Debates of Dec. 13th, 2010

Situation in Haiti

[Lawrence Cannon, Conservative, Pontiac, QC]

Mr. Speaker, there are a few issues that have been raised by my colleague.

First, let me point to one of the issues in terms of the reconstruction. Obviously things are not moving at the pace with which we are usually accustomed. There are still 1.4 million people who are displaced. They do not have any permanent residence. This is fundamental to reconstruction. One of the problems is the land tenure issue, which has not been resolved, and the only way that can be resolved is through a more stable government.

On cholera and DART, my colleague, the Minister of International Cooperation, two weeks ago was able to enter into an agreement with the Canadian branch of the International Red Cross. We are working in tandem with a number of countries, but, indeed, with that component of the Red Cross we are putting together the health capacity that is needed.

Today I was with Secretary of State Clinton as well as the secretary of foreign affairs from Mexico and we were all talking about the need to ensure that dehydration equipment is provided. The international community is doing what it needs to do to be able to put that forward, but again Haiti needs a stable government, and in order for it to have one we need to respect the electoral process.

[Johanne Deschamps, Bloc, Laurentides—Labelle, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Bloc Québécois is very concerned about the situation in Haiti. The violence of the last few days is yet another ordeal for the people of Haiti, who have already suffered so much this year. Peace must be restored so that the recount can be as transparent as possible. The Haitian authorities must do everything they can to ensure there is an unblemished democratic process.

The results of the presidential election announced on November 28 were 31% for Ms. Manigat, 22% for Mr. Célestin and 21% for Mr. Martelly. When these results were announced, violence erupted in the streets. The second round is scheduled for January 16, 2011.

As soon as the results were announced, Mr. Martelly's backers began to protest. Their candidate had been expected to reach the second round. His supporters erected barricades in the streets of Port-au-Prince. There were also clashes with UN forces. Mr. Martelly accused the elections commission of plunging the country into a crisis by publishing false results and claimed that they wanted to prevent him from finishing second and advancing to the next round. He called for non-violent demonstrations.

Most observers said the election was marred by widespread irregularities, just as the first round had been badly handled. More than half of the 19 candidates demanded that the result be cancelled. The United States expressed its concern that the result did not reflect the vote count from one end of the country to the other. President Préval appealed for calm and defended the result. I should point out that Mr. Célestin is Mr. Préval's hand-picked successor.

As a result of the violence, the interim electoral council (CEP) announced last Thursday that it would initiate a special process to review the ballots in the counting centres. In short, there will be a recount. This will be done by a joint commission consisting of the CEP, the candidates for the presidency, and national and international observers.

The political crisis has been deepened by the fact that the first two candidates, Mirlande Manigat and Michel Martelly, have said they will not participate in the process. In view of the circumstances and as a result of the violence, Canada announced last Thursday that it was closing its embassy in Port-au-Prince for an indefinite period.

In light of this, Canada must help Haiti ensure that its presidential election procedures are clear and transparent. Haitians have a right to have a democratically elected president with a mandate from the people to address the major challenges facing their country. Canada must also tell the Haitian government that it is prepared to help with any requests for human and material resources to properly carry out the election.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs shared the reaction of the Canadian government and his serious concerns regarding the democratic situation in Haiti. His government's message is that the Canadian government must help Haiti hold a clear and transparent election and that it will do so through multilateral organizations such as the UN, CARICOM and the Organization of American States. He also said that the international community cannot do everything, that it is up to the Haitian government and the Haitian people to ensure that the democratic process prevails and the recount of the initial votes is conducted calmly, transparently and quickly. He also added that Canada has offered to participate in the process as part of a joint commission. Furthermore, the minister declared that there would be no economic progress in Haiti without a stable government.

As he stated previously, the Minister of Foreign Affairs has spoken with President René Préval and his Prime Minister, Jean-Marc Bellerive. He expressed his concerns about the electoral irregularities and encouraged them to do what is necessary to correct them.

However, Canada must not let this political crisis lead it to neglect the other problems in Haiti.

It is worth noting that the earthquake caused considerable damage and that the scope of the reconstruction effort is unprecedented. Keep in mind however that the earthquake exacerbated a situation that existed well before disaster struck. Haiti is one of the poorest countries in the world, and its infrastructure is in many respects inadequate.

In 2009, the United Nations Development Program Poverty Index ranked Haiti 97th out of 137 countries. The scope of the reconstruction effort is commensurate with the poverty that existed in Haiti in terms of poor-quality building materials, the lack of a building code, no means of subsistence for a large segment of the population, and so on

The January 12 earthquake caused unparalleled damage: 222,570 people were killed and 300,000 injured; approximately 1.3 million people are still living in temporary shelters in the Port-au-Prince region and 600,000 escaped the disaster-stricken areas and sought refuge in other parts of the country; the capacity of the Haitian government was seriously diminished; it is estimated that approximately 60% of government, administrative, and economic infrastructure was destroyed; one-third of the 60,000 Haitian public servants died during the earthquake; over half of the 8,500 prisoners in Haiti escaped; 101 United Nations employees lost their lives; the court of justice, the departments of Justice and Public Safety, and the legislature were destroyed; over 105,000 houses were destroyed and more than 208,000 were damaged; 1.5 million people were left without homes; approximately 4,000 Haitian students died; and 1,234 schools were destroyed and 2,500 damaged.

