QUESTION PERIOD — Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions
Conflict in Gaza Strip
March 21, 2024
She is a cabinet minister and I’m asking questions in regard to her actions and meetings she has in her capacity as a cabinet minister. Everything I’ve asked is within that realm of her responsibility.
Minister, can you please clarify for this chamber what’s happening with our military exports to Israel and how that is being received by our ally as well as by the families of the victims of October 7? Also, this relates directly to your role as Minister of Mental Health. In your Canadian Jewish News interview, you spoke about the trauma being felt by those families. What might you say to them about being retraumatized and revictimized by this government?
When it comes to arms exports, that is not my file. That is, as you well know, Minister Joly’s file. I’m sure she will be able to provide you with a fulsome answer.
With regard to the trauma experienced by Israelis on October 7, I had the opportunity to meet with First Lady Michal Herzog and many of the advocates that are now involved in the investigations of the weaponization and sexual violence on October 7 and with the hostages to which this government has pledged $1 million to work collaboratively with these organizations to ensure that justice prevails. Thank you.
Minister, when you participate in meetings with Minister Joly on behalf of the government, you’re not there, obviously, providing health care support to Mr. Abbas. You’re obviously there representing the government.
You and Ambassador Bob Rae recognized even as recently as yesterday that what’s happening in Nagorno-Karabakh to be ethnic cleansing of the Armenian people, yet our government — your government — is selling arms to Turkey that are being passed on to Azerbaijan to carry out that ethnic cleansing under the guise that Turkey is an ally.
My question is this: Is Israel not an ally or are we comparing what Azerbaijan is doing in Nagorno-Karabakh with Israel, which is defending the right to self-determination as a state?
Thank you for that question. This year, 75 years of allyship between Canada and Israel is being celebrated. Good friends speak to friends, which is exactly why the trip to the Middle East was so important at this time.
Respectfully, I am not responsible for the export regimes of this country in relation to others and I would defer to Minister Joly for comment. Thank you.
