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Commemoration of the forced deportation of Crimean Tatars in 1944
6-21-2019
OTTAWA, ON – The Hon. Erin O’Toole, Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs and James Bezan, Shadow Minister for National Defence issued the following statement on recent political antics by the Liberals related to the commemoration of the forced deportation of Crimean Tatars in 1944:
“Conservatives have consistently stood with the Ukrainian and Crimean Tatar community in condemning the illegal occupation of Crimea by Russia and recognizing the historic injustices against the Crimean Tatar people. It has been deeply disappointing to witness the partisan politics of the Liberals on this issue. It is not only disrespectful to all those who have pushed for the memorialization of Sürgünlik over the past several years, but it undermines non-partisan advocacy related to religious freedom and international cooperation.
In 2016, Conservative MP Kerry Diotte introduced Bill C-306, An Act to establish a Crimean Tatar Deportation (“Sürgünlik”) Memorial Day and to recognize the mass deportation of the Crimean Tatars in 1944 as an act of genocide. MP Diotte worked closely with members of the Crimean Tartar diaspora, Ukrainian Canadian organizations and elected officials from various political parties on Bill C-306. Opposition parties in the House of Commons supported this important Bill but Liberal MPs used their majority to defeat it.
Three years after the Liberals killed Bill C-306, which would have carried the weight of being enshrined in law, Liberal MP Borys Wrzesnewskyj brought forward a non-binding motion related to Sürgünlik commemoration. He used his one opportunity this Parliament not to bring forward legislation to help Ukraine. Since MP Wrzesnewskyj has already announced his intention not to run in the coming election, bringing a motion for unanimous consent as this Parliament nears an end appears more to do with a desire to draw attention to himself and not to the importance of Sürgünlik commemoration. Given the position of the Liberal caucus on Bill C-306 and the lack of consultation, it is not surprising that the member did not have unanimous consent of the House of Commons.
The next Conservative government will pass a law establishing Sürgünlik Memorial Day and commemorating the sacrifice of Crimean Tatars during the Soviet era in a substantive manner similar to the intention of C-306. We will continue to condemn the Putin regime for their mistreatment of Ukrainians and for the illegal occupation of Ukraine’s sovereign territory.
Conservatives have a strong record of support for Ukraine. We passed the Holodomor legislation, introduced the Magnitsky Act, established Operation UNIFIER, led the way on removing Vladimir Putin from the G8, provided life-saving military equipment, advocated for lethal aid, and implemented the toughest sanctions regime against Putin. Conservatives will continue to stand shoulder to shoulder with Ukraine in its struggle for security and territorial integrity.”
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