The total damage is estimated at $7.9 billion: $4.3 billion in physical infrastructure damage and $3.5 billion in economic losses, which amounts to 120% of Haitian GNP; 70% of the damage affected the private sector.

The total funding required is $11.5 billion: 50% for social service sectors, 17% for infrastructure and housing and 15% for the environment and disaster risk management.

The Red Cross is working on providing aid to the Haitian people: 80,000 households have been given temporary housing; 95,000 people have received medical care; and 90,000 cubic meters of water have been distributed to 118 sites.

As a result of the earthquake, the legislative election scheduled for February 2010 had to be delayed, creating a climate of political uncertainty. President Préval wrote to the UN Secretary-General requesting that a study mission be commissioned to review options and potential timetables.

Overall, the situation has remained calm from a security standpoint. There has nevertheless being an increase in the number of sex crimes committed, most of them in camps for displaced persons.

The international community’s response in the wake of the earthquake appeared to be commensurate with the seriousness of the disaster. The scope of the reconstruction effort is, however, unparalleled. An independent expert, Michel Forst, who was commissioned by the UN Human Rights Council to write a report on the human rights situation in Haiti, stated that:

The international community’s response to the humanitarian crisis was immediate and massive, with a clear determination on the part of all countries to do their best to furnish speedy succour to the people. It was only gradually that the magnitude of the disaster and the numbers of direct and indirect victims were realized. Even though the coordination of the international aid has been criticized, it is too often forgotten that the international community was confronted with an unprecedented situation and had to adapt itself gradually to the country’s parameters.

We also need to ensure that the money promised by the donor countries is effectively distributed in Haiti.

Bear in mind that at the last Haiti Donors Conference, which was held in Washington in April 2009, only 30% of the promised funds had been transferred to Haiti.

In terms of Canadian aid, Haiti is second on the list of CIDA's priority countries. In 2006, the Canadian government committed to sending $555 million in development aid to Haiti from 2006 to 2011. According to CIDA, the six donor and project priorities in Haiti since January 12 are housing, debris removal, response to the natural disaster, education, health and agriculture.

Since the devastating earthquake on January 12, 2010, the Government of Canada has announced a number of financial contributions to support humanitarian, recovery and reconstruction efforts in Haiti, in collaboration with its partners and the Haitian government. But many of these statements were contradictory. In some cases, it was not new money, but funds that had already been announced.

The Bloc Québécois cannot help but be disappointed and speak out against these repeated announcements of the same funds going into the various measures to aid Haiti. Quebeckers have clearly voiced their desire to assist Haitians in rising up again from this humanitarian crisis. We must not be stingy with our aid. We would have expected a firmer commitment from the Canadian government. It should have released more new money to help the Haitian people, who have already suffered too much.

For example, on July 12, 2010, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Minister of International Cooperation announced that Canada would be giving Haiti a total of $1.1 billion. The timetable for that announcement started well before the earthquake, since it covers the period from 2006 to 2012.

This is how the $1.1 billion is being allocated. There will be $555 million from 2006 to 2011. In reality, the largest portion was spent before the earthquake, primarily to fund police and prison institutions, and the 2009 elections, which were massively boycotted. There was $400 million announced on March 31, 2010, and on July 12. It was promised that the funds would be paid out over the coming two years. That money is not needed in two years; it is needed immediately. There is $150 million for short-term aid following the earthquake. The reality is that the money has been paid out to organs of the UN and NGOs. It is difficult to confirm how much has been spent, and how. There was $30 to $45 million to the Haiti Reconstruction Fund, money that is yet to be paid out; and $40 million for debt relief, a large portion of which dates from the era of the Duvalier dictatorship and had to be paid to international financial institutions. This is not earthquake-related aid.

As well, the federal government announced that it would match the $220 million donated by Canadians to NGOs during the period from January 12 to February 16, 2010.

On March 31, in New York, CIDA stated that half of the $220 million, $110 million, was included in the $400 million announced, which was part of the $1.1 billion. In other words, the Canadian government decided that $110 million in aid to Haiti would therefore not be new money; it would come out of money already announced.

During this time, Haiti was struck by further misfortune: cholera. On October 22, 2010, President René Préval confirmed the nightmare: the severe diarrhea epidemic afflicting the Artibonite region was indeed caused by cholera.

As we all know, cholera is a viral disease that causes vomiting and diarrhea leading to severe dehydration. Cholera can rapidly lead to death, but it can be easily treated with antibiotics and rehydration. The virus is spread by water and food that are contaminated by fecal matter. Since then, the morality rate has continued to rise.

According to the most recent report, to date, 93,222 Haitians have been affected by cholera and 2,120 have died from the disease. Doctors Without Borders has confirmed that it has treated over 16,500 people, but the magnitude of the challenge is huge.

This epidemic is spreading especially quickly because Haiti has no permanent infrastructure to help control its spread. There are desperate needs. Haiti needs soap, chlorine-treated water, toilets and proper waste disposal facilities. In the current situation, these basic needs are not being met.

