Speech (House debate)

{
    "time": "2017-03-20 23:30:00",
    "attribution": {
        "en": "Mr. Raj Saini (Kitchener Centre, Lib.)",
        "fr": "M. Raj Saini (Kitchener-Centre, Lib.)"
    },
    "content": {
        "en": "<p data-HoCid=\"4808026\" data-originallang=\"en\">Mr. Chair, I am proud to rise today to speak in favour of our government's extension of Operation Unifier. In the face of ongoing Russian military aggression and illegal occupation, our government remains steadfast in Canada's commitment to the Ukrainian people. Our special relationship with Ukraine is bolstered by a shared vision, one in which the Ukrainian people have succeeded in their work to build a more secure, stable, and prosperous country, and one in which Ukraine is free from Russian aggression. We have been among the strongest international supporters of Ukraine's efforts to restore stability and to implement democratic and economic reforms. Canada was also one of the first countries to impose sanctions on the Russian government after its illegal invasion and annexation of Crimea in 2014. The current government has continued to uphold this tough stance on Russia when it expanded sanctions against specific Russian officials. These officials include the so-called elected representatives to the Duma from Crimea, individuals who have absolutely no business being there. Furthermore, since January 2014, the Government of Canada has announced over $700 million in assistance to Ukraine. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"4808027\" data-originallang=\"en\">This effort to support Ukraine through this important period of transition is a non-partisan commitment, and I would like to take a moment to thank the previous government for its work on this very important file. As we work to support Ukraine, military assistance will remain a key component of our country's commitment to Ukraine across development, security, democracy, and humanitarian aid.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"4808028\" data-originallang=\"en\"> For those who may not be familiar with Operation Unifier, I would like to take a moment to talk about what Canada's contribution to military aid in Ukraine looks like. Operation Unifier is a multinational joint support mission, which currently includes approximately 200 Canadian Armed Forces personnel. Canada's main focus is on tactical soldier training. As of December 2016, the Canadian Armed Forces has provided more than 3,200 training opportunities to UAF soldiers and officers on Operation Unifier. Many of the Canadians deployed are veterans of the war in Afghanistan and are now involved in training UAF personnel, including some coming directly from the front line in the eastern Ukrainian region of Donbass. The impact of the training efforts of these Canadian soldiers has been commendable, and I would like to take a moment to recognize and thank these soldiers who are hard at work for Canada, helping to build a better, more stable, and more secure world.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"4808029\" data-originallang=\"en\">There are those who would dismiss the notion that Canada is undertaking a training role, as if that role were unimportant. I would like to draw down into one specific training element that our forces will be assisting with. Canadian forces will be training Ukrainian forces on explosive ordinance disposal and improvised explosive device disposal training. This might seem like a small thing to some, but it is a critically important skill. Let me provide some context. According to the 2016 annual report from the <em>Landmine Monitor</em>, Ukrainian government forces claim that they are forced to deal with the deployment of land mines and other illegal devices in Ukraine. Someone other than the Ukrainian government is deploying land mines in Ukrainian territory. Let me quote from the report: </p>\n<blockquote><p data-HoCid=\"4808030\" data-originallang=\"en\"> In November 2015, an officer from the General Staff informed soldiers that separatist NSAGs were using landmines attached to fish hooks and fishing lines to snag