Afghanistan Committee on Feb. 8th, 2011

[Bryon Wilfert, Liberal, Richmond Hill, ON]

I think that is extremely important in terms of our ability to deliver.

This is probably not in your bailiwick, but on the issue of political reconciliation and the issue of whether or not there may be.... This is all in the backdrop, obviously, of not only security but the issue of political reconciliation and whether extremist forces may come back into the parliament of Afghanistan or start to wind up.

Are there any red lines that you can see in this process that we should spell out in order to be conditional on the kind of assistance we are providing to Afghanistan?

[Françoise Ducros]

I have to apologize. It's only the first time I've done it in the whole meeting, but I have to defer to my colleagues in the Department of Foreign Affairs to speak to that question.

[Bryon Wilfert, Liberal, Richmond Hill, ON]

Okay, but you understand the nature of the question.

[Françoise Ducros]

I understand the nature of the question—

[Bryon Wilfert, Liberal, Richmond Hill, ON]

It's absolutely critical.

[Françoise Ducros]

—which is why I'm deferring to my colleagues at Foreign Affairs.

[Bryon Wilfert, Liberal, Richmond Hill, ON]

Okay, so that will be something....

Just as a general comment for you, I am still at a loss as to what we're really doing. In terms of interfacing with you and with the government, one of the jobs is supposed to be to provide—and the chairman and I have had a discussion about this for next week—coherent and constructive recommendations. The difficulty is that we don't always have all of the information, and on the other hand it's a very fluid situation.

I would certainly welcome any suggestions as to how we can interface more productively as a committee, since we are charged by Parliament to do so in order to provide the kind of assistance that I think would be helpful in fulfilling the mandate we were given as of March 2008.

[The Chair, Conservative, Garry Breitkreuz]

Thank you, Mr. Wilfert.

[Bryon Wilfert, Liberal, Richmond Hill, ON]

That's a question to you but also to all members of the committee. I would welcome—not necessarily now, obviously—anything you could provide us. It would be helpful.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

[Françoise Ducros]

Okay.

[The Chair, Conservative, Garry Breitkreuz]

Okay, very good. We have committee business coming up in about four minutes.

Mr. Bachand.

[Claude Bachand, Bloc, Saint-Jean, QC]

Ms. Ducros, I have here a rather lengthy study done by the Library of Parliament. One section of the study talks about the role of Canadian development and democracy assistance. I would like to quote a passage where the Canada-Afghanistan Solidarity Committee makes the following argument:

If CIDA is to continue as Canada’s lead agency for humanitarian aid and basic services in Afghanistan, the agency must come to terms with its own shortcomings in Afghanistan – its cumbersome bureaucracy and its lack of coherent, long-term direction. Also, CIDA should step up its efforts to raise Canadian awareness of its work in Afghanistan, and CIDA should be required to make a clearer accounting of its activities, expenditures, and achievements. Similarly, CIDA-funded NGOs should be required to place a higher priority on informing Canadians of the work they are undertaking in Afghanistan.

I would like to hear your reaction to that.

[Françoise Ducros]

Can I know the date when that report was produced?

[Claude Bachand, Bloc, Saint-Jean, QC]

It's dated September 27, 2010.

[Françoise Ducros]

Thank you.

I think it is important to convey information about our achievements in Afghanistan. We are making every possible effort, and that includes all our young and not so young people working in Afghanistan. When they come back from Afghanistan, we have them travel all around the country so they can talk about their various opinions.

Personally, I meet with our partners fairly formally, but also informally. For example, on January 18, I met with 25 partners who are working in Afghanistan. I am prepared to communicate effectively and the Minister also communicates on the subject. When I meet with various associations, including

the CDAI, the Conference of Defence Associations Institute,

I encourage them and I provide them with various reports. I am prepared to listen to all suggestions for improving communications with Canadians.

In terms of the cumbersome bureaucracy, I am prepared to acknowledge the possible failings of CIDA, but I would not talk about cumbersome bureaucracy when it comes to the efforts of our task force and CIDA's efforts in Afghanistan. I have experience with it, so I can say that our bureaucracy is quite flexible and we are actively working on it. I am totally prepared to hear suggestions in that regard.

[Claude Bachand, Bloc, Saint-Jean, QC]

That's fine.

What do you have to say about the lack of long-term direction?

[Françoise Ducros]

I think we are working on establishing a long-term direction, with consultations here and with our partners. I think it is a very coherent approach that will focus on three priorities: youth, humanitarian assistance and governance.

[Claude Bachand, Bloc, Saint-Jean, QC]

You say "that will".

[Françoise Ducros]

Well, I think...

[Claude Bachand, Bloc, Saint-Jean, QC]

Do you admit this was not the case in the past?

[Françoise Ducros]

No, I don't admit that it was not the case in the past, at all. We had six priorities and three signature projects. You can't say on the one hand that we were not coherent, and on the other that we were too limited.

Either we're focused or we're limited, but we can't be both.

I think we have got results.

[Claude Bachand, Bloc, Saint-Jean, QC]

Thank you.

[The Chair, Conservative, Garry Breitkreuz]

Thank you.

I'd like to thank you, Madame Ducros, and Ms. Boyd and Mr. Melanson for coming to the committee.

I wish more Canadians could hear some of the things that are happening there. As a new chair of this committee, it's been an eye-opener for me. I just wish the good news could get out.

Thank you again very, very much.

[Françoise Ducros]

Thank you very much for having us.

[The Chair, Conservative, Garry Breitkreuz]

We will suspend for a brief moment as we move in camera.

[Proceedings continue in camera]