{"time": "2007-02-26 18:35:00", "attribution": {"en": "Hon. Helena Guergis (Secretary of State (Foreign Affairs and International Trade) (Sport), CPC)", "fr": ""}, "content": {"en": "

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the hon. member for Pickering\u2014Scarborough East for raising this case.

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As the member knows full well, when Canadian citizens find themselves detained or imprisoned abroad, the Government of Canada has a responsibility to ensure that they are treated fairly and afforded due process. While the member opposite attempts to get his face on television at every possible chance to extol his supposed knowledge, the officials at the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade use every opportunity available to them to assist their fellow Canadians who find themselves in distress.

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Ms. Martin's case has been accorded the same high level of importance and professionalism that we give to all consular cases. Her situation is well known to our consular staff in Mexico and they have provided her with consular assistance from the moment her case was brought to their attention in February 2006.

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Consular staff in Ottawa, Mexico and Guadalajara have been and continue to be very active on this case. Our officials have visited her in prison on several occasions. They have maintained regular contact with her family, facilitated the transfer of funds and liaised with Mexican officials in regard to her case.

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As the member also knows, when a Canadian is arrested outside of Canada, he or she is subject to the laws and regulations of the host country. The Government of Canada cannot influence the judicial process of a sovereign nation, just as we would not allow another country to attempt to influence our judiciary. We must always work within the judicial system of the country in question and find a means to assist Canadians.

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As the hon. member knows, despite his blustering and media based motives, Canada cannot get directly involved in legal matters concerning Canadians arrested or detained abroad. The hon. member does not have to take my word for it. He could listen to his parliamentary neighbour, the Liberal member for Scarborough\u2014Agincourt, who said on February 12, 2007 in the Toronto Star:

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Foreign Affairs and its consular affairs bureau have no authority to investigate crimes in another country, just as foreign police have no authority in cases under domestic investigation in Canada.

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However, we can confirm that Ms. Martin has legal counsel who will represent her case within the Mexican legal system.

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If the hon. member for Pickering\u2014Scarborough East has in his possession legal and authenticated documents that could help Ms. Martin as he suggested in his question, I would urge him not to play politics with Ms. Martin's life. He should not delay the dispatch of these important documents to play political games in this House. Rather he should deliver them to the consular affairs bureau of the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade so that they may be sent to Ms. Martin's legal counsel in Mexico, or perhaps he could even give them to me. I cannot for the life of me understand why he would hold on to them for so long.

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That being said, he should be aware that the documents may not be accepted by the Mexican legal system if they are not deemed to have been obtained through proper legal and administrative channels.

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Over the last many weeks the member and others in his caucus have played fast and loose with the lives of Canadians who are subject to foreign legal systems. Despite his political game playing, this government takes its consular matters very seriously. When Canadians need help and the hon. member's first response is to go on television, Canadians should watch out. They can rest assured that while he is talking the talk, it is our officials who are walking the walk.

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While the member wishes to play politics, I wish to assure the House that the Department of Foreign Affairs affords Ms. Martin's case its highest priority. We will do everything possible within our power to assist in her situation.

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While the party opposite has a track record of 13 years of silence and inaction, this government already has a reputation for getting things done.

", "fr": "

Monsieur le Pr\u00e9sident, je remercie le d\u00e9put\u00e9 de Pickering\u2014Scarborough-Est d'avoir soulev\u00e9 ce cas.

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Comme le d\u00e9put\u00e9 le sait tr\u00e8s bien, quand des citoyens canadiens sont d\u00e9tenus ou emprisonn\u00e9s \u00e0 l'\u00e9tranger, le gouvernement du Canada a la responsabilit\u00e9 de veiller \u00e0 ce qu'ils soient trait\u00e9s \u00e9quitablement et \u00e0 ce qu'ils b\u00e9n\u00e9ficient de l'application r\u00e9guli\u00e8re de la loi. Alors que le d\u00e9put\u00e9 d'en face tente de passer \u00e0 la t\u00e9l\u00e9vision chaque fois qu'il en a la chance pour \u00e9taler ses pr\u00e9tendues connaissances, les fonctionnaires du minist\u00e8re des Affaires \u00e9trang\u00e8res et du Commerce international profitent de chaque occasion qui s'offre \u00e0 eux pour aider leurs compatriotes en d\u00e9tresse.

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Le cas de Mme Martin a \u00e9t\u00e9 trait\u00e9 avec le m\u00eame haut niveau d'importance et de professionnalisme que tous les autres cas relevant des affaires consulaires. Notre personnel consulaire \u00e0 Mexico est au courant de la situation de Mme Martin et lui a fourni de l'aide consulaire d\u00e8s qu'il a \u00e9t\u00e9 inform\u00e9 de son cas en f\u00e9vrier 2006.

