Mr. Speaker, I am proud to share the news with members of the House that one of my constituents, Rachel Watts, a fourth-year journalism student at Carleton University, is the recipient of this year’s Fraser MacDougall Prize for best new Canadian voice in human rights reporting. This prestigious prize is awarded to an exceptional piece of student journalism with a human rights focus. Rachel’s winning entry, entitled “Pandemic intensifies silent sorrow of Canada’s asylum seekers”, was a truly compelling and insightful piece on a vital and timely issue.

Rachel possesses a rare gift for the written word and an ability to capture a subject in a way that is capable of engaging public opinion and influencing public policy decisions. Indeed, this is the role and power of great journalism. Rachel Watts is clearly on the cusp of a promising and exciting career as a journalist. I just want to be clear that this statement is very much meant to be on the record.