Foreign Affairs Committee on April 15th, 2010

[The Chair, Conservative, Dean Allison]

Thank you. That's all the time we have.

We're going to move to five-minute rounds.

Mr. Van Kesteren, sir.

[Dave Van Kesteren, Conservative, Chatham-Kent—Essex, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Latulippe, for appearing before us.

I would echo what my colleagues have said; you have certainly stepped into a tempest. But I really believe you have the qualifications to straighten this out and to once again restore what we've come to expect.

Had you been here last Tuesday and watched the proceedings, it got pretty hot. I think it's probably safe to say that both witnesses were pretty steamed, especially toward the end.

It was interesting; as we listened and tried to uncover this, there was a theme that seemed to keep coming up, over and over. I think Mr. Abbott really hit the nail on the head when he said this is all about Israel. Mr. Allmand replied--the time was up, but it's on the blues--and he said yes. I thought how unfortunate; we had the opportunity....

I sense that you're very passionate about exporting our values and democracy. I'm the same way. Probably most people here feel the same way. When we get the opportunity, for instance, to visit another country, especially those countries that are struggling democracies, we make every effort to encourage them.

I had that opportunity in February. I went to Turkey. Looking at a country like Turkey, what a golden opportunity we have to take a stable democracy that's still fledgling and has some issues and to influence that region where we have seen so much turmoil. I'm puzzled when I see that opportunity missed.

I wonder, sir, do you share that? Do you have any ideas or possible plans for that region and maybe working to possibly solve some of those problems we have been struggling with for generations?

[Gérard Latulippe]

I think Rights and Democracy could do a lot more, especially if we could raise more funding. One of my objectives is to diversify funding. This would help the autonomy of the organization.

In my former career I worked with funds from Norway. Through project funding we can have funds, not only from CIDA...we can have funds from Norway, the Netherlands, from everywhere. Then we could do a lot better.

We can also do a lot better in developing some specific niches in democratic development. In the 14 emerging democracies where I have worked, there is always one very important issue. There is a huge gap between the citizens and their members of Parliament and their political parties. This is part of the core issue they are facing.

I think we can develop a niche in trying to close the gap. We have the skills. For example, we can be leaders in developing the base skills across the world; we can be leaders in developing technology to help political parties reach out to their citizens. That's part of my plan.

[Dave Van Kesteren, Conservative, Chatham-Kent—Essex, ON]

You're getting me all excited, because I feel the same way, and I think this is wonderful.

What I'm reading from you is that rather than a confrontational state, which has been the case many times in the past, you'd like to see this organization move forward. I always wonder, too, we need a better coalition between those organizations such as your own that are involved in those types of strategies. One of the areas you want to take us down is possibly using parliamentarians to....

[Gérard Latulippe]

I'm looking forward to working more closely with your committee. I believe that from the bottom of my heart, and it's what I've done across the world, making closer the relationship between organizations like ours and committees like yours. You can even help us raise private funds, or you can help us in countries where we're working. That's one of my objectives.

[The Chair, Conservative, Dean Allison]

That's all the time we have, so I'll have to come back when we have the chance in another round.

I'm going to move back over to Dr. Patry, sir.

[Bernard Patry, Liberal, Pierrefonds—Dollard, QC]

Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman, madame and Mr. Latulippe.

We have five minutes. I'm going to ask you some questions and I would like you to give me succinct answers, please, Mr. Latulippe.

You told one of the newspapers in the capital here in Ottawa the following:

There is no role for Rights and Democracy to enter into debates about foreign policy. We have to work within the framework of government foreign policy....

You aren't unaware that it was Parliament, not the government, that gave Rights and Democracy its mandate. What does the independence of Rights and Democracy mean for you now if the agency has to work within the framework of Canadian foreign policy? That's my first question, and I would like you to give me an answer, please.

[Gérard Latulippe]

Rights and Democracy is independent with regard to all the programming it must carry out. It is not required to work in countries where the government has priority interests. It works where there are human rights violations, where emerging democracies can be established. It is independent in those respects. Rights and Democracy is not the Department of Foreign Affairs. It does not establish Canada's foreign policy.

[Bernard Patry, Liberal, Pierrefonds—Dollard, QC]

Thank you, sir. If I correctly understand what you've just told me, if there was a conflict between the mandate of Rights and Democracy and Canada's foreign policy, it's the mandate of Rights and Democracy that would take precedence.

[Gérard Latulippe]

I don't see any conflict. The mandate of Rights and Democracy is to reduce the gap between international agreements on charters of human rights and freedoms signed by the countries and the practices of those countries. The values of charters of human rights and freedoms do not contradict those of Canada's foreign policy and never will. This is based on our Canadian values and that's why Rights and Democracy is able to work around the world.

[Bernard Patry, Liberal, Pierrefonds—Dollard, QC]

Thank you.

Mr. Latulippe, you aren't unaware that the international human rights community does not support your appointment. That has been made public. The opposition parties don't support it either.

Can you explain to me what moral authority you will have if you take up this position without the support of the majority of parliamentarians in this government or of the international human rights community?

[Gérard Latulippe]

First, you are talking about the international human rights community, but I can give you the example of the letters I've received from a number of important persons who support my candidacy. The selection process to which I was subjected is that provided by the act, and in the context of that process, I was selected based on my experience and qualifications.

Concerning the point you raised, I would like to emphasize that, to date, very few of those persons have discussed my experience. I also think I can ensure that Rights and Democracy pushes its mandate beyond everything that has previously been done because I am the first president who has had a career in international development. That's what we talk about at Rights and Democracy.