In response to the cholera epidemic, aid has been a long time coming. In late November, one month after the beginning of the outbreak, the UN confirmed that it had received only $5 million of the $164 million promised by the international community.

This cholera epidemic is also at the root of the recent violence in Haiti. According to a specialist's report published in the New England Journal of Medicine, the source of this epidemic can be traced back to peacekeepers from Nepal. The UN still refutes this assertion. Haitians are therefore blaming UN peacekeepers and the international community in general for this outbreak.

The violence is also preventing humanitarian aid from reaching its destination. According to Oxfam officials, violence has prevented that organization from effectively distributing soap, rehydration salts and clean water. The violence has also hampered public awareness campaigns on proper hygiene practices.

Canada and the international community must do everything they can to fight the cholera epidemic that is devastating that country, which has already suffered so much.

In closing, I would like to quote a few lines that appeared in an article in the Haiti Press Network, a few lines that speak volumes.

The week beginning this Monday will be whatever politics allows it to be. If the politicians, candidates, diplomats, leaders and demonstrators so choose, Haiti will experience a normal week...to allow students to write their exams and merchants to get out their Christmas and New Year's decorations.

Ladies and gentlemen, the country needs to breathe in an atmosphere of peace and reconciliation.

[Deepak Obhrai, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and to the Minister of International Cooperation]

Mr. Speaker, I am just amazed at the member's speech in reference to Canada's reconstruction efforts and giving money to Haiti. One minute the member agrees that Haiti is the second-largest recipient of Canadian development assistance, and then she goes on to say that moneys have not been going forward.

What I need to tell the hon. member is that Canada is working with international partners. We have a co-ordinated effort, as was stated by the Minister of Foreign Affairs. When we are working with international partners, we are not working in isolation.

The member talked about Canada giving aid to the police officers. Yes, we are out there to build the capacity of the Government of Haiti so that they are effectively able to deal with many of the issues that she has talked about.

It is important to recognize that, working with the international community, efforts are being made together so that aid can be delivered in the most effective way.

We are at the 10-minute mark, so I will only take a little time out of the member's 20-minute speech, but I want to say this—

[The Acting Speaker, Barry Devolin]

Order. The parliamentary secretary has the floor to ask a question. He will be given the usual amount of time to do that.

[Deepak Obhrai, Conservative, Calgary East, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I will just finish. I do respect your decision.

The point I am trying to make here is that, effectively, over $1 billion has been given to Haiti, with $7 million being given to fight cholera. We are working with the international community to ensure that there is effective delivery of aid to Haiti to work on all the issues the member is talking about.

[Johanne Deschamps, Bloc, Laurentides—Labelle, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I understand this anger. I may have touched a nerve and upset the hon. Conservative member a bit.

I would nonetheless like to remind him of the numbers I mentioned in my speech. There is currently a cholera crisis and the number of deaths increase every day. In response to this epidemic, we are told that aid is trickling in and the UN says it has received only $5 million of the $164 million promised by the international community over a year ago.

In a few days we will be marking this sad anniversary, a tragedy that affected an entire people, an earthquake. Money was promised a year ago and we are reaffirming our commitment to support the Haitian people, but the money is not getting there.

On March 31, 2010, and in July 2010, the government promised it would provide $400 million over the next two years. The money is not needed two years from now; it is needed right now, primarily to eradicate the cholera. It is all well and fine to install and train police officers and build prisons, but we have to think about feeding, caring for and housing these people.

[Paul Dewar, NDP, Ottawa Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I have a question for the hon. member from the Bloc Québécois.

There is a great deal of discussion about the election results, but the debate here is not enough to resolve the situation, particularly the role of the community on the ground in planning the reconstruction of Haiti.

Is Canada providing enough support to Haitian civil society?

[Johanne Deschamps, Bloc, Laurentides—Labelle, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I very much appreciate my colleague's question, but I would have preferred that it be clearer. Perhaps I would have better understood the gist of his question. I believe it has to do with how the government can conduct the elections underway in Haiti in a democratic process.

As I mentioned, Haitians are entitled to have a democratically elected president, one who would be mandated by the people to address the major challenges faced by Haiti.

The country's situation since the January earthquake has exacerbated the needs of the people who are waiting for humanitarian aid and health care. People are still living in makeshift camps. The conditions are such that, on the eve of the election, the people are worn out and tired; they want tangible results. All they are asking for is a bit of peace and prosperity.

[Paul Dewar, NDP, Ottawa Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I will be sharing my time with the member for Outremont.

Why are we here tonight? To start with, we are here to discuss Canada's role in Haiti after the devastating earthquake that reduced much of its capital, Port-au-Prince, to rubble and displaced many Haitians. To give members an idea, this was the worst earthquake in the region in more than 200 years. The estimated total cost of the disaster was between $7.2 billion and $13.2 billion, based on a death toll of anywhere from 200,000 to 250,000 people. In fact, there have been numbers later revised up to 300,000 people. Crushed buildings from the January earthquake still spill out onto the sidewalks. There is a cholera epidemic that has killed more than 1,000 people and stoked violent demonstrations against peacekeepers, and now, on top of all that, an election process that has thrown the country into even further destabilization.

