It's not every day that Foreign Affairs Minister Stéphane Dion gives a thumbs-down gesture in the House of Commons and it causes an uproar. However, on Thursday Dion began heckling and delivered the gesture while St.
It's not every day that Foreign Affairs Minister Stéphane Dion gives a thumbs-down gesture in the House of Commons and it causes an uproar.
However, on Thursday Dion began heckling and delivered the gesture while St. Albert's Conservative MP Michael Cooper was presenting a members' statement.
Cooper was attempting to put pressure on Prime Minster Trudeau and the Liberal government to speed up efforts to bring home four abducted children from the Azer family.
Alison Azer, mother of the children ranging from four to 12, was sitting in the public gallery at the time and later said she felt “disrespected and dishonoured.”
Initially Dion refused to apologize even when Conservative MP Ed Fast called the action “offensive.”
A day later on Friday, the liberal minister apologized to Azer during a Commons session.
“I am sorry that some interpreted it to be directed at Madame Azer. It was obviously not the case,” Dion said. “I have nothing but compassion for Madame Azer and I cannot imagine the anguish she must go through.”
Later that day, Cooper stated, “Alison has accepted the minister's apology. If it's good enough for Alison, it's good enough for me. However, I am disappointed the minister took so long to apologize.”
Dion also noted that the gesture was directed at Cooper, who he believes was playing politics with the Azer case.
“It's not a partisan issue. It's a Canadian issue and I was disappointed how Dion made it a partisan issue,” Cooper replied.
“This is a complicated issue and I believe the minister wants to see the children home. Prime Minister Trudeau met with Alison in May and said that the file was on his desk. It's been five months later and nothing.”
In Toronto on Friday, Trudeau stated that the government is doing everything it can to have the children handed back to Canada from northern Iran. They are living with their father, a medical doctor.
He also said the case is complex because of the former Conservative government's decision to cease diplomatic ties with Iran and shut down the Canadian embassy in Tehran.
Despite the hurdles, Cooper said, “I will continue to stay in touch with Alison and I will continue to put pressure on the government until the children are brought back.”
The abduction first came to light in Aug. 2015 after RCMP officers alerted Azer that her ex-husband had not boarded a return flight to Canada with the children from a European vacation. Instead he flew them to Iraq and later Iran.
Dr. Azer was placed on an Interpol Red Notice, and in June, Iranian officials detained him on four counts of child abduction. The charges were later dropped leading Alison Azer to accuse the Canadian government of mishandling the case.
