Visit of the Honourable Anthony Rota, M.P., Speaker of the House of Commons, and a Parliamentary Delegation, Argentine Republic and Republic of Chile
From March 13 to 17, 2023, the Speaker of the House of Commons, the Honourable Anthony Rota, M.P., led a parliamentary delegation to the Argentine Republic and the Republic of Chile. The delegation consisted of the Honourable Judy Sgro, P.C., M.P., Mr. Richard Cannings, M.P., Ms. Raquel Dancho, M.P., and Ms. Marilène Gill, M.P. Accompanying the delegation were Mrs. Chantal Piché Rota, Mr. Alexandre Mattard-Michaud, Chief of Staff, Office of the Speaker, and Mr. Kevin Pittman, Secretary to the delegation.
In Buenos Aires, Argentina, the delegation met with the following officials:
- The Honourable Cecilia Moreau, President of the Chamber of Deputies of the Argentine Republic;
- Ms. Claudia Ledesma, Deputy Speaker of the Senate of the Argentine Republic;
- Ms. Gladys Esther González, Chair of the Environment Committee of the Senate;
- Mr. Eduardo Valdes, Chair of the Foreign Relations Committee of the Chamber of Deputies;
- Mr. Walberto Allende, Chair of the Mining Committee of the Chamber of Deputies;
- Ms. Monica Macha, Chair of the Women’s Affairs Committee of the Chamber of Deputies;
- Ms. Paula Penacca, Chair of the Parliamentary Operations Committee of the Chamber of Deputies; and
- Mr. Martin Lousteau, Chair of the Senate Argentina-Canada Parliamentary Friendship Group.
While in Argentina, the delegation also met with a group of Argentine women business owners and executives; discussed education opportunities for Argentine students in Canada; and visited the ESMA Museum and Memorial site.
In the Republic of Chile, members of the delegation traveled to Valparaiso and Santiago and met with the following officials:
- His Excellency Vlado Mirosevic, President of the Chamber of Deputies of the Republic of Chile;
- Mr. Alberto Leo van Klaveren Stork, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Chile; and
- Mr. Leonardo Soto Ferrada, President of the Chile-Canada Interparliamentary Group.
The delegation also met with officials of the Chamber of Deputies to discuss parliamentary security. They held discussions with officials of the Ministry of Education of Chile and heard from Canadian investors in Chile. The delegation participated in an event at the Universidad Central with university students and academia to discuss democracy and civic education. They then had the opportunity to observe students’ engagement in a CIVIX project, which focused on civic education at a local high school. Finally, they visited the Villa Grimaldi Park for Peace.
The purpose of the visit to the Argentine Republic and Republic of Chile was to strengthen bilateral relations with these two countries, promote democratic values and Canadian interests, enhance trade and investment relations, and explore opportunities for further cooperation in the area of education through increased collaboration between each country’s educational institutions. The delegation was also able to exchange best practices with their counterparts in both countries in relation to parliamentary administration.
In Argentina, the delegation recognized the 50th anniversary of the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives and “le mois de la francophonie”. In Chile, the delegation underscored the 50th anniversary of Chile’s coup d’état, and learned about the history of Chile’s 17-year (1973-1990) dictatorship and the human rights abuses committed during that time.
The report will be available once it has been tabled in the House of Commons.