The federal government intends to move ahead with lifting sanctions against Iran and normalizing relations with the country, Foreign Affairs Minister Stephane Dion said Tuesday during question period.
Dion made the comment in response to a question from Conservative Foreign Affairs Critic Tony Clement, who referenced a report that said Bombardier was doing business in Iran âdespite the fact Canada has sanctions in place.â
âDoes Bombardier know something that the rest of Canada doesnât?â Clement asked. âHas the government already lifted sanctions against Iran?â
Dion said âThe UN has asked for the sanctions to be lifted ⌠so that Iran doesnât use nuclear technology for military purposes,â adding, âwith our eyes open we are going to respond to this report from the United Nations.â
Conservative MP Peter Kent then asked whether, in light of Iranâs support for the Assad regime in Syria and its threats against Israel, âthe government (will) abandon plans to normalize relations with Iran and keep sanctions in place?â
Dion responded that the former governmentâs approach to Iran was ânot good for the people of Iran ⌠for the promotion of human rights ⌠for our strategic interests in the region ⌠for Israel.â
âWe will change this policy,â Dion said.
Dion did not say when the sanctions will be lifted, telling reporters outside the House of Commons, âWeâll do it in a speedily fashion, but weâll do it effectively.â
Dion called the Conservativesâ approach âideological and irresponsible.â
âWe think when you have a disagreement with a regime you donât pull out, you work harder,â he told reporters. âItâs what our allies did in negotiating with Iran an agreement that is good for the world.â
Dion added that leaving sanctions in place now that countries like the U.S. and European Union have lifted them would affect business in Canada.
Dion did not say whether sanctions would be lifted on the civil aviation industry, allowing Bombardier to sell to Iran, but he did say, âif Airbus is able to do it, why would Bombardier (not be) able to do it?â
Iran said two days ago that it will order 114 planes from France-based Airbus.
International trade lawyer Lawrence Herman said there are plenty of Canadian businesses looking to enter the Iranian market, including technology providers, service providers and engineering firms.
However, Herman said that the UN sanctions Dion referred to lifting Tuesday arenât the only ones Canada has in place against Iran, and that itâs not yet clear whether other sanctions will also be lifted.
âThere are still some tricky waters to navigate to make sure no Canadian company runs afoul of existing sanctions,â he said.
In addition to the UN sanctions, the previous Conservative government closed its embassy in Tehran in 2012 and passed the Justice for Victims of Terrorism Act, which allows victims of terrorism to sue Iran.
Interim Conservative leader Rona Ambrose urged the Trudeau government last week to be cautious in its approach.
âI think we should still be very suspicious about what their intentions are with their nuclear program and really the onus is on them ⌠to prove to the world that theyâre a trustworthy partner,â Ambrose told reporters last Monday.
âThe other issue about taking sanctions away is,â she added, âonce those sanctions are removed, Iran is going to flood the market with cheap oil which has a huge effect on the Canadian economy.â