[Bernard Patry, Liberal, Pierrefonds—Dollard, QC]

I wouldn't want to contradict you, but I believe the person who preceded you, Mr. Beauregard, was also well known. He did a remarkable job internationally. He worked in Africa, as you did as well. You may not be the first, but I want to point out the work that Mr. Beauregard also did.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. That's fine.

[Gérard Latulippe]

I must say that, since I have been in the position, the people I have met, everywhere and at all levels, respect Mr. Beauregard.

[Bernard Patry, Liberal, Pierrefonds—Dollard, QC]

That's fine, Mr. Chair. Thank you.

[The Chair, Conservative, Dean Allison]

Thank you.

We're going to move back over to Mr. Lunney, sir, for five minutes.

[James Lunney, Conservative, Nanaimo—Alberni, BC]

With all due respect to my colleague opposite, I don't know where he would come from to say that all the international community--I don't know what evidence you have for that, or how you can support such a statement--does not support the candidacy of Gérard Latulippe. You may have some people saying that, but we could provide a whole lot of people internationally who would support the candidacy. We don't look to international agencies in our selection of candidates. That would not be normal protocol. I'm sure the member would understand that.

With all due respect, I wanted to come back to something you mentioned that caught my attention, about access to parliamentarians from many parts of the country. It certainly has been my experience, when I've had visitors from other countries, that they just can't believe that we walk around as members of Parliament. That's true for all of us in this room. We have such an open democracy here that we can debate with people and we walk around without armed guards, with some exceptions for senior ministers. But for most of the members of Parliament, we do have such access to people. That's certainly something that many countries do not enjoy. So I applaud you; you've got some strategies to help encourage more openness. It's a big job in many countries where people to do not have that experience.

Let me just pick up on a couple of countries that I'm concerned about. In recent months we've heard troubling evidence of human rights abuses in Venezuela, Cuba, and Iran, for example, amongst others. Can you tell the committee if Rights and Democracy has any projects under way currently, or is planning to instill in the future, to address human rights abuses in countries such as the ones I've mentioned?

[Gérard Latulippe]

The strategic plan that was approved for the next five years provides that we will consider new countries. Personally, I have an interest in the Americas, and I believe we must do more work there. The allegations we heard about what's going on, whether it be in Venezuela, Iran or Cuba... These are countries where we could do good work, particularly with the specialized expertise we have developed.

Moreover, in the next few weeks, I'll be getting ready to discuss this with my staff. I'm at the point where I'm going to get into programming. The ideas you raise are excellent.

[James Lunney, Conservative, Nanaimo—Alberni, BC]

Thank you.

I don't know if this question was partly asked before, but I'm wondering about a long-range perspective for Rights and Democracy. What are some of the projects already under way that you're hoping to follow up on, for example? Are there others that you may have in mind in the long range on the international scene?

[Gérard Latulippe]

I'll give you two examples. We have two projects that are extremely promising. In Afghanistan, we are assisting in the implementation of a new family code. I have always made the rights of women one of my priorities over all those years. This work in Afghanistan is very innovative because it concerns a progressive code that must be pursued.

In Haiti, we have a multi-million dollar program involving women's participation and the reinforcement of political parties. I believe we have to have more of these kinds of projects in other countries. It takes a lot of time, consistency and effort to make changes in institutions. This means that you have to be able to raise funding from various sources, and quite considerable amounts. That's what I want to do. I also want to use our core funding to raise additional funds for project funding. That's how we'll ensure that Rights and Democracy has an even greater impact in the field.

In my opinion, the most important thing is to change the situation on the ground, whether it be the rights of women, victims in the prisons, or freedom of expression. It's on the ground that we can make a change. That's what I want to do with Rights and Democracy.

[James Lunney, Conservative, Nanaimo—Alberni, BC]

As a follow-up, I'd like to say that at the beginning I think you were rather modest in describing your own experience over the past 23 years internationally. In responding to Mr. Rae, you started to go in that direction, but sort of got cut off a little bit, I might say.

I notice that you had experience in countries such as Jordan, Libya, Iraq, Georgia—I think you touched on some the difficult situations there—Mauritania, Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, and other countries like Egypt and Burkina Faso. I'd just like to give you an opportunity to mention if there's something in your career that stands out as particularly helpful to you from that international experience that you hope to bring to Rights and Democracy.

[Gérard Latulippe]

Thank you.

You know, I was given the mandate to lead the first mission from an organization in Libya. I was in Libya in order to assess the political situation and where we could work in order to improve human rights in Libya. I led this mission for NDI.

I organized the first international observation mission ever in Morocco for the 2007 election.

Mr. Dewar was there, he was on the steering committee. He knows that the results of this mission have put forward and have led Morocco into the future in the matter of democratic development. He was there.

This was very important, and I was the one in charge of the organization of this mission.

[The Chair, Conservative, Dean Allison]

That's all the time we have for you, Mr. Lunney.

I just want to do a poll of the members here. I'm going to go back to Madame Deschamps next, and then I want to know if there are any other questions.

Mr. Valeriote, you want one question? Okay.

What about this side here? Could we come back? Okay.

Here's what we will do. We'll move to Madame Deschamps, we'll go to Mr. Valeriote, and then we'll finish with one quick question from Mr. Dewar.

It's more than a quick one?

[Paul Dewar, NDP, Ottawa Centre, ON]

Yes.

[The Chair, Conservative, Dean Allison]

All right.

Let's go ahead and start with Madame Deschamps.