Debates of May 17th, 2017

Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development—Main Estimates, 2016-17

[Marie-Claude Bibeau, Liberal, Compton—Stanstead, QC]

Mr. Chair, after conducting an in-depth analysis of the situation concerning the development finance institute, the DFI, we concluded that it would be best to establish DFI as a subsidiary of Export Development Canada in the interest of effectiveness and efficiency, given that EDC has expertise that we can leverage.

This Export Development Canada subsidiary will have its own board of directors and its own CEO, guided by a mandate focused on development. We know that Export Development Canada legally reports to the Minister of International Trade, but we work together and are complementary. I can guarantee that DFI's mandate is truly to ensure positive outcomes in development with private investment.

[Dean Allison, Conservative, Niagara West, ON]

Mr. Chair, will the DFI be guided by a mandate letter to formalize the authorization? When can we expect this mandate letter to be delivered to EDC?

[Marie-Claude Bibeau, Liberal, Compton—Stanstead, QC]

Mr. Chair, I cannot say whether that will be outlined in a mandate letter, but there will be a well-defined mandate. We are currently in a period of transition and implementation. Certain directives have been issued. We will share more of that information on another occasion.

[The Assistant Deputy Chair, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

I must remind members that the Standing Orders stipulate that the answer must be the same length as the question. I know that this is not always easy, but it is something that members should perhaps consider.

The hon. member for Niagara West.

[Dean Allison, Conservative, Niagara West, ON]

Mr. Chair, my final question on the DFI relates to the $300 million, which is not new money but repurposed money. It is coming out of the operations of EDC. Is the $300 million going to be used for operations, such as salaries, or is it going to be used for loans and granting loans? If not, how is is going to capitalize DFI? Is it going to be through private placements or bond issues? What is the thought process to be effective?

Three hundred million dollars is a drop in the bucket, and quite frankly, I would hope there will be other ways to raise money to get this out. It is a very valuable tool. Our government put it forward. I am glad to see the Liberal government has also moved forward with it. It is a great tool in the tool kit when it comes to development.

My question is around the capitalization, because it is very important to determine what kind of effectiveness it will have.

[Marie-Claude Bibeau, Liberal, Compton—Stanstead, QC]

Mr. Chair, we consider the $300 million to be starting capital. Over the years, we will have the opportunity to see how this new tool is working and the results it is producing. We have a lot of confidence in it.

The goal is to get the private sector interested in investing in developing countries and to make sure that those investments are made in keeping with all the rules and with the values that Canadians hold dear. We also want to ensure that these investments have a real impact on development. We therefore have to take the necessary time to assess the situation and determine whether to increase funding.

I also want to assure members that we are very committed to finding new funding mechanisms and engaging in financing innovation. I know I can count on the co-operation of our Canadian ambassador to the United Nations, who co-chairs a committee on financing sustainable development goals.

[Dean Allison, Conservative, Niagara West, ON]

Mr. Chair, I would like to talk a bit about UNRWA. I know it will not come as a surprise as we have talked about it in the House. Since November 2015, how much funding has the Government of Canada provided to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency?

[Marie-Claude Bibeau, Liberal, Compton—Stanstead, QC]

Mr. Chair, we renewed the general funding for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East and are allocating $20 million to that cause, including $5 million specifically for humanitarian aid.

[Dean Allison, Conservative, Niagara West, ON]

Mr. Chair, what specific benefit to Canadian taxpayers does the government expect to gain for providing funding to UNRWA?

[Marie-Claude Bibeau, Liberal, Compton—Stanstead, QC]

Mr. Chair, I would like to remind my colleagues that my mandate involves refocusing Canada’s development assistance on helping the poorest and most vulnerable. There is no doubt that Palestinian refugees are among the world's poorest and most vulnerable. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East is the only agency that provides humanitarian assistance to that group.

[Dean Allison, Conservative, Niagara West, ON]

Mr. Chair, I do not think anyone disagrees that the Palestinians need help and should receive it. I guess the challenge lies in what exactly UNRWA is doing and how it is delivering its aid.

I have the February 2 report from the UN Watch, entitled, “Poisoning Palestinian Children A Report on UNRWA Teachers’ Incitement to Jihadist Terrorism and Antisemitism”. I will read from the report. It is a teacher of UNRWA. I will read what his page says exactly, so we can take this out of theoretical and into the practical. It says:

Good news to the Zionist settlers, choose your preferred method of death, and we will provide it.

Run over, knife, screw, axe, hammer, choke, hang, skinning, cutting

The offer stands until Palestine is free.

Is this really a good use of Canadian taxpayer dollars?

[Marie-Claude Bibeau, Liberal, Compton—Stanstead, QC]

Mr. Chair, once again, I would like to remind the House that this is the only United Nations agency helping Palestinian refugees. Since Canada renewed its funding to the agency, there has been a vast improvement in terms of follow-up and monitoring, including with respect to school books.

Our funding has paid for training for employees, managers, and teachers, and for background checks for employees in finance. We are following up on the school books issue. Our participation is making changes possible.

[Marie-Claude Bibeau, Liberal, Minister of International Development and La Francophonie]

Mr. Chair, I am pleased to be here to present the international assistance provisions in the main estimates. We have also accomplished many things in the past year. That is why I would like to share some thoughts on what we have achieved and our next steps.

