41st PARLIAMENT, 1st SESSION
EDITED HANSARD • NUMBER 057
CONTENTS
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Hon. Ralph Goodale (Wascana, Lib.):
Mr. Speaker, prejudicial legal manoeuvring continues in the political persecution against former Ukrainian prime minister Tymoshenko. Now the judge, who was to hear her appeal tomorrow, has just been fired, and her health in jail continues to deteriorate.
Other governments are wading in. What is Canada doing? Is Canada insisting on all legal proceedings being public? Has independent medical help been provided, and has Ukraine been warned that anything untoward happening to Ms. Tymoshenko will damage relations with Canada?
Hon. John Baird (Minister of Foreign Affairs, CPC):
Mr. Speaker, this government has spoken out strongly against politically-based judicial proceedings. We are tremendously concerned by what we have seen in Ukraine. We have been very clear with the government of Ukraine that Canada, Canadians, and the Government of Canada expects that this individual will be treated fairly with an independent judicial process, and that there would be consequences to our bilateral relations if this does not happen.
We remain very concerned about her health and are certainly prepared to offer her anything we can to support her in that regard.