the clothing of soldiers as they moved through wooded areas, thereby detonating nearby mines. </p>\n</blockquote><p data-HoCid=\"4808031\" data-originallang=\"en\">Numerous reports from the past few years have indicated that land mines and other illegal devices have had devastating consequences upon the civilian population in Ukraine as well. In March 2015, it was reported that over the previous year at least 42 children had been killed and 109 more were injured by mines in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions of eastern Ukraine alone. Given Canada's proud history of supporting the eradication of land mines, it is extremely fitting and important that we engage in these kinds of training activities.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"4808032\" data-originallang=\"en\">I am proud of our government's commitment to engage on the world stage, from its commitment of $650 million to assist with a global initiative to make up for the funding cuts to newborn and maternal health that have come from the recent global gag order to our contributions to the fifth Replenishment Conference on the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. That is why I am so proud we have chosen to extend our contribution to Operation Unifier for an additional two years. </p>",
        "fr": "<p data-HoCid=\"4808026\" data-originallang=\"en\">Monsieur le pr\u00e9sident, je suis fier d'intervenir ce soir pour parler en faveur de la d\u00e9cision du gouvernement de prolonger l'op\u00e9ration Unifier. Devant l'agression militaire et l'occupation ill\u00e9gale russes, l'engagement du gouvernement du Canada envers le peuple ukrainien est plus solide que jamais. La relation sp\u00e9ciale que le Canada entretient avec l'Ukraine prend appui sur une vision commune, dans laquelle le peuple ukrainien r\u00e9ussit \u00e0 b\u00e2tir un pays plus s\u00fbr, plus stable et plus prosp\u00e8re et dans laquelle l'Ukraine est \u00e0 l'abri de toute agression russe. Le Canada fait partie des pays qui appuient le plus fermement les efforts d\u00e9ploy\u00e9s par l'Ukraine en vue de r\u00e9tablir la stabilit\u00e9 du pays et de mettre en oeuvre des r\u00e9formes d\u00e9mocratiques et \u00e9conomiques. Le Canada a aussi \u00e9t\u00e9 l'un des premiers pays \u00e0 imposer des sanctions au gouvernement russe apr\u00e8s qu'il a envahi et annex\u00e9 ill\u00e9galement la Crim\u00e9e, en 2014. Le gouvernement actuel a maintenu la ligne dure envers la Russie en imposant des sanctions contre d'autres responsables russes, dont les soi-disant repr\u00e9sentants \u00e9lus de la Crim\u00e9e \u00e0 la Douma, des individus qui ne devraient absolument pas remplir ces fonctions. De surcro\u00eet, depuis janvier 2014, le gouvernement du Canada a annonc\u00e9 une aide de plus de 700 millions de dollars \u00e0 l'Ukraine.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"4808027\" data-originallang=\"en\">Cet effort visant \u00e0 appuyer l'Ukraine pendant son importante transition est un engagement non partisan, et je veux prendre un instant pour remercier le gouvernement pr\u00e9c\u00e9dent de son travail sur ce dossier tr\u00e8s important. Dans le cadre de nos efforts pour appuyer l'Ukraine, l'aide militaire demeurera un aspect cl\u00e9 de l'engagement du Canada envers ce pays sur le plan du d\u00e9veloppement, de la s\u00e9curit\u00e9, de la d\u00e9mocratie et de l'aide humanitaire.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"4808028\" data-originallang=\"en\"> Pour ceux qui ne seraient peut-\u00eatre pas au courant de l'op\u00e9ration Unifier, j'aimerais prendre un instant pour parler de la contribution du Canada \u00e0 l'aide militaire en Ukraine. L'op\u00e9ration Unifier est une mission multinationale de soutien interarm\u00e9es qui comprend actuellement environ 200 membres des Forces arm\u00e9es canadiennes. Le Canada vise surtout \u00e0 offrir aux soldats un entra\u00eenement tactique. En date de d\u00e9cembre 2016, les Forces arm\u00e9es canadiennes ont offert plus de 3 200 possibilit\u00e9s d'entra\u00eenement aux soldats et aux officiers des forces arm\u00e9es ukrainiennes dans