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QUESTION PERIOD — Foreign Affairs

United Nations Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons

April 28, 2022


Honourable senators, this is a question to Senator Gold. I want to revisit a previous question with some additional information. The question before was about whether Canada would form an observer delegation — as both Norway and Germany have indicated that they will — to observe, on behalf of Canada, the first meeting of the state parties to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, which, as you know, was activated last January.

We have been treated to the horror of clear statements by Vladimir Putin of the Russian Federation that there will be lightning-fast responses if countries like Canada continue to support Ukrainian people in resisting the aggression by Russia. That has included threats of the use of nuclear weapons.

Increasingly, we are seeing commentary from all sides, including NATO, taking the threat of nuclear war as something that is a very real threat.

So, Senator Gold, may I ask again whether, by chance, you’ve had any response to the previous question? If you haven’t, would you please give assurances that you will follow up with this?

Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate) [ - ]

Thank you for bringing this back to the chamber’s attention. Regrettably, I don’t have a response, but you do have my assurance that I will follow up and try to get one as quickly as I can.

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