Thank you, Lawrence. Thank you, Annette.

I would like to thank the National Holocaust Monument Committee, the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, the Jewish Federation of Ottawa, B’nai Brith, and the Israeli and Swedish embassies for organising this important event.

To Tibor, Judy, Joe, Ruth. Judy Bosloy, who is here on behalf of her mother, Vera, as well as John Diener, who is here on behalf of his father, Nathan. Lawrence, you are here on behalf of your father. And you Annette, on behalf of your family – thank you for your presence and for your witness.

You have lived through the most horrific chapter of human history. And yet, again and again, you have chosen to bring the darkest memories to light so that what happened will not fade into silence. 

So that what happened will never happen again.

That is the power of one life, one voice, and one choice to bear witness.

It is the responsibility of those of us who hear witness to truly listen, to reflect, and to act.

On this day in 1945, the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau exposed the scale of Nazi crimes to the world and became a symbol of the horrors of the Holocaust, the guilt of its enablers, and the resilience of its survivors.

Today, we remember the consequences of ignorance, hatred, and complicity.  

Today, we acknowledge that looking away is not a passive act, but an act of betrayal. 

From the MS St. Louis to the ‘None is Too Many’ era, Canada too has our history of turning away. We must remember that history – to ensure we never repeat it.

Today, we must remember these lessons – the danger of denial and indifference in the face of evil. 

And the awareness that evil is once more marshalling its forces.

That the Jewish community is once again afflicted by a devastating resurgence of antisemitism.

In Canada, synagogues and schools have been attacked, and some have sought to downplay or even deny the horror of October 7, and even the Holocaust itself.

The world has once again witnessed the remarkable strength and resilience of the Jewish people. Yet it remains our duty to rebuild a country where they can live securely, openly, and freely.

That’s why, with the Leader of the Opposition, we are working together as Parliamentarians to make it a criminal offence to intentionally and wilfully obstruct access to places of worship, schools, and religious or cultural community centres.

These laws are tragically necessary, but they are far from enough. 

Laws can deter acts of hate and punish them if they occur, but they cannot prevent hate from taking root. 

And, just as the absence of war is not peace, the absence of physical and verbal violence is not the same as truly living in Canada.

We stand, all parties stand, with the Jewish community against hate, through legislation combatting hate, through resources to protect communities, and through engagement with all Canadians to help build our society anew so that the Jewish people are not merely protected, that they do not only live without fear, but they participate fully in every aspect of Canadian life. 

A society where Canada thrives because all Jewish people thrive. 

The responsibility to confront antisemitism belongs to us all. 

That responsibility begins with remembrance. 

Elie Wiesel warned that, “to forget the dead would be akin to killing them a second time”.

Canada will remember. 

Our remembrance is vigilance – so that “Never Again” is always true.

Our duty is deliverance – from intimidation and hate. 

Our goal is transcendence – an open society where all can flourish. 

Thank you.