Tom Kmeic, a Canadian MP of the Conservative Party and Co-Founder of the Parliamentary Friends of the Kurds group in the Canadian parliament, visited the Kurdistan Region with a delegation of Canadian MPs and commended the Region as a beacon of safety and stability, explaining that his party aims to expand the Canadian representation in Erbil to a consulate if it emerges victorious in the next Canadian elections.
“We chose Kurdistan because it is important to us. We have Kurdish diaspora members in our community who really care about this region,” Kmeic told Rudaw’s Shaho Amin, adding that he feels “plenty safe” in Erbil.
According to Kmeic, former Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, a conservative, wanted to expand Canada’s diplomatic mission in Erbil to a consulate in 2015 but was unable to carry out his plans after the party lost the elections to their rivals, the Liberal Party.
“We did not win that election. We lost that election and that is why it did not happen. The next government that came in was not really interested in doing anything to the region. A lot of what they have done is small, symbolic steps, but never anything on the ground,” he said, adding that his party’s desire to expand the representation was not to gain votes because “in Canadian elections you do not win on foreign policy issues.”
A primary reason to expand the Canadian representation, according to Kmeic, is to expand business and investment by Canadian companies in the Kurdistan Region.
“That will only happen if we have a full consulate, so I will keep pushing for that,” he said, hoping that a new, potentially Conservative-majority parliament will have increased ties with the Kurdistan Region on their agenda.
Another important factor deterring Canadian companies from investment in the Region is a travel advisory issued by the Canadian government which treats all areas in Iraq equally and does not differentiate areas where security is lacking from secure regions.
“We also have a conservative business culture in Canada: do not take risks, do not go too far,” he added.
Kmeic also called on the top Kurdish parties, the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), to present a united front while dealing with Baghdad in order for their voice to be heard, stressing that a united Kurdish voice attracts greater support from the international community as well.
The parliamentarian also extended a call for Canadians of Kurdish descent to run for positions in the government.
“If there is a really great Kurdish candidate locally or someone who is Canadian of Kurdish heritage, who is conservative and wants to run in the national parliament – man or woman – they should put their name forth when the opportunity comes,” he said.
In December of 2021, the Canadian embassy in Iraq provided assistance to 7,500 victims of floods in Erbil and Kirkuk by granting “a contribution” to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) to help the victims.
