Members of Parliament unanimously agreed to hold a take-note debate in the House of Commons on Monday evening, to discuss the ongoing Russian invasion in Ukraine and Canada’s response.
The Liberals proposed the special debate following calls from MPs on both sides of the chamber to have federal elected officials either hold a take-note or emergency debate—two options dedicating specific amounts of House time to pressing matters— as soon as possible.
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“Resolving the situation is critical for the international community. Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified war is not just an attack on Ukrainian people. It is an attack on the rules-based international order and the peace and security of Canada and its allies,” reads a weekend letter co-signed by several Liberal MPs asking for a take-note debate.
“Canadians are concerned about the ongoing invasion of Ukraine. Canada’s security is inextricably linked to Europe’s, as Canadians know well through two world wars. In addition, the ties between our countries are strong and deep, with 1.3 million Canadians tracing their roots back to Ukraine,” said Conservative MP Michael Chong in his letter to the Speaker asking for an emergency debate.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is scheduled to lead off the debate at 6:30 p.m. EST.
In another example of cross-party collaboration in the Commons on Monday, MPs on the House Foreign Affairs Committee passed a motion condemning Russian President Vladmir Putin and the Russian Federation for its “unjustified and unprovoked attack on Ukraine.”
The motion, advanced by Chong and built on by other MPs, is the first of its kind to condemn the Kremlin for its invasion.
It states in part that the move by Putin is “a clear violation of interxjmtzywnational law, the UN Charter, and the rights of Ukraine to sovereignty, territorial integrity, freedom and democracy,” and calls for the Canadian government to continue targeting Russian officials with punishing economic penalties and providing additional support to Ukraine.
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The flag of Ukraine is seen alongside Parliament Hill’s Peace Tower in Ottawa, on Saturday, Feb. 26, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang
