News Release
Ottawa, April 3, 2007

On the initiative of MPs Réal Ménard, Omar Alghabra and Libby Davies and the Honourable Senator Lucie Pépin, a Canada-Palestine Parliamentary Association was founded on February 21, 2007, in Ottawa. The following parliamentarians were elected to the Association’s executive:

• Réal Ménard, Co-Chair, House of Commons
• Lucie Pépin, Co-Chair, Senate
• Omar Alghabra, Vice-President, House of Commons
• Jean-Claude Rivest, Vice-President, Senate
• Colleen Beaumier, Director
• Christiane Gagnon, Director
• Marcel Lussier, Director
• Wayne Marston, Director
• Ted Menzies, Director
• Yasmin Ratansi, Director
• Libby Davies, Secretary-Treasurer

The executive held its first meeting on March 21, 2007. The first task for its members is to fill the positions currently available on its executive.

Réal Ménard noted that “The Canada-Palestine Parliamentary Association has the following objectives: to foster discussion between Palestinian and Canadian parliamentarians; to suggest initiatives to foster a better understanding of issues of interest to both countries; to ensure that Canada’s foreign policy for the Middle East is in the best interests of the Palestinian people; to suggest measures contributing to fair and lasting peace in the middle East; and finally, to support all measures conducive to the establishment of a viable and sovereign Palestinian state.”

For her part, Senator Lucie Pépin noted that “the Canada-Palestine Parliamentary Association will be a vital tool in fostering solidarity, dialogue and reflection on the status of the Palestinian people.” She also invited all parliamentarians to join the new association.