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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“Ukraine is under attack. The sound of war reverberates throughout the whole world. The Canadian government has long condemned Russia’s incursion into Ukraine. Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity must be respected and Ukrainian people must be free to determine their own future,” said Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in his opening remarks.
“This invasion is unjust, unprovoked and illegal, and as I’ve said before, Russia will be held accountable.”
The prime minister proceeded to list off the series of sanctions the government has levied against Russian elites and institutions.
He also commended the Ukrainian people for their bravery, including President Volodymyr Zelensky.
“We are all deeply inspired by his courage and by the courage of his compatriots as well. President Putin clearly underestimated the courage and the resilience of the Ukrainian people,” Trudeau said.
Interim Conservative Leader Candice Bergen reflected on the crisis, calling it the “most serious threat to the rules-based order since 1945.”
She said while the Conservative Party “fully supports” the government’s actions thus far, they want to see more out of Ottawa.
“First, we are urging the federal government to expel Russian’s ambassador from Canada right away. Second, we are asking the government to recall Canada’s ambassador to Moscow. Thirdly, we ask the government to direct the CRTC to revoke the licence of Russia Today so that Putin propaganda’s machine can no longer reach Canadian homes,” she said.
The government announced earlier in the day that they’ll be calling on the CRTC to review the state-owned broadcaster’s presence on Canadian airwaves, while some major players have proactively begun to remove RT.
Bergen also said the party would like to see a concrete plan to defend Canada’s Artic – an objective laid out in the foreign affairs minister’s mandate letter.
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh expressed his condxjmtzywemnation of the invasion and leaned into the party’s desire to see a “visa-free” immigration process for Ukrainians.
Since the conflict began, Canada has processed nearly 4,000 applications.
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 Conservative MP Michael 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 international 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
