On Parliament Hill

In Canada we are blessed with peace and prosperity. However, as we all know, the story is very different in Ukraine right now.

I had the opportunity to stand in the House of Commons last week to speak on Ukraine. I shared a story about a gentleman that I spoke to earlier in the week who had been in Ukraine recently. Upon learning that he was Canadian, the Ukrainian people expressed their sincere appreciation and thankfulness for the support that Canada has given to Ukraine.

In particular, there were three things they were thankful for.

• They said they were thankful for our prayers;
• They were thankful for our support on the international stage;
• And finally, they were thankful to Canada for supplying their troops with flak jackets.

To quote directly what one of the individuals said; “We provide our troops with food and clothing to keep them warm and fed, but you Canadians supply them with flak jackets and body armour, which makes sure that our sons and husbands come home at night.”

That sort of says it all.

I’m proud that our Conservative Government continues to stand by the Ukrainian people in their struggle to restore political and economic stability.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper has made Ukraine a priority. He was the first G7 leader to visit Ukraine in the current crisis.

The Prime Minister attended the swearing-in ceremony of President Petro Poroshenko, and our government has deployed military equipment that will provide physical and medical protection to those on the front lines against the insurgency.

Canada is deploying approximately 200 Canadian Armed Forces personnel to help train Ukrainian personnel, so they can better defend their country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Canada has also been a leader in condemning Russia’s illegal occupation of Crimea and the illegitimate referendum that took place thereafter. Prime Minister Harper’s leadership within the G7 helped ensure Russia’s expulsion from the G8, and we have imposed economic sanctions and travel bans on top Russian officials.

And, just last week, our Conservative Government announced an additional $15 Million for humanitarian assistance which will be provided to respond to the immediate needs of crisis-affected Ukrainians. This assistance includes improved access to water, shelter and health, hygiene and protection services.

I was proud to stand up in the House of Commons in support of Ukraine and I stand with our government in its continuing efforts to work with our international partners to help ensure Ukraine’s borders are respected and Ukrainians are able to determine the future of their country.