Canadians promised to provide long-term assistance to the Haitian people. Canadians gave generously in order to help the country get back on its feet quickly. The aftermath of the earthquake is now being exacerbated by a cholera epidemic and a questionable electoral process. After the elections, there is the risk of an even greater destabilization of Haiti.

There are three parts to this problem. In the short term, we need to save the lives of those who are threatened by cholera. In the medium term, we need to help rebuild basic infrastructure in Haiti. In the long term, we need to focus on rebuilding and strengthening democratic institutions in Haiti with Haitians and not by others.

What does that mean to the current post-election crisis? Canada should engage the political leadership of Haiti to work toward common goals and to stabilize the political situation in Haiti so that the basic fundamental needs of Haitians can be met immediately.

The cholera crisis is horrific. According to the United Nations, 400,000 people might catch it over the next year.

According to Canadian organizations on the ground, the most immediate needs are as follows: a good campaign to educate the people and prevent contagion; the prompt distribution of water purification tablets and soap; the establishment of cholera treatment centres and the training of those who work in them; and safe and respectful transportation of the dead and the holding of suitable funerals.

In the medium term, we need to help Haiti rebuild its basic infrastructure.

In the medium term, we must get on with the construction of housing for the 1.6 million displaced Haitians living in precarious conditions in the camps. It is important that a drinking water system be established.

In the long term, we must focus on the institutions of the country and, above all, on civil society, justice and the participation of women. Never again must the democratic ambitions of Haitians be held back by an electoral process that limits participation and allows abuse to run rampant.

In the long term, we should help rebuild and strengthen Haiti's democratic institutions. No longer should Haitians' democratic ambitions be dampened by an electoral process that limits participation and is open to abuse.

We made a commitment to Haiti, not just after last year's earthquake but before that. What we need to be seized with right now is to ensure the aid and the support that we provide to Haiti is not done to them but is done with them in the spirit of solidarity. What is of concern to many is that for Haitians right now, what they see is a crisis of cholera, an election that is not accepted by many and a world community that seems to be unsure of what to do next.

It is clear what we must do. We must be with the Haitians. We must be absolutely certain that their priorities are met immediately. If this is just about gamesmanship, if this is just about trying to put our guy in power, then it will fail miserably.

I will urge the government, as will many in our party, to be vigilant as to what our goal is in Haiti. It is to support the people, and we must engage our diaspora community to do that. We have an untapped resource with people of the diaspora community in Montreal, Ottawa and throughout the country. They are clear about what they want to see. They want to see Canada take a leadership role to provide the stability that is necessary so we can get on with the work, in the short term, of saving lives; in the medium term, of helping rebuild the critical infrastructure that is required, not only from the earthquake but before that; and, in the long term, that we focus our energies and our support on rebuilding civil society so that it will be a country that will be able to have a democratic election, that will no longer be open to abuse, that will have important institutions and that will be able to withstand the conflicts that can occur.

Those are the things that we need to see. We hope our government is playing a leadership role and that it is doing what we have done best in Canada, which is playing an honest broker role to find the pathway to solutions. If Canada seizes that opportunity, not only will it have the full support of our party but I am sure of all Canadians. Most important, if we are able to provide that time-honoured Canadian value of finding that pathway, then we will have the support and the welcome of the Haitian people.

[Deepak Obhrai, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and to the Minister of International Cooperation]

Mr. Speaker, I am a little disturbed by the NDP member's intervention, specifically on two main issues.

First, he said that the international community did not know where it was going. I would like to tell him that we actually do know where we are going. The Minister of Foreign Affairs, including the international affairs committee, are working toward ensuring that the aid is best utilized in Haiti.

Second, he talked about something that was even more disturbing. He wanted to know whether this was gamesmanship or whether we would put "our guy in power". What does he mean by "our guy in power”? What guy is he talking about?

We are talking about a fair and democratic election, if he had listened to the Minister of Foreign Affairs. Who is "our guy in power" that he is talking about?

[Paul Dewar, NDP, Ottawa Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I was hoping that the parliamentary secretary was listening carefully. I said that I hoped that was not the case. He should listen to his minister because the minister was concerned about the outcome of the election and he was fairly up front about his concerns about electoral fraud.

I am not sure what the parliamentary secretary was listening to but I will be clear. What we want to see is Canada being a partner with the Haitian people. What we have seen in the past when it comes to Haiti is that governments, and not necessarily just Canadian governments but governments internationally back in the history of France and the United States, have used Haiti.

Members know the history. This is a country that threw off the shackles of slavery. It is fiercely independent. It does not need to be told how to run its affairs. It needs no lessons from us. What it needs is partnership and solidarity. That was my point and that is my point for the parliamentary secretary.

[Denis Coderre, Liberal, Bourassa, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the hon. member for Ottawa Centre for his speech. We are on the same side, which is important.

Canada and Haiti do not have any historic differences. Not only is Canada a full partner, but the Government of Quebec is as well, given that Haiti and Quebec have French in common through la Francophonie. Clearly, we are working with them. We agree with the diagnosis: we must save lives. Unfortunately, more deaths have occurred as a result of the violence and instability.

