Evidence of meeting #95 for Foreign Affairs and International Development in the 44th Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was global.
A recording is available from Parliament.
NDP
Liberal
Rob Oliphant Liberal Don Valley West, ON
Can we finish this round, and that would be the last round?
Liberal
Rob Oliphant Liberal Don Valley West, ON
No, I'm saying that we started this round with the Conservatives. We'll have Liberals, and then we're done.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Ali Ehsassi
This is the second round, right? You are the concluding member for the second round.
Liberal
Rob Oliphant Liberal Don Valley West, ON
Luckily, it was a point of order.
If this is our last round, I just want to check if this is the last questioner right now.
Liberal
Liberal
Omar Alghabra Liberal Mississauga Centre, ON
As much as I wanted to ask questions, I'll cede my time to my colleague Hedy Fry.
Liberal
Hedy Fry Liberal Vancouver Centre, BC
Thank you very much.
Thank you very much, Omar. Thank you, Rob, for ceding the round to me.
I'm going to take this opportunity to move a motion that you all have, which is pertinent to what we're studying right now. I move:
That, as part of its study on Canada’s diplomatic capacity, the foreign affairs and international development committee recognize international development to be an inherent part of Canada’s diplomatic strategy and affirm its support for reproductive and sexual health rights around the world; recognize that the right to safe and legal reproductive care is the right to health care; condemn any effort to limit or remove sexual and reproductive rights; and emphasize the importance of maintaining access to reproductive and sexual health care, including safe abortions and contraceptives, as a main component of Canada’s international feminist assistance policy.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Ali Ehsassi
Thank you very much, Dr. Fry.
First of all, would everyone like me to thank our witnesses at this point, because there are no more questions for them?
At this juncture, Professor Carvin, Professor Juneau and Ms. Deif, thank you very, very much for having appeared before us. You have given us much to think about.
Also, Mr. Ambassador, thank you ever so much for having joined us. Please accept our sincerest apologies for the technical problems.
We're grateful to each and every one of you. Thank you.
Dr. Fry, you obviously have not provided 48 hours' notice for this motion; however, I would like to hear from you how you believe that this specific motion falls within the scope of Canada's diplomatic capacity, please.
Liberal
Hedy Fry Liberal Vancouver Centre, BC
If you listened to our witnesses today and the witnesses in the last meeting, you know they were discussing that, in fact, our diplomatic capacity is about our providing foreign aid, and this is part of our foreign aid package.
This is clearly a part of our diplomatic efforts abroad. We even had a question from Mr. Aboultaif about dollar diplomacy. This is about providing foreign aid, so this is very core and pertinent to this particular study we're doing right now, so I don't need to provide 48 hours' notice. This is in order.
Conservative
Michael Chong Conservative Wellington—Halton Hills, ON
Mr. Chair, on a point of order, I don't think this is in order. I think it would be in order at the next meeting of the committee, because the 48 hours' notice would have been given. This motion was put on notice today. I don't believe it fits the rubric of the business at hand, which is Canada's diplomatic capacity. I don't think that abortion and reproductive rights fit into that study that we're on right now.
My view is that this motion should be considered at the next meeting of this committee rather than now. Just because the preamble makes reference to the study in front of us doesn't mean that the motion is in order.
I think it's out of order. I think it will be in order at our next meeting, seeing that 48 hours' notice would have been given at that point, but I don't think it's in order now.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Ali Ehsassi
Thank you, MP Chong.
Does anyone else want to speak to this issue?
Go ahead, Mr. Bergeron.
Bloc
Stéphane Bergeron Bloc Montarville, QC
First of all, I agree with Mr. Chong. I believe the rule for substantive motions applies here.
Second, although I am very receptive to the content of the motion, I have two questions.
First, aren't we putting the cart before the horse, if we ultimately prepare a report?
In a few moments, we will be looking at instructions for the report. There will be recommendations. That could be the subject of recommendations adopted by the committee as a whole, or, at the very least, a dissenting or supplementary opinion to the committee's report.
Second, we just did an extensive study on the issue of women's reproductive and sexual rights. I wonder what the added value of the motion before us is. However, since it is not in order, I will not debate it any further, but I am putting my questions on notice, Mr. Chair.
