First Question: How are our relations with India?
India is, I often comment in visits in India or in engagements with Indian diplomats, Canada and India are the world’s two largest democracies us by size and them by population and we should be able to get along. They are also a country of tremendous diversity and that should be seen as more of richness than it actually is in current context with India. But the way the Canadian are able to get along with the diversity adding to our country is something other countries can learn from. Obviously, there are real right now challenges between India and Canada because one of the most roles of any Canadian Prime Minster is to protect Canadians citizens and to know that there are credible reasons to believe that agents of the government of India were involved in killing of a Canadian citizen in the Canadian soil is a real problem.
It’s a problem for the rules-based order and for the principles of free open democracy and sovereignty that we stand for, some sort of problems with our relations with India because we cannot ignore that. My responsibility is to make sure that Canadians are protected is my most important job. But whether we talk about people to people connections with India, whether we talk about business connections with India, whether we talk about the work together on the international stage to fight climate change, to promote democracy and human rights, India is an important partner to western democracies so we want to get through this challenging situation but there needs to be accountability and there needs to be an understanding that respecting the rules and the laws an the sovereignty of Canada and Canadian citizens regardless of the politics in Canada, people are free to believe and support the political parties they want around the world, that may be an irritation for the Indian government but it’s part of being a Canadian, you get to support whatever beliefs you have, that’s part of what makes Canada a free country and that is something we are always going to defend.
Second question: T20 cricket world cup is happening, and it is happening here in North America and our Canadian national team has qualified and the first match on June 1st Canada is playing against United states so what is your message to our Canadian players.
I am so proud of our Canadian cricketers we have seen an explosion of participation of growth. I was in British Columbia few weeks ago visiting with young members of our national team, it is such a source of pride and it something that we are taking as a real strength and richness of this country and so I look forward to seeing us do very very well in the tournament and especially taking on the United States.
