Foreign Affairs Committee on Dec. 7th, 2022

[The Chair, Liberal, Ali Ehsassi]

Pursuant to Standing Order 108(2) and the motion adopted by the committee on Monday, June 20, 2022, the committee is commencing its study on sexual and reproductive health and the rights of women globally.

It is now my pleasure to welcome to the committee, from the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development, two officials who we're very happy to have with us here today. First, we have Mr. Peter MacDougall, who is the assistant deputy minister, global issues and development. We're also happy to have with us here today Ms. Tanya Trevors, who is the director of health and rights of women and girls.

Mr. MacDougall, you will go first. You will be provided five minutes for your opening remarks. We would be grateful if you could manage to keep close to five minutes, and then we will proceed with Ms. Trevors.

Mr. MacDougall, the floor is yours.

[Peter MacDougall, Assistant Deputy Minister, Global Issues and Development, Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development]

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.

It's a pleasure to be here with you today to speak in front of the committee and to share the insights on the work being done to implement the Government of Canada's policy direction for advancing women's sexual and reproductive health and rights globally.

Over the past decade, Canada has been recognized as a global leader in supporting the health and rights of women, children and youth. During its G7presidency in 2010, Canada led the launch of the Muskoka Initiative on Maternal, Newborn and Child Health, which leveraged over $9.6 billion U.S. in new commitments from other countries. This funding has reduced child mortality and improved the lives of families, and has laid the foundation for further donor and country investments and priorities in global health.

In 2017, with the introduction of Canada's feminist international assistance policy, Canada maintained its support for MNCH but also stepped up its investments in sexual and reproductive health and rights, recognizing that promoting rights-based, open and inclusive societies is an effective way to save lives and to foster prosperity, peace and sustainability.

Canada committed $650 million to the “Her Voice, Her Choice” initiative between 2017 and 2020, which supported 189 projects delivered in 65 countries and helped make a significant difference in the lives of millions of women, adolescents and children.

In 2019, based on the results and lessons learned from the Muskoka Her Voice Her Choice initiative, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made an historic commitment of $1.4 billion per year over ten years to support the health and rights of women, children and adolescents around the world.

Of this total funding, $700 million is dedicated to promoting global sexual and reproductive health and rights, focusing on four key neglected areas. These areas were identified through extensive consultations with Canadian and international experts and civil society organizations. They include family planning and modern contraception, safe abortion and post-abortion care services, comprehensive age-appropriate sexuality education, and sexual and reproductive health and rights promotion activities.

Preventing and responding to sexual and gender-based violence are also important components of Canadian sexual and reproductive health and rights programming.

Canada's 10-year commitment to global health and rights is unprecedented in its scope and length, underscoring the need for global leadership and voice to stand up on these issues.

Extensive input from Canadian and international experts and partners in 2016 during the development of the FIAP, combined with scientific and programmatic evidence outlined in the 2018 Guttmacher-Lancet commission has demonstrated how investments in comprehensive SRHR are critical for advancing the sustainable development goals of providing gender equality and ensuring economic prosperity.

We know that supporting a fair and equal world in which women and girls have the right to make decisions about their own bodies will generate social and economic benefits for decades to come.

The Guttmacher Institute's 2019 report, “Adding it up”, calls the impact of global investments in sexual and reproductive health and rights programs significant. These investments can reduce unwanted pregnancy rates by 68%, unsafe abortions by 72% and maternal deaths by 62%. That is why I am pleased to report that Canada is making good progress on its existing commitments.

In 2020‑21, Canada provided $489 million to support initiatives related to sexual and reproductive health and rights. This funding directly enabled more than 4.5 million people to access sexual and reproductive health and rights services in 29 countries.

I look forward to taking your questions and sharing more about the important work that Canada is undertaking in this sector.

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ali Ehsassi]

Thank you very much, Mr. MacDougall.

I understand there's only one witness making opening remarks here, but of course members can ask either official any questions they have. For the first round of questions, the time allotted is six minutes. The first member is MP Epp.

The floor is yours.

[Dave Epp, Conservative, Chatham-Kent—Leamington, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I'm going to cede my time to Mr. Genuis.

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I would like to move a motion, and I'll explain why after I've moved it. The motion is:

That the committee report to the House that, because Nord Stream 1 is no longer supplying gas to Europe due to a blast that created a 50-metre hole in the pipeline, because the granting of a waiver for the export of Gazprom turbines sends the wrong message to Russia about western support for sanctions, and because the Government of Ukraine and Canadians have requested the waiver be revoked, the committee calls on the Government of Canada to revoke the waiver to Russian sanctions granted for the export of Gazprom turbines by January 5, 2023.

[Rachel Bendayan, Liberal, Outremont, QC]

I have a point of order, Mr. Chair, on relevance. I don't think a member is allowed to present a motion that is completely irrelevant to the study. I remind the member and all members that we have just begun a study on women's reproductive and health rights. While I understand that the member opposite has no interest in it and, in fact, is the only one who voted against this study, the rest of us care about women's reproductive and health rights and his motion is out of order.