I would like us to look at possible solutions to this problem together, since that is the purpose of this debate. I believe that the Canadian military left Haiti too soon. The DART should have remained in Haiti longer. Should we send the DART back to Haiti? Does he think that additional soldiers should be sent to help resolve the safety issues and bring about the desired peace? What does he propose we do to help resolve the current election problem? Should we get involved? Should the election be done over? What does he want to do?

[Paul Dewar, NDP, Ottawa Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, my question for the minister was along this line. With respect to the elections, it is very important for Canada to be absolutely engaged in what the potential solutions are, everything from having a full runoff to looking at an interim proposal of a unity government. However, that of course must to come from the Haitians. We can only try to coordinate it and support it.

On the DART and the military, I am not as sold on them as my colleague is. After the earthquake, there was a role for them. What I am hearing from the NGOs on the ground is that they require resources that can get pushed throughout the country and that the DART may not be the best value for money. With regard to more military, I would like to see political solutions to stabilize things on the ground and I am not sure we need to add more troops to that equation at this time.

[Thomas Mulcair, NDP, Outremont, QC]

Mr. Speaker, first, I would like to thank my friend and colleague from Ottawa Centre who shared his time with me during this very important debate.

I would like to congratulate the member for Bourassa. Although we are from different political parties, some subjects transcend the normal partisanship in the House and the situation in Haiti is one of them. With the hon. member for Bourassa and the hon. member for Jeanne-Le Ber, who came up with the idea, we have a committee made up of Canadian parliamentarians who are trying to begin to ensure that Canada's action on this issue is as relevant and meaningful as possible.

That is why I am a bit confused by the off-putting and even aggressive tone we are hearing from the government side. This is very inappropriate for an emergency debate centred on finding solutions. We are not here to use that sort of tone. The Haitian people, courageous and proud people, have already experienced enough tragedy this year. Now is the time to engage in sober reflection and to begin to find solutions that will be beneficial in the long term.

My colleague clearly summarized the issue: our current number one priority must be to continue to save lives. It does not make any sense. We are in the most economically developed part of the world. We live in the western hemisphere, what we call North and South America and western Europe. Nevertheless, in one country, hundreds of thousands of people are at risk of catching a disease that we thought had been relegated to the pages of history books: cholera. A number of people have already died from this disease. I know that Canada is doing its part. The government responded quickly and made sure that the public knew what it was doing. It proposed a fairly large fund in order to match any donations made by the public. This was an excellent way to go about it. But where are we now, almost a year later? That is the question we need to be asking ourselves.

The elections have been much talked about. Let us take a hard look at the facts. We can talk about building democratic institutions, but if we are in Haiti to try to find a solution, then holding the elections in relative calm to ensure reliable results should have been a priority. That does not seem to have been the case, though. It is all well and good for the minister to say that he might not allow the result if something is found to have happened. Clearly, from what we have seen, heard and read, there were major problems with the election. But we need to remember that Haiti was the first country to free itself from slavery, so the last thing we want to do is treat Haiti like a colony.

Haiti is and always will be free to make its own choices, even though we are all trying to help as best we can. Like everyone, I deplore the fact that the election results are ambiguous. At least, we cannot know whether the announcement that was made is accurate. But let us be clear: it is not up to Canada to decide for Haiti. The time for Canada to act was before the election, not after. We should have said we had resources, we would provide others as well, and we would bring in people who could organize and structure an election process that was as probative and reliable as possible.The thing to do is not to take action after the fact. In a way, what we are doing is blaming the victims, which is not the best approach. Even though Canada has done many very good things from the outset, this was not our finest hour. The minister launched an all-out attack on the ambiguous outcome, but that ambiguity is largely the fault of the government, which did not do enough with the other allies there.

We must also start to rebuild. We must work with the civil society. Although I applaud the fact that the government created a fund to match public contributions, the public still needs objective information on the NGOs and groups that are transferring all of that money to Haiti.

Last year, I was disturbed to see some groups make official claims that people could come to them and trust them with respect to Haiti. They said that the money contributed would help Haiti but also other good causes in the world. I absolutely want them to support other causes, but the people who want to specifically help Haiti must have adequate information on the charities and NGOs that are managing all of this money to get through a crisis that is unique in the history of this part of the world.

In the long term, we must help Haiti build its capacity in terms of infrastructure and governance. When I talk about infrastructure in a country that has experienced so many natural disasters in recent years, such as flooding and the earthquake that is the main issue today, we understand that general healthiness, something we have taken for granted for centuries, is not guaranteed there. Furthermore, hundreds of thousands of people still live in makeshift camps and are still dealing with terrible weather conditions.

Clearly, Canada can continue to do its part. Earlier, my colleague from Bourassa mentioned that a specific part of the armed forces may have left too soon. In any event, there are certainly solutions, and this might be the time to advocate for our priorities. They are wondering if the election is a priority. Perhaps they should have had the resources in place to avoid ambiguity and the current dispute. If soldiers and military personnel are being sent to a place like Haiti, it means that it is considered to be a priority relative to other activities.

That is unfortunate. In the House, we decided to pull our soldiers out of Afghanistan in 2011. We would have liked that to have happened earlier. However, when the 2011 deadline was set, it was known that troops would be leaving Afghanistan at that time. Instead of having these men and women at our disposal to do this work in Haiti, thousands of them will still be in Afghanistan in the years ahead. That demonstrates how the government makes its choices and sets its priorities.

