MP Laila Goodridge calls ban on entering Russia ‘a badge of honour’


Goodridge — along with almost every other Canadian MP from all parties represented in the House of Commons — was banned as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke to Parliament on Tuesday morning

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Fort McMurray — Laila Goodridge, Conservative MP for Fort McMurray-Cold Lake, says being banned from Russia is “a badge of honor” she will wear proudly.

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Goodridge — along with almost every other Canadian MP from all parties represented in the House of Commons — was banned as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke to Parliament on Tuesday morning.

MPs make up most of the 313 Canadian citizens banned from entering Russia. The move is a symbolic one, since Russia and Canada have kept their embassies in each country open.

“Conservatives believe that airspace above humanitarian corridors must be secured so as to allow for the safe passage of Ukrainians out of war zones and allow humanitarian relief efforts to reach those under siege,” said Goodridge, whose mother is part of the Ukrainian diaspora in Canada , hours after the speech. “Also I think it’s important that NATO should not be taking any options off the table.”

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Zelenskyy opened his emotional plea to Parliament by asking Canadians to imagine their own cities placed under siege after being hit by bombs and missiles at 4 am He repeatedly urged Canada to enforce a no-fly zone over Ukraine, which NATO has rejected because it puts risks their military in direct combat against Russia’s military.

Zelenskyy praised Canada for its economic sanctions against Russia and sending weapons and equipment to Ukraine’s forces, but said this has not been enough to stop Russia’s invasion.

“Can you imagine when you call your friends, your friendly nation, and you ask, ‘Please close the sky, close the airspace, please stop the bombing, how many more cruise missiles have to fall on our cities until you make this happen? ‘ And in return they express their deep concern about the situation,” he said.

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“You can see that our cities like Kharkiv, like Mariupol, are not protected just like your cities are protected, Edmonton, Vancouver.”

Goodridge said the crisis has shown flaws in Canada’s refugee and immigration system, which she says were last shown this past summer as Afghanistan fell to the Taliban. She wants Canada to bring in visa-free travel for Ukrainians coming to the country, which much of the European Union has done.

There is no exact number for how many people with Ukrainian ancestry live in Fort McMurray Wood Buffalo, but the Ukrainian Canadian Congress of Edmonton estimates there are roughly 350,000 people of Ukrainian descent in Alberta. Goodridge said she has heard from residents with family in Ukraine who are anxious to see them come to Canada and has called for visa-free travel in Parliament.

“It’s relatively clear this system is broken and I hope we don’t see the same issues again that we saw with Afghanistan,” she said. “I’m working with my colleague Jasraj Hallan — who is a good friend and our MP from Calgary-Forest Lawn and our immigration critic — to make sure we’re fixing this so Canada can respond to these situations better in the future.”

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