MiH – April 30 – May 4, 2018

Foreign Affairs – Extradition of Hassan Diab

MP Matthew Dube (Beloeil-Chambly, QC) inquired about the extradition of Hassan Diab, a Canadian, to France and his subsequent return to Canada because the burden of proof for his extradition was so insufficient that it did not hold up in a French court. MP Chrystia Freeland, Minister of Foreign Affairs, responded that the current Canadian government advocated at every level for Mr. Diab’s return to Canada and are happy that he is back home but noted that the extradition occurred under the previous Conservative government with involvement of government officials at that time. The Canadian government is currently looking into extradition requests as it is an important matter.

Violence Against Women
MP Anne Minh-Thu Quach (Salaberry—Suroît, Quebec) raised the issue of insufficient funding to combat sexual assault on Canadian university campuses pointing to a UN report criticizing the government’s general inaction on the issue of violence against women. Prime Minister Trudeau responded by stating that the government understands the importance of tackling gender-based violence which is why budget 2018 allocates $5.5 million to improve access to on-campus centres for the prevention of sexual harassment and that the government has committed $86 million to develop a broader strategy to prevent and tackle gender-based violence.

Foreign Affairs: Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar
MP Cheryl Hardcastle (Windsor—Tecumseh) questioned what the government has done recently with respect to the Rohingya crisis, given that the final report on this issue by Bob Rae, Canada’s special envoy to Myanmar, calls for Canada’s increased leadership in providing humanitarian aid.

Somaliland
MP Chandra Ayra (Nepean, ON) noted the recent election of Muse Bihi Abdi as the president of Somaliland. MP Ayra commended Somaliland for their efforts to address gender based violence and the state’s commitment to reduce sexual violence. MP Ayra also thanked the Somali-Canadian community in Ottawa for its hard work and contributions to the community and for continuing to help foster the relationship between Canada and Somalia including Somaliland.