le cadre de l'op\u00e9ration Unifier. Beaucoup des Canadiens d\u00e9ploy\u00e9s sont des anciens combattants de la guerre d'Afghanistan et participent maintenant \u00e0 l'entra\u00eenement de membres des forces arm\u00e9es ukrainiennes, y compris certains qui viennent directement du front dans la r\u00e9gion du Donbass dans l'Est de l'Ukraine. Les r\u00e9sultats des efforts d'entra\u00eenement de ces soldats canadiens sont louables, et j'aimerais prendre un instant pour reconna\u00eetre et remercier les soldats qui travaillent fort pour le Canada en aidant \u00e0 b\u00e2tir un monde meilleur, plus stable et plus s\u00e9curitaire.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"4808029\" data-originallang=\"en\">Certains balaient du revers de la main l'id\u00e9e que le Canada entreprenne un r\u00f4le de formation, comme si ce r\u00f4le \u00e9tait banal. J'aimerais attirer l'attention sur un \u00e9l\u00e9ment pr\u00e9cis de la formation auquel nos forces contribueront. Les forces canadiennes apprendront aux forces ukrainiennes \u00e0 neutraliser des explosifs et \u00e0 \u00e9liminer des engins explosifs improvis\u00e9s. C'est bien peu, pour certains, mais il s'agit d'une comp\u00e9tence essentielle. Mettons cela en contexte. Selon le rapport annuel de 2016 du <em>Landmine Monitor</em>, les forces du gouvernement ukrainien affirment \u00eatre aux prises avec le d\u00e9ploiement de mines terrestres et d'autres dispositifs ill\u00e9gaux en Ukraine. Une entit\u00e9 autre que le gouvernement ukrainien d\u00e9ploie des mines terrestres en territoire ukrainien. Je cite le rapport: </p>\n<blockquote><p data-HoCid=\"4808030\" data-originallang=\"en\"> En novembre 2015, un officier de l'\u00e9tat-major a inform\u00e9 les soldats que des groupes arm\u00e9s non \u00e9tatiques s\u00e9paratistes accrochent les v\u00eatements des soldats qui se d\u00e9placent dans les r\u00e9gions bois\u00e9es avec des hame\u00e7ons fix\u00e9s \u00e0 des lignes \u00e0 p\u00eache afin de faire d\u00e9toner des mines terrestres \u00e0 proximit\u00e9. </p>\n</blockquote><p data-HoCid=\"4808031\" data-originallang=\"en\">De nombreux rapports ces derni\u00e8res ann\u00e9es indiquent que les mines terrestres et autres dispositifs ill\u00e9gaux ont \u00e9galement des cons\u00e9quences d\u00e9vastatrices sur la population civile de l'Ukraine. En mars 2015, on apprenait qu'au cours de l'ann\u00e9e pr\u00e9c\u00e9dente, au moins 42 enfants ont \u00e9t\u00e9 tu\u00e9s et 109 autres ont \u00e9t\u00e9 bless\u00e9s par des mines rien que dans les r\u00e9gions de Donetsk et de Luhansk, dans l'Est de l'Ukraine. Compte tenu du fier bilan du Canada dans l'\u00e9radication des mines terrestres, il est fort \u00e0 propos et important que nous participions \u00e0 ce genre d'activit\u00e9s de formation.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"4808032\" data-originallang=\"en\">Je suis fier de la d\u00e9termination du gouvernement \u00e0 faire sa part sur la sc\u00e8ne internationale, depuis son engagement de 650 millions de dollars pour aider une initiative mondiale visant \u00e0 compenser les r\u00e9ductions de financement au chapitre de la sant\u00e9 des m\u00e8res et des nouveau-n\u00e9s d\u00e9coulant du r\u00e9cent b\u00e2illon mondial jusqu'\u00e0 sa contribution \u00e0 la cinqui\u00e8me conf\u00e9rence de reconstitution du Fonds mondial de lutte contre le SIDA, la tuberculose et le paludisme. Voil\u00e0 pourquoi je suis si fier que nous ayons choisi de prolonger de deux autres ann\u00e9es notre contribution \u00e0 l'op\u00e9ration Unifier.</p>"
    },
    "url": "/debates/2017/3/20/raj-saini-1/",
    "politician_url": "/politicians/raj-saini/",
    "politician_membership_url": "/politicians/memberships/4312/",
    "procedural": false,
    "source_id": "9431848",
    "h1": {
        "en": "Government Orders",
        "fr": "Initiatives minist\u00e9rielles"
    },
    "h2": {
        "en": "Operation UNIFIER",
        "fr": "L'op\u00e9ration Unifier"
    },
    "document_url": "/debates/2017/3/20/",
    "related": {
        "document_speeches_url": "/speeches/?document=%2Fdebates%2F2017%2F3%2F20%2F"
    }
}