The New Democratic Party feels that civil society has made the necessary effort. In Montreal, teams of men and women were trained by health and social service centres in the greater metropolitan area to ensure respect for the specific cultural context of those arriving, many of them in an advanced state of distress. Teams of psychologists greeted them at the airport, sometimes at 2 or 3 o'clock in the morning. The public responded, and Canadians expressed a heartfelt desire to help their Haitian brothers and sisters. It is a top priority for all of us.

Now we need to keep our promises. We have to set our priorities and continue to help.

[Deepak Obhrai, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and to the Minister of International Cooperation]

Mr. Speaker, the member for Bourassa on many occasions talked about sending DART to Haiti. The NDP is not yet sure whether DART is the answer.

I would like to remind both members that the Minister of International Cooperation had announced about two or three weeks ago a new initiative where Red Cross NGOs would get enough funding to prepare a medical team that could be used for emergencies like the cholera emergency in Haiti. This new Government of Canada initiative would work toward addressing the concerns of the member.

I hope he supports the initiative as this is the NGO he talked about, and it has the expertise. The Red Cross could go to Haiti, or any other disaster area that required medical assistance, not reconstruction assistance, which is what this would be for. I hope we have the member's support for that.

[Thomas Mulcair, NDP, Outremont, QC]

Mr. Speaker, certainly the International Committee of the Red Cross is part of the solution. There is no doubt about that; they are welcome. In fact, it was one of the groups that was at the forefront when the crisis began. We know that historically, the Red Cross is always there when serious problems arise on the international scene and in natural disasters such as an earthquake, a tsunami, and so on.

Whether it be the Disaster Assistance Response Team, DART, a specialized team we have already withdrawn, or another form of aid from Canada, if my colleague is talking about what happened a few weeks ago, part of the crisis we are talking about today, that is that a few weeks ago what was wanted was for the International Committee of the Red Cross to do more work and for it to be our partner NGO, Canada was already there. Yes, there is the humanitarian crisis and the cholera epidemic, but the emphasis should have been put on organizing a clean and credible election and making that a priority. Not casting stones later, as the government side is doing today.

[Denis Coderre, Liberal, Bourassa, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I also find it unfortunate that the parliamentary secretary is altering the tone a little. In the beginning, things were going well. We are not here to say that things are coming along and a solution has been proposed; rather, we are here to ask what we can do immediately to resolve the situation. One of the problems is the ongoing sanitation crisis in Haiti. There are open latrines. That is a fact. Basic needs are not even being met. In addition, there is an atmosphere of violence.

I asked the member from Ottawa Centre about this, and now perhaps the member for Outremont could tell us about his own solutions. We have a decision to make now to stabilize the situation. At the moment, MINUSTAH is having problems. We have to help the NGOs do their job.

In concrete terms, how would he guarantee security so the NGOs can do their job?

[Thomas Mulcair, NDP, Outremont, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the very first priority is health. The description given by the member for Bourassa echoes what we hear when we meet with the groups: that they are not able to handle basic sanitation issues. That has to be the first priority. It goes hand in hand with the question of security. If people feel they are in that vulnerable a situation, they may have nothing left to lose, and that affects the situation.

As well, by giving priority to organizing a proper first election round whose results everyone could have accepted, the violence of recent days could perhaps have been avoided. However, that has been added to everything else, because it was not made a priority and nobody got organized to set a different timetable. That is a problem that Canada contributed to by failing to prioritize what it should have prioritized.

I want to stress one point. Whether it be DART or something else, there are very high calibre people in our military, but if our priority is to be in a combat mission in Afghanistan, there will not be enough people physically left to do the rest of the work in the case of crises like in Haiti.

[Bev Oda, Conservative, Minister of International Cooperation]

Mr. Speaker, our government is very concerned about the recent events taking place in Haiti, the most impoverished country in the Americas even before this past January. Our thoughts continue to be with the people of Haiti as they struggle with each destabilizing event that they face.

The Government of Canada and the people of Canada remain committed to helping the Haitian people as they rebuild their lives after the earthquake and are now fighting the cholera epidemic, and peaceful political dialogue is essential for Haiti to emerge from the current political crisis. Canada calls on all individuals involved in the Haiti electoral process to prioritize peace and the best interests of the population. Allow me to bring the House up to date on our development work in Haiti.

First, since the terrible earthquake, Canada has responded swiftly and effectively with immediate humanitarian assistance including food aid for 4.4 million people and emergency housing and supplies for 2.2 million people. Since then, we have responded to the critical needs caused by the cholera epidemic. While the recent political unrest has caused some disruption in providing medical care to those affected, the rate of infection is finally slowing.

On December 2, the Pan American Health Organization said that in-hospital case fatality rates have dropped from 9% at the beginning of the outbreak to 3.2% now. We must continue to work to stabilize the spread of disease and prevent further deaths.

With 11 months having passed since the earthquake, we can say that progress is being made in Haiti; however, the process of rebuilding will be slow. The pace of reconstruction left many more vulnerable to the onset of cholera. Medical experts estimate that Haiti will have approximately 400,000 cases of cholera over the next year, with 200,000 cases occurring over the next three months.

