion, Ukraine was already facing a truly massive refugee crisis. According to the Ministry of Social Policy of Ukraine, approximately one and a half million people were internally displaced after fleeing the conflict in Donbass and from Russian-occupied Crimea. Now, thanks to Russia's invasion, millions more refugees are fleeing Russian air strikes, missile attacks and military columns. They need our help, and they need it now.
As the proud home to the largest Ukrainian diaspora in the world, Canadians, including my constituents in Edmonton Griesbach, are ready to step up, but the reality is that the federal government can do much more as well. Despite years of calls from the Ukrainian community and the NDP, Ukrainians still do not have visa-free access to Canada. This must change. Ensuring that Ukrainians have visa-free access to Canada is truly the bare minimum, but IRCC's response today at the foreign affairs committee on the visa requirements was not encouraging. When asked about the Ukrainian visa requirements, the director general of immigration program guidance at IRCC said, “We're going to continue to look for ways as the situation evolves to make that facilitated, but the Ukrainian visa requirement is not currently under review.” This is not acceptable.
The Liberal government needs to immediately remove the Ukrainian visa requirement. While Putin was amassing troops in Belarus and on the borders of Ukraine, my colleague the member for Edmonton Strathcona and I wrote to the Minister of Immigration urging him to take action to prioritize family reunification and ensure that Ukrainians are not caught in the years-long IRCC backlog. IRCC has been broken for years and now more than ever. We need a massive investment in human resources and personnel to process the many people who are fleeing wars and seeking safe haven in Canada.
While we must act decisively to ensure that Ukrainians find refuge in Canada in the coming days and weeks, we must not also turn our backs on those who have already been fleeing from wars in other regions. In particular, I am thinking of the people of Afghanistan. The House should not forget that the fall of Kabul took place just over six months ago and Afghan people who fled the Taliban are extremely vulnerable. Canada must make sure we have the resources to help everyone who is fleeing conflict.
I want to thank my hon. colleagues from all parties in the House. What I have witnessed this evening has been truly a pleasure to see. When the world needs Canada, this House is united in doing what is right. Although there is much work ahead, I remain hopeful that our unity here will ensure Ukraine's freedom, sovereignty and security.
Lastly, it is in the spirit of hope and unity that I want to share with the House what I experienced just three days ago. I stood at the Alberta legislature with Ukrainians from across Alberta. There were Ukrainian friends like Marni from my community who are in pain but whose strength has shone through these truly dark times. I heard the Ukrainian national anthem. It touched my heart and I was moved by the many who joined in the beautiful harmony, the song of a people united and strong, as we all must be here in the coming weeks.
“Upon us, fellow kin, fate shall smile once more.”
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