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

Mr. Chair, on a point of order, I'm happy to respond to the substantive points. Can I respond?

[The Chair, Liberal, Ali Ehsassi]

I think she has a very good point as to relevance.

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

Mr. Chair, this motion is on notice. It's been on notice, and I'm able to move any motion that's been on notice. If there are other points of order, they can be raised.

Thank you, Ms. Bendayan. I anticipated that there might be further points of order. I will do my best to speak to the motion for as long as members allow me to until I've concluded my opening remarks on it.

Mr. Chair, we have unfinished business at this committee when it comes to the issue of the Gazprom turbines. We had a special order to study the issue of Gazprom turbines as a result of an agreement by all opposition parties that was supposed to begin—and I actually hoped would have been concluded—in the summer. That discussion began—

[Rob Oliphant, Liberal, Don Valley West, ON]

On a point of order, Mr. Chair, with respect, which I think should be duly accorded to senior officials from the Government of Canada, it may be appropriate for you to suggest that, if they would like to leave, they may leave, because I have a feeling this could go on for quite a while. I say that with the great regret that someone has decided that the issue of women's reproductive rights is not important.

[Rachel Bendayan, Liberal, Outremont, QC]

I would like the witnesses to stay for what it's worth, Mr. Chair. I'm ever hopeful that the will of one member will not overrule the rest of the members at this committee, and I would like to get back to questions.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ali Ehsassi]

Your point is well taken, Mr. Oliphant. Let's just see how this proceeds, but obviously we should extend every courtesy to our two witnesses, who have taken the time to come here and appear before the committee. Let's proceed and see how things go from there.

Mr. Genuis.

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Frankly we've heard more arguments made against my motion in points of order than I've actually had time to make in favour of my motion. Please let me speak to the motion substantively, and maybe members will want to disagree with those arguments. However, as has been discussed previously, points of order are not necessarily the place to make those substantive arguments.

The issue of Gazprom turbines is one that this committee began to consider in the summer, and it was an urgent matter. All of the opposition parties used the process under Standing Order 106(4) to—

[Rachel Bendayan, Liberal, Outremont, QC]

On a point of order, Mr. Chair, now we are getting into the historical background of a study that we already undertook, that we already engaged in. In fact, there is a draft report in front of me, which we never got to, thanks to the member opposite.

Mr. Chair, I would suggest that the member opposite needs to remain relevant and that we do not need to hear—as all of us were in this room doing the very study he is referring to—a history of the turbine issue.

I also, Mr. Chair, would invite you to recognize that there are still two witnesses here waiting to speak on women's reproductive and health rights, and that this is clearly a tactic in order to avoid the topic, which I remind the member—

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

Mr. Chair, this is clearly not a point of order, and I am not being allowed to finish a sentence.

[Rachel Bendayan, Liberal, Outremont, QC]

—is women's reproductive and health rights, not what he is talking about. It is about women's reproductive and health rights, and I will continue to make points of order until he agrees to discuss women's reproductive and health rights.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ali Ehsassi]

I will give it back to you—

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

Mr. Chair, if I could actually raise a distinct point of order, I'm looking forward to getting back into my explanation for this motion, but the member did make certain insinuations about things that may or may not have happened in camera. That is very clearly against the rules. I hope the member would stick to the rules and be kept to order on them by the chair.

I am happy to discuss what was or was not adopted in camera, because that is a matter of public record that will show up in the minutes.

Mr. Chair, we have unfinished business when it comes to the issue of Gazprom turbines. There was a motion adopted in June with respect to a study on abortion, because Liberals—

[The Chair, Liberal, Ali Ehsassi]

Dr. Fry, please proceed.

[Hedy Fry, Liberal, Vancouver Centre, BC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair. On a point of order, Mr. Genuis gave notice of motion. He called it that, which is within the rules. He can do that. He is now actually debating his motion, and I want to call us back to order. The order of the day, the business of this committee at this point in time, is to deal with the witnesses and question them on the issue of sexual and reproductive health and rights.

Mr. Chair, I'm going to ask you to actually bring this meeting back to order.

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ali Ehsassi]

Thank you, Dr. Fry.

She is absolutely correct. You did have a motion, but now you are getting into arguments.

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

I am moving a motion, and now I'm presenting arguments in support of the motion.

[Hedy Fry, Liberal, Vancouver Centre, BC]

No, you gave notice of motion.

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

No, I am moving a motion that I had previously given notice for. The notice of motion was provided on Friday, November 18, and I am now speaking to the motion that I have now moved. This motion is now on the floor.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ali Ehsassi]

Mr. Genuis, I would ask that you bear in mind what the subject matter today is. You have been allowed to introduce your motion, but I would ask that you respect our witnesses and that you not engage in argument—