Debates of May 12th, 2010

Francine Lalonde La Pointe-de-l'Île, QC

Mr. Speaker, the Canadian government's campaign to join the UN Security Council is not doing that well over in Africa. Its failure to invest in that continent in terms of international aid—reduced from 14 to 7 priority countries—has been strongly criticized. Furthermore, its backward position on women's health has no credibility.

Does the government realize that its conservative policies at the international level are hampering its campaign for a seat on the Security Council?

Bev Oda Minister of International Cooperation

Mr. Speaker, I want to get the facts on the table. In fact, under this government, we have met our commitment to Africa and doubled that commitment to $2.1 billion a year. Forty-five per cent of CIDA's aid goes to Africa. Sixty-two per cent of our food aid goes to Africa. Fifty-five per cent of our agricultural support goes to Africa. Fifty-one per cent of our multilateral aid goes to Africa.

Because of Canada's G8 commitment to save the lives of mothers and children, the majority of that support will go to Africa.

Francine Lalonde La Pointe-de-l'Île, QC

Mr. Speaker, when he was in opposition, the Prime Minister blindly supported the United States' illegal and immoral war in Iraq, when the UN Security Council opposed such unilateral action. Clearly the Prime Minister does not believe in multilateralism.

How could he possibly think that Canada has any chance of joining the Security Council when he has so little respect for the multilateral decisions made by the UN?

Peter Kent Minister of State of Foreign Affairs (Americas)

Mr. Speaker, we will it leave to the members of the United Nations to decide when the time comes to vote on the non-permanency to the Security Council in the fall.

Stephen Harper Prime Minister

Mr. Speaker, I think the government has been clear in the past. This is a long-term result that all of us would like to see. There is a lot of work to be done to get there. We are concerned today with nuclear weapons that are proliferating in the hands of both some dangerous states potentially and non-state actors. Those are the challenges with which the government is seized.

Jack Layton Toronto—Danforth, ON

Mr. Speaker, Canada is lobbying for a seat on the UN Security Council. Our chances would be better if the government showed some leadership concerning major global issues, but Canada now ranks 57th in contributions to UN peacekeeping missions. That is shameful.

The UN has issued a direct appeal to Canada on several occasions, asking for help in the Congo, for instance.

Will the Prime Minister finally respond positively to this direct appeal?

Stephen Harper Prime Minister

Mr. Speaker, Canada is committed. Our Canadian Forces are participating in six United Nations international missions, including our contribution to the mission in Afghanistan.

I hope the NDP will also one day support this United Nations mission in Afghanistan.

Jack Layton Toronto—Danforth, ON

Mr. Speaker, just at the moment we are leaving it, that is a bit of a bizarre proposition.

Ban Ki-moon had another very tough message for the government. He said that Canada had to live up to its greenhouse gas emission reduction targets. He also said that Canada had to show leadership on the whole issue of climate change. He is right to say that climate change poses an existential threat to all of us and that Canada has an important role to play.

Therefore, the Prime Minister has to make a choice. Is he going to listen to his advisory panel to downplay climate change at the G20, or is he going to put it on the agenda like the UN Secretary—

The Speaker Peter Milliken

The right hon. Prime Minister.

Stephen Harper Prime Minister

Mr. Speaker, I am not sure what advisory panel the leader of the NDP is talking about. I can certainly say there have been consultations with all of the members of the G20 and the G8. I anticipate that all important subjects, including climate change, will be covered at the summit.

The position of the Government of Canada is very well known. We are strongly supportive of the Copenhagen accord, which for the first time in history involves commitments from all major emitters. I hope the NDP and the opposition parties will finally get on board with this international climate change accord.

Michael Ignatieff Leader of the Opposition

Mr. Speaker—

The Speaker Peter Milliken

Order, please. The hon. Leader of the Opposition.