(OTTAWA) – On Jan. 14 at a town hall in London, Ont., a media report stated Prime Minister Justin Trudeau claimed that all parties in the House of Commons had agreed that a $15-billion armoured vehicle contract with Saudi Arabia should be upheld, despite Saudi Arabia’s human rights violations in Yemen.
The Prime Minister is mistaken. In fact, Elizabeth May, Leader of the Green Party of Canada (MP, Saanich-Gulf Islands), asked the House of Commons last March for unanimous consent to pass a motion to raise attention to the alarming deterioration of the humanitarian situation in Yemen and to acknowledge Saudi Arabia’s violation of international law. At the time, Ms. May called on the government to end its complicity with these abuses by supplying Saudi forces with Canadian-made armoured vehicles.
“Canada cannot justify selling combat vehicles or any arms to the authors of such destruction," May said on March 9, 2016.
In future, the Green Party of Canada asks Prime Minister Trudeau to acknowledge its clear opposition to the $15-billion Saudi arms deal.
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For additional information or to arrange an interview, contact:
Dan Palmer
Press Secretary | Attaché de presse
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m: (613) 614-4916