Northern Haiti remains the area with the highest caseload. Hastened by inadequate sanitary conditions in many parts of Haiti after the earthquake, the devastating progress of the disease grew worse because of the heavy rains brought on by Hurricane Tomas. Now in addition, civil unrest in the north since November 15 has unfortunately slowed some activities in response to the outbreak. I cannot emphasize strongly enough that the situation in Haiti remains very serious. Canada is working with all who are on the ground in Haiti to respond to these multiple challenges.

Before I give some examples of what Canada is helping to achieve, I would like to inform the Speaker that I am splitting my time with the member for Beauport—Limoilou.

The Canadian International Development Agency is working with five experienced partners in response to the UN appeal for assistance. These partners are the Pan American Health Organization or PAHO, UNICEF, World Vision Canada, Médecins du Monde Canada and Oxfam Canada. They are working together to ensure that Haitians benefit from coordinated, effective and proven interventions that get to the people who need it.

There are currently some 70 organizations coordinated through the UN-led health cluster responding to the epidemic. PAHO is overseeing the coordination, establishing cholera treatment centres, providing technical assistance to help authorities and implementing disease surveillance. UNICEF is coordinating the national water and sanitation response and material and logistical support for the treatment centres, training national health care workers, providing sanitation services for schools in residential child care facilities, as well as implementing a national information campaign on cholera prevention measures.

Oxfam-Québec is providing emergency water and sanitation service for health facilities and affected communities. With the Government of Canada's support, World Vision Canada will provide up to 120,000 cholera patients with life-saving treatment in specialized health facilities and provide additional families with access to clean water and the necessary supplies to slow the spread of cholera in Port-au-Prince, La Gonave and along the border with the Dominican Republic.

Médecins du Monde Canada will establish rehydration and cholera treatment centres in Cité Soleil. It will also provide further training on cholera treatment and prevention measures to community-based and hospital health workers. CIDA is also working with partners on the ground previously funded for earthquake relief to respond to the cholera epidemic.

I am pleased that, after our request, the Canadian Red Cross has deployed part of its newly-created emergency field hospital, created with CIDA's support, to Haiti. The treatment centre is now up and running in Port-au-Prince with Canadian health professionals.

As the first of its kind in the Americas, it is already providing a timely response to urgent needs. Services are being provided through cholera treatment centres, treatment units and oral rehydration centres. Individual and community-based prevention measures such as the distribution of soap, water purification tablets and rehydration salts are ongoing. Tens of thousands of litres of chlorinated water are being sent to affected areas.

I remind the House that Haiti was the poorest country in the Americas prior to the earthquake. When the earthquake hit, it was devastating; 26 out of 28 government department buildings were destroyed, thousands of people lost their homes and livelihoods, children lost their schools, medical facilities were lost as well as basic services and infrastructure, and roads were not passable. The poorest situations existed before the earthquake and then came the cholera epidemic.

The cholera epidemic is now being fought by all NGOs that are there currently working on the earthquake as well as the cholera epidemic. There is a capacity problem. There is again a problem with the destruction of infrastructure and facilities and a medical system that is virtually all being provided by the international community. Canada continues to work within the model set out internationally and agreed to by the government of Haiti, a sovereign country.

I can assure everyone that the Government of Canada continues to monitor the situation very closely to help ensure that the needs are being met even under these most difficult circumstances.

[Denis Coderre, Liberal, Bourassa, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to believe the minister, and I do not have a problem with her statistics. The problem is that I am still receiving calls from Port-au-Prince, and it seems that the actual situation on the ground is not entirely consistent with what we want to be happening. This is one of the major problems.

I have been told, for example, that in Port-au-Prince, only representatives from Doctors Without Borders have vehicles because the others cannot not leave their homes as a result of the violence. I was also told that two UN helicopters had brought 3,000 tons of medication to two regions of the country but that there are still major problems.

My questions are for the minister. There are many things that we would like to do, but how can she be sure that these things are actually going to be done on the ground? How can we, as Canadians, help with the significant health crisis currently being experienced in Haiti? Does she think that her point of view is a bit optimistic and perhaps not entirely realistic? How does she conduct her checks and balances?

[Bev Oda, Conservative, Durham, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for the question because I share his concerns.

This is why we receive daily reports. We receive reports not only from our mission in Haiti but also from the partners with whom we are working.

To describe the challenge, when I asked the Canadian Red Cross, in a new field hospital, to send a unit there to help with the treatment of cholera, they had to send someone. The very next day two people were sent down to talk to the Government of Haiti as to the best place to have it located. They had to work with the local community.

We know some of the challenges. Cholera is new to this population, so they are unaware of the disease itself. Time has to be spent in the communities explaining that there is going to be a treatment centre. In some of the more remote areas, they believe that bringing in a treatment centre means bringing cholera to the community. This does take time.

Transportation has to be arranged. The field unit is now being manned by Canadian professionals who responded to the call. Each of the 170 treatment centres that are in Haiti now had to go through the same process.

We are receiving reports as to how much medicine and how many clients they are seeing every day. We are hopeful that the statistics coming out will show that we may be slowing the progress down, and hopefully we will be able to stabilize very shortly.

