Mannville, AB – October 25, 2011 – Leon Benoit, Member of Parliament for Vegreville-Wainwright participated in an emergency debate in the House of Commons on October 18, 2011. The emergency debate was held to address impacts of Canada-Ukraine relationships due to the arrest and conviction of Ukraine’s former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko.

“I have an interest in this issue from different points of view, starting with a large Ukrainian population in my constituency. On the farm many of my neighbours and friends were of Ukrainian decent,” said Benoit during the debate in the House of Commons.

“As well, I am involved with the Canadian NATO Parliamentary Association. In that association we talk about Ukraine often. Canada has been a great supporter of having Georgia and Ukraine come into NATO. As well, I have gotten to know some Members of Parliament from Ukraine very well on a personal basis. When I ask how things are in Ukraine, often now, they refer to this arrest and they are very concerned by it.”

BACKGROUNDER

Former Ukraine Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko was sentenced to seven years in jail on October 12, 2011. The court found Tymoshenko guilty of abuse of office in the signing of a natural gas import contract with Russia in 2009 saying she lacked an official authorization for the $190 million deal and had agreed to a price that was too high for Ukraine’s economy.

Tymoshenko, 50, has maintained her innocence saying that as prime minister she did not need any special permission to order the signing of the deal. She says her actions helped end a bitter pricing dispute between Moscow and Kiev which had led to energy supply shortages across Europe.