I’m so pleased that the all-party Canada-Ukraine Parliamentary Friendship Group has endorsed my bill, C-306.
Bill C-306 condemns a dark chapter in history and renews Canada’s principled stance in support of freedom, democracy and the rule of law.
Read the full text of Bill C-306 here: http://www.parl.gc.ca/content/hoc/Bills/421/Private/C-306/C-306_1/C-306_1.PDF
In the short time since I introduced Bill C-306, I’m honoured to have received messages of support from Canadian groups, Tatar leaders and individuals from across the country and abroad.
Here’s a copy of the support letters that I have received from:
- Rustem Irsay – President of the Canadian Association of Crimean Tatars;
- Orest Steciw – National President of the League of Ukrainian Canadians;
- Mustafa Jemilev – Commissioner of the President of Ukraine for the Affairs of Crimean Tatars;
- and Refat Chubarov – People’s Deputy of Ukraine Chair of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People.
Visit here to read the full text of Bill C-306: http://www.parl.gc.ca/HousePublications/Publication.aspx?Language=E&Mode=1&DocId=8446568
Today, I had the honour to begin the debate in the House of Commons on my Private Member’s Bill, Bill C-306 – the Crimean Tatar Deportation (“Sürgünlik”) Memorial Day Act.
This Act would recognize the mass deportations of Crimean Tatars in 1944 by the Soviet regime as genocide and establish May 18 as a day of commemoration.
In 2015, the Parliament of Ukraine officially recognized the deportations of 1944 as genocide. Subsequently, they called on other countries to join them in recognizing this atrocity as genocide.
Canada has long-been a defender of human rights and the rule of law. As a loyal friend to Ukraine, now is the time to respond to that call.
This Bill is important today because we cannot separate the deportations of 1944 and Russia’s theft of Crimea from Ukraine 70 years later.