SoVote

Context: House Hansard - 314 - May/22/24

Mr. Garnett Genuis (Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, CPC)

May/22/24 12:00:41 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, Conservatives have been relentlessly calling on the government for more than six years to recognize that the Iran regime-backed IRGC is indeed a terrorist organization and to shut down its operations in Canada. Indeed, as long as the IRGC remains off the terrorist list, this heinous organization can continue to operate, to be present, to fundraise and to recruit right here on Canadian soil. We have seen directly the impacts here in Canada and on Canadians associated with IRGC operations. This is why Conservatives have been persistently calling on the government to list the IRGC as a terrorist organization. We heard testimony at the Subcommittee on International Human Rights today about the IRGC. One particular point I want to highlight is that if we look at the Canadian terrorist list, we will actually see many organizations on that list that are backed by the IRGC. We will see Hamas, which is backed by the IRGC. We will see Hezbollah, which is backed and supported by the IRGC. We have well recognized the actions of the Assad regime, including gross violations of human rights; it is indeed backed by the IRGC. There are many different smaller, lesser-known and splinter-grade organizations. The Taliban, I should mention, also receives support from the IRGC. Many that are already recognized as terrorist groups are on our list, but the government has failed to sanction the mother ship, the IRGC, which is supporting and enabling all of these other terrorist organizations. It makes no sense that the government has failed to hold responsible that Iran regime-affiliated terrorist organization, which is really at the heart of so much of the carnage we have seen in the Middle East and in many other places. Six years ago, I put a motion before this House to list the IRGC as a terrorist organization and shut down its operations in this country. That motion passed. It was not unanimous, but it passed with the support of the government. Then, after the House voted to list the IRGC as a terrorist organization, the government failed to act. For a while, the Liberals said they were thinking about it. The government said, “It is under review, it is under discussion, it is being investigated.” It takes some time to list a terrorist organization. Maybe, in some cases, they have a month or a couple of months of reviewing the details, but in six years, the Liberals did nothing. They failed to list the IRGC in six years. In the intervening time, so much has happened. The Iranian regime was responsible for shooting down flight PS752, killing many Canadians and others with close connections to Canada. There was the murder of Jina Mahsa Amini and the launch of the Woman, Life, Freedom movement; and there are many other crimes we could list that the IRGC was responsible for. Therefore, a couple of weeks ago, we brought the same motion back to this House and, again, the government voted for it. It was amazing. The Liberals voted for it and they did nothing for six years. Then it came back and they voted for it again. This time, it was unanimous. The entire House voted to list the IRGC as a terrorist organization and to shut down its operations in Canada and yet, the Liberals still have done nothing. What shameless hypocrisy we see when the government votes repeatedly to list the IRGC as a terrorist organization and it fails to act. I will ask again and I hope I'll get an answer: Will the government finally list the IRGC as a terrorist organization? Will the Liberals do what they voted to do and shut down the—

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Context: House Hansard - 314 - May/22/24

Mrs. Élisabeth Brière (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development and to the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health, Lib.)

May/22/24 12:04:42 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, Canada is committed to holding the Iranian regime accountable for its terrorist activities and gross violations of human rights. The government is exploring all possible measures to constrain the activities of the Iranian regime, and recognizes its disregard for peace and stability in the region. The government uses multiple instruments and has measures in place to hold Iran accountable for its actions, including listing key entities and proxy actors pursuant to its Criminal Code terrorist-listing regime. In 2012, Canada listed the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' Qods Force as a terrorist entity. The Qods Force is known to be responsible for terrorist operations and for providing arms, funding and paramilitary training to other terrorist groups, including the Taliban, Hizballah, Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad. I would like to reiterate the various measures Canada is imposing against Iran and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, or IRGC. They include vigorous sanctions under the Special Economic Measures Act, or SEMA, explicitly targeting the IRGC, its leadership and several sub-organizations, including the IRGC air force and the air force missile command. To date, Canada has sanctioned 442 Iranian individuals and entities under SEMA. Since October 2022, Canada has imposed 16 rounds of sanctions under the act, targeting 153 individuals and 87 entities at all levels of Iran's security, intelligence and economic apparatus. These measures effectively freeze any assets that the listed individuals and entities may hold in Canada. Canada has also taken inadmissibility measures through Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, or IRCC, and the CBSA. For example, in November 2022, Canada designated Iran as a country that has engaged in terrorism and systematic and gross human rights violations under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, or IRPA. As a result, thousands of Iranian senior officials, including high-profile leaders, are now banned from entering Canada if they apply for a visa or seek to enter the country. Current and former senior officials who are here in Canada may be investigated and removed from the country. As of March 2024, approximately 17,800 applications had been reviewed for potential inadmissibility under the IRPA, and IRCC had cancelled 82 visas under the act. The CBSA had launched 86 investigations, and additional investigations were to be launched as new information became available. Forty-three investigations had been closed, and 13 individuals had been deemed inadmissible to Canada. Since June 2023, when Bill S-8, An Act to amend the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, received royal assent, the IRPA has been aligned with SEMA to ensure that all foreign nationals subject to sanctions under SEMA are also inadmissible to Canada. Finally, Canada lists Iran as a state supporter of terrorism under the State Immunity Act. This designation, together with the Justice for Victims of Terrorism Act, allows victims to bring civil actions against Iran for losses or damages relating to terrorism—

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Context: House Hansard - 314 - May/22/24

Mr. Garnett Genuis

May/22/24 12:08:45 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, what we have just seen shows the disdain the Liberal government has for the Iranian community and for all Canadians seeking freedom and justice. I asked a very specific question, which is whether the government will finally list the IRGC as a terrorist organization and shut down the operations in Canada. We received no answer. Instead, a parliamentary secretary read out a pre-prepared statement that in no way addressed the question. Now the parliamentary secretary who is answering my questions tonight is the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Families, Children and Social Development and Mental Health and Addictions. In other words, she has no responsibility in any way related to the file about which I am asking. It is hard to blame her as she has been put in this position. She has no responsibility for public safety or for foreign affairs. Of course, she cannot answer the question. It is not even an issue she is working on, but the people who are supposed to be working on this issue could not be bothered to show up to answer the question tonight. Again, will the government finally list the IRGC as a terrorist organization and shut down its operations? Yes or no?

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Context: House Hansard - 314 - May/22/24

Mrs. Élisabeth Brière

May/22/24 12:09:50 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, my answer is the same answer that my colleague would have received from any other parliamentary secretary. In terms of adding the IRGC to the list, I would like to point out that the Government of Canada could use listing as a terrorist entity under the Criminal Code as a way to respond to Iran's blatant contempt and gross violations. Moreover, the Government of Canada is committed to holding the Iranian regime and the IRGC accountable for their actions that support terrorism and for gross and systematic violations of human rights.

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