In an interview to Phoenix News Media on 1st March 2013 regarding Sri Lanka, the Canadian MP for Mississauga-Streetsville, Brad Butt, reaffirmed Canada's commitment to "continue to put pressure on through international bodies, through the Commonwealth and other agencies that Canada is a partner", and made clear that whilst quiet diplomacy can work, "sometimes you have to raise the bar, and that's exactly what we are doing."
"As we learn more, we continue to step up," he added.
Extracts of Brad Butt's responses have been transcribed below:
"The Prime Minister has spoken out very loudly and clearly on this issue, so has our foreign affairs minister, John Baird. We continue to be concerned about the lack of accountability for the serious allegations of war crimes. We know that there has been work done by the UN, a number of other reports that you've mentioned, that the Canadian government is gravely concerned about.""From what I heard, the US government is stepping up their comments and their concerns as well on this issue, so we are starting to build a better international voice on this to make sure that these issues are well articulated."
"The Prime Minister in fact has said just this week in question period that if there wasn't more transparency, accountability, and responsibility, over these outstanding issues that we are still trying to get proper answers to, then the Prime Minister will not attend the Commonwealth conference in Sri Lanka this November."
"To state Canada's clear position, we are not satisfied with what we are hearing today. We continue to be gravely concerned and as we learn more we continue to step up, I think, our government's response to this by saying that these acts clearly aren't acceptable, and that we want to continue to put pressure on through international bodies, through the Commonwealth and other agencies that Canada is a partner, to state Canada's position, that we want clear answers to this and we want Sri Lankan government to play its role in making sure that there is a proper level of accountability and transparency."
"The communication I get from members of the Tamil community in Mississauga and the Greater Toronto area has been excellent. They have very much kept me and the parliamentarians in the loop with specific examples with stories that they are getting from friends and families who are still back in Sri Lanka. So I think we are very well informed, as parliamentarians and as a government as to what is happening, and we are listening, and we've been acting, and we've been speaking up at the United Nations and other bodies to make sure Canada's very active position on this is well articulated."
"The opposition leaders are concerned too. I think it is good that we are all standing together as a members of parliament. It was the opposition leader that asked the question earlier this week in the House and the Prime Minister responded. So we know that there [are] many MPs on both sides of the House that continue to be concerned, and continue to speak out."
"Quiet diplomacy often works extremely well in certain circumstances, I think that has been Canada's approach on this issue, although we are clearly stepping up our very strong stance on this issue, cos sometimes you have to raise the bar, and that's exactly what we are doing."
