Mr. Robert Oliphant (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Lib.)

Mr. Speaker, it is a privilege. Everyone in this House by their presence and by their applause represents the idea that we stand with Irwin Cotler, who has been a defender of human rights, civil rights and justice around the world. We send our support from this side of the House to Mr. Cotler and convey it from the other side of the House as well.

Mr. Robert Oliphant (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Lib.)

Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives simply do not know what they are talking about. Our government saw the consequences of the horrendous quota deal they accepted on softwood lumber.

Our government will continue to vigorously defend our industry and its workers against protectionist trade measures accepted by the Conservatives. We are continuing our legal challenges against the U.S. duties through NAFTA and through the WTO, where Canadian softwood has always won in the past, and we will win again.

Our government will always defend our workers and this industry.

Mr. Robert Oliphant (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Lib.)

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Foreign Affairs is responsible for the delivery of consular services to Canadians abroad. When Canadians are arrested or detained abroad, one of the core principles of Canada's consular services is to ensure that they are treated fairly, in accordance with the rights and standards of the host country.

Protecting consular clients' privacy is paramount. Consular officers are required to comply with the parameters established under the Privacy Act. That is why the government can often only share very limited information with the public in consular cases.

As the Prime Minister and the Minister of Foreign Affairs have very clearly stated, the Government of Canada is not only following but is very engaged in the case of Andre Gauthier, who was extradited from Oman to the United Arab Emirates.

The parliamentary secretary for consular affairs has already advised the House that consular services have been provided to Mr. Gauthier and to his family throughout this case. The Minister of Foreign Affairs and her parliamentary secretary are personally engaged on this case. They have both spoken directly with the family to reassure them of our continued support and our vigilance on this case.

Further, the parliamentary secretary has spoken directly with senior-level foreign officials. She continues to receive frequent updates on Mr. Gauthier's case. In addition, the Consulate General of Canada in Dubai has been engaged on Mr. Gauthier's case from the very outset and is actively working on it. Our officials in the UAE are in close contact with local Emirati authorities.

As the member indicated, Canada has a strong and positive relationship with the United Arab Emirates. We respect, as well, the sovereignty of its legal system. In this context, Canada will continue to convey our humanitarian and compassionate concerns regarding Mr. Gauthier's situation to the Government of the UAE.

In closing, I would like to emphasize that the safety and security of every Canadian is of the utmost importance to the Government of Canada, as is ensuring that the rights afforded by foreign jurisdictions are fully respected in cases that involve our citizens, including Mr. Gauthier.

The Government of Canada's efforts and our diplomatic engagement on this case will continue to focus on these issues as we hold his family, his friends and the people who love him in our hearts and our minds, as we engage in this important case.

Mr. Robert Oliphant (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Lib.)

Mr. Speaker, when the United States government imposed tariffs, we stood up for the Canadian economy, we stood up for steel and aluminum workers and we stood up for their families. We immediately retaliated dollar for dollar with Canada's strongest trade action since World War II. Despite calls by Doug Ford and the the Conservative leader to back down, we stood firm.

We have the tariffs lifted. We have a good deal, and we are now able to ratify it and continue this process.

Mr. Robert Oliphant (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Lib.)

Mr. Speaker, unlike the Conservatives, we know how important it is to stand up for Canadian workers.

The American tariffs were lifted because we imposed significant counter-measures, despite calls from the Conservatives to lift them.

In November, the member for Durham said that our counter-measures were dumb and that they should be removed.

If we had listened to the Conservatives, there would still be tariffs on Canadian steel.