Unfortunately, the member is quite right; the ability of our workers and the workers of the various organizations who are on the ground to provide care requires safety. We would not be able to provide any medical care unless we could assure the safety of the people who are there to offer that help.

Consequently we have groups working on safety logistics, infrastructure, health, treatment, and all of this is being coordinated to the best of our abilities. We are calling for peace. We are calling for stability.

We are very concerned that if we do not manage the cholera epidemic, things will only get—

[The Acting Speaker, Barry Devolin]

Order. Questions and comments. The hon. member for Bourassa, a short question please.

[Denis Coderre, Liberal, Bourassa, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to have the minister's point of view on the report from the doctor in France regarding the sources of cholera.

Does the minister believe it is accurate? What is Canada's position on that report?

[Bev Oda, Conservative, Durham, ON]

Mr. Speaker, there was speculation early on when the cholera outbreak struck.

We were getting reports from the United Nations and from the World Health Organization, PAHO. We have just recently read a report saying it is coming from South Asia. By identifying the strain, they are better able to provide the needed treatment.

[Sylvie Boucher, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary for Status of Women]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to be taking part in this important debate about Canada's commitment in Haiti and to discuss strengthening its institutions.

In 2006, I had the unforgettable opportunity to act as a short-term observer in Port-au-Prince during the parliamentary election. Seeing such a poor country was culture shock for me. Following the earthquake on January 12, the international community was quick to respond to the Haitian people's immediate needs. The Montreal conference last January demonstrated that the international community and Haitian government acknowledged the mistakes of the past and wanted to start fresh.

The adoption of the Montreal principles confirmed this desire to take a different approach to building a new Haiti. The action plan presented by the Haitian government at the New York conference in March was another step in this direction, as it identified the priorities for rebuilding Haiti.

The Haitian people often express their lack of trust in Haitian authorities. This displeasure is due to the government's inability to provide basic services, chronic political instability and the authorities' inability to fight corruption. There is also the issue of brain drain. In fact, the government struggles to keep university graduates in the public service because of more attractive opportunities with international organizations in Haiti or abroad.

The earthquake only exacerbated the situation. In fact, nearly 30% of the public service was killed and 40% of the country's infrastructure was destroyed, including many government buildings.

In a situation such as that in Haiti currently, international aid is quite often given directly to NGOs rather than to the government, which hinders the Haitian government's ability to develop its capacities and carry out its responsibilities towards its people. We need to reverse this trend.

The democratic process is also the key to restoring public confidence in Haitian institutions. That is why the current elections in the country represent a significant milestone for Canada. The new government will be leading the country through the next critical phase. That is why it is so important for Canada that the Haitian political players take their responsibilities and make a firm commitment toward democratic principles, namely respect for the integrity of the electoral process.

Eleven months after the earthquake, justice and security system reform are the core of Canada's commitment. We are the top donors to Haiti's correctional system reform. The Department of Foreign Affairs, through the Stabilization and Reconstruction Task Force, has allocated $51 million for projects in support of security system reform in Haiti since 2006. The average annual allocation of $15 million has been increased to $25 million for 2010-11.

Despite these investments, major gaps remain. The capacity of the Haitian national police force was reinforced, but it still depends largely on support from MINUSTAH. The legal system also has major shortcomings. Many unwarranted preventive detention cases are being filed because of a lack of infrastructure, material resources and qualified staff.

The deployment of up to 150 Canadian police officers to MINUSTAH and the renovation and construction of new institutions to provide adequate detention space for prisoners are among the measures Canada has taken to improve the situation.

Canada also plays a leading role in border control by providing equipment, infrastructure and training.

Canada also supports various work and training initiatives for people wanting to take part in the reconstruction.

These initiatives also serve to strengthen co-operation among the community, the Haitian national police and MINUSTAH.

Haiti has always been vulnerable to natural disasters and epidemics, a situation that has been exacerbated by the government's inability to provide the public with basic services. Haitian social services are the most privatized in the Americas. Over 80% of basic services, particularly education and health services, are provided through NGOs and the private sector. The current cholera epidemic demonstrates the importance of implementing a health care system that is able to meet the public's basic needs.

It is encouraging to note that, during the current crisis, the department of public health and population has been able to demonstrate a certain amount of leadership, within its jurisdiction, in coordinating the response to the crisis. However, the Government of Canada is still deeply concerned by the continuing spread of cholera in Haiti. The number of people affected by this epidemic once again demonstrates the importance of international support.

The Government of Canada reacted quickly by contributing $7 million to organizations on the ground. This makes Canada one of the leading donor countries in the fight against cholera in Haiti. We will continue to maintain contact with Haitian government officials and humanitarian partners working in Haiti.

In conclusion, with regard to Haiti's future, it is important to reconcile the pressure to obtain quick results with the need to strengthen the capacities of the Haitian state. Although it is important to achieve quick results in some sectors, strengthening Haiti's institutions will be a difficult process that is bound to take time. Canada will monitor the situation closely to ensure that these two aspects remain on the agenda.

I would like to wish Canadian observers the best of luck during these violent times in both the short and long terms.