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Les membres du personnel consulaire \u00e0 Ottawa, \u00e0 Mexico et \u00e0 Guadalajara continuent de travailler activement dans ce dossier. Nos repr\u00e9sentants l'ont visit\u00e9e en prison \u00e0 plusieurs reprises. Ils ont maintenu des contacts r\u00e9guliers avec sa famille, facilit\u00e9 des transferts de fonds et assur\u00e9 la liaison avec les responsables mexicains en ce qui concerne son cas.

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Comme le d\u00e9put\u00e9 le sait aussi, quand un Canadien est arr\u00eat\u00e9 \u00e0 l'ext\u00e9rieur du Canada, il est assujetti aux lois et aux r\u00e8glements du pays h\u00f4te. Le gouvernement du Canada ne peut influencer le processus judiciaire d'un pays souverain, tout comme nous ne permettrions pas \u00e0 un autre pays de tenter d'influencer notre syst\u00e8me judiciaire. Nous devons collaborer avec le syst\u00e8me judiciaire du pays en question et trouver une fa\u00e7on d'aider les Canadiens.

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Comme le d\u00e9put\u00e9 le sait, malgr\u00e9 ses fanfaronnades et ses aspirations m\u00e9diatiques, le Canada ne peut intervenir directement dans les affaires l\u00e9gales concernant des Canadiens arr\u00eat\u00e9s ou d\u00e9tenus \u00e0 l'\u00e9tranger. Le d\u00e9put\u00e9 n'a pas \u00e0 me croire sur parole. Il pourrait \u00e9couter son voisin, le d\u00e9put\u00e9 lib\u00e9ral de Scarborough\u2014Agincourt, qui a d\u00e9clar\u00e9 le 12 f\u00e9vrier 2007 au Toronto Star:

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Les Affaires \u00e9trang\u00e8res et la Direction g\u00e9n\u00e9rale des affaires consulaires ne peuvent enqu\u00eater sur des crimes \u00e0 l'\u00e9tranger, de la m\u00eame fa\u00e7on que les corps policiers \u00e9trangers n'ont aucun pouvoir dans les affaires sous enqu\u00eate au Canada.

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Cependant, nous pouvons confirmer que Mme Martin a un avocat pour la repr\u00e9senter devant la justice mexicaine.

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Si le d\u00e9put\u00e9 de Pickering\u2014Scarborough-Est a en sa possession des documents juridiques authentifi\u00e9s qui pourraient aider Mme Martin, comme il a sembl\u00e9 l'indiquer dans sa question, je l'invite fortement \u00e0 ne pas de servir de la vie de Mme Martin comme d'un jouet politique. Il devrait communiquer ces documents importants sans d\u00e9lai plut\u00f4t que de s'en servir pour faire de la politique dans cette enceinte. Il devrait les transmettre \u00e0 la Direction g\u00e9n\u00e9rale des affaires consulaires du minist\u00e8re des Affaires \u00e9trang\u00e8res et du Commerce international, de mani\u00e8re \u00e0 ce qu'ils soient envoy\u00e9s \u00e0 l'avocat de Mme Martin au Mexique. Ou encore, il veut peut-\u00eatre me les remettre. Je ne peux pas m'imaginer qu'il tienne \u00e0 les conserver tout ce temps.

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Toutefois, il doit \u00eatre conscient que les documents pourraient ne pas \u00eatre admissibles dans le syst\u00e8me judiciaire du Mexique si on juge qu'ils n'ont pas \u00e9t\u00e9 obtenus par des voies l\u00e9gales ou conformes aux r\u00e8gles administratives.

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Au cours des derni\u00e8res semaines, le d\u00e9put\u00e9 et d'autres membres de son caucus ont jou\u00e9 aux d\u00e9s avec les vies de Canadiens ayant des d\u00e9m\u00eal\u00e9s avec la justice \u00e0 l'\u00e9tranger. Contrairement \u00e0 ce d\u00e9put\u00e9, le gouvernement ne joue pas de jeu politique et prend les affaires consulaires tr\u00e8s au s\u00e9rieux. Lorsque des Canadiens ont besoin d'aide et que la premi\u00e8re r\u00e9action du d\u00e9put\u00e9 est de se pr\u00e9senter \u00e0 la t\u00e9l\u00e9vision, la population devrait s'interroger. Mais, elle peut tout de m\u00eame compter sur nos fonctionnaires pour agir pendant qu'il ne fait que parler.

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Tandis que le d\u00e9put\u00e9 privil\u00e9gie les jeux politiques, j'aimerais assurer la Chambre que le minist\u00e8re des Affaires \u00e9trang\u00e8res accorde au cas de Mme Martin la plus haute importance. Nous allons faire tout notre possible pour l'aider.

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Le parti d'en face a peut-\u00eatre un bilan de 13 ann\u00e9es de silence et d'inaction, mais le gouvernement actuel n'a pas perdu de temps pour se donner la r\u00e9putation de gouvernement qui agit.

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