Statement by the Honourable David Lametti on the Prime Minister's commitment to an apology to Italian Canadians
TORONTO, June 14, 2019 /CNW/ - Today, the Honourable David Lametti, MP for Lasalle-Emard-Verdun and Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, issued the following statement:
"Tonight in Toronto, the Prime Minister committed to making an apology to Italian-Canadians who were interned during the Second World War.
As a proud Italian-Canadian, and the first Italian-Canadian to serve as Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, I am pleased that Justin Trudeau made this commitment. It is an acknowledgement that this community has been seeking for decades.
During the Second World War, hundreds of Italian-Canadians were rounded up and sent to Prisoner of War camps throughout the country. Their patriotism was questioned and their lives were thrown into chaos. In some cases, individuals were taken from their homes without explanation, leaving families without breadwinners, children without a father. The scars of that experience have been felt down the generations.
This is an issue of great importance to me, and other members of Parliament. I want to thank all of my colleagues of Italian-Canadian heritage, and especially Marco Mendicino, MP for Eglinton-Lawrence, Francesco Sorbara, MP for Vaughan-Woodbridge and Angelo Iacono, MP for Alfred-Pellan, for their leadership and support on this important matter.
The Prime Minister's announcement this evening is the first step toward closure on this dark chapter in our country's history. I want to thank Prime Minister Trudeau for doing the right thing. Canada is a better country for it."
SOURCE Office of the Minister of Justice
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