My colleague, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, already talked about planned spending on peace and security, climate change, and trade. The $6 billion allocated to international assistance this year includes sizeable contributions to development assistance and humanitarian measures.

Let me give some highlights.

The 2017-18 main estimates includes funding of $2.3 billion for the international development program. Through this program, Global Affairs Canada contributes to reducing poverty and inequality in developing countries, including in fragile contexts, through Canadian, international, and local partners. This year, Global Affairs Canada is implementing a new international assistance policy that protects and promotes the human dignity of the poorest and most vulnerable.

The empowerment of women and girls will be at the heart of Canada's new approach. Canada's international assistance will also support the achievement of the sustainable development goals as part of agenda 2030.

Through our assistance, we will also help developing countries transition to low carbon economies and adapt to climate change. To do so, Canada has committed $2.65 billion over five years. This year, $41.3 million will be used to target developing countries to help them address the impact of climate change through the climate fund for the private sector in Asia.

The 2017-18 main estimates further includes funding of $726.4 million for the international humanitarian assistance program. Through this program, Global Affairs Canada reduces the vulnerability of people in crisis situations, such as during armed conflicts, acute food insecurity, and natural disasters by providing timely and appropriate funding for food, water, shelter, protection, and other humanitarian assistance.

Canada also plays a key role in addressing the ongoing crisis in the Middle East. As part of our three-year commitment of $1.6 billion to the region, we will provide $200.3 million this year in bilateral development programming and humanitarian assistance to help address the crisis in Iraq and Syria. This funding will help those hardest hit by the conflict, by giving them access to food, shelter, health care, water, sanitation, and hygiene, as well as protection and emergency education.

Our investments are linked to the mandate the Prime Minister gave me, namely, to refocus Canada’s international assistance on helping the poorest and most vulnerable people, and supporting fragile states. To that end, our government has already begun a major shift, which specifically involves putting women and girls at the heart of Canada’s new approach.

I would like to point out a few of our recent achievements that illustrate this shift. First of all, we ensured that our efforts in the area of maternal, newborn, and child health are evidence- and outcome-driven. That is why I asked our partners to include a full range of sexual and reproductive health services in their programming. This includes contraception, family planning, and safe and legal abortion services as well as post-abortion care.

In order to bridge the gaps that prevent women and girls from accessing these services, on March 8, the Prime Minister and I announced an investment of $650 million over three years. The programs that will benefit from this funding will help prevent and respond to sexual and gender-based violence, including child, early and forced marriage and female genital mutilation. They will also help support women's right to choose safe and legal abortions and access to post-abortion care.

Through our partnerships, we are also making Canada a leader in development in the area of innovation, transparency, and efficiency. In that regard, Canada was elected chair of the International Aid Transparency Initiative.

We are also working closely with the Minister of Finance in order to develop innovative funding mechanisms by creating new partnerships, especially with the private sector. In that regard, we have just launched the new development finance institute, which has a $300-million envelope.

In partnership with small and medium-sized companies, this institute will fund projects to stimulate economic growth, create jobs, and foster women's empowerment, the ultimate goal being to reduce poverty.

In conjunction with this type of initiative, Canada is also engaged in supporting inclusive and responsible governance, peaceful pluralism, respect, diversity, and human rights. We will also be involved in the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie in order to provide millions of youth with prospects that will help them integrate into and fully participate in society.

Canada recognizes that the global context for international assistance has changed. This is why we need to adjust our response accordingly. To do so, soon after being named Minister of International Development, I launched a review of Canada's international assistance, the most significant review in the last 25 years.

More than 15,000 people from across Canada and in more than 65 countries contributed to these consultations in person or online. We carefully reviewed all of the input we received and summarized what we heard in an online report last December. I can summarize this report in less than 10 words, in three points: human dignity, building local capacity, and focus on women and girls.

These consultations strengthened our willingness to adopt a feminist approach in development.

Over the coming weeks, I will have the opportunity to share with the House our new feminist international assistance policy. By all accounts, gender equality leads to significant and positive change for entire communities. This new policy reflects who we are as Canadians, an inclusive and open people ready to do our fair share.

We know that the time has come for a policy shift. Together with our partners, we have a collective duty to meet the international challenges that no longer know any borders because those challenges have an impact on the lives of Canadians. By working for a better world, by combatting epidemics or climate change, and by welcoming refugee families fleeing war and conflict, we are working for and with Canadians for a healthier, safer, and more prosperous world for future generations.

When it comes time to help women, men, and children faced with unprecedented humanitarian challenges, I believe that every party in the House shares the same values of compassion and generosity that compel us to play an active role on the international stage. Canada's international assistance is a vital tool that allows us to share these values and elevate and protect human dignity.

[Celina Caesar-Chavannes, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Development]

Mr. Chair, I want to thank the minister for her remarks. Obviously, the key message in her intervention was refocusing assistance on the poorest and most vulnerable, and more precisely, on women and girls.

The previous government's initiatives focused on mothers, newborns, and child health, MNCH, which I will be referring to in future questions. I would like to commend my colleague opposite for this initiative, because I think that we would all agree that it is really important.

I note that the minister has maintained this initiative, but she also mentioned the need to close gaps. Could the minister be more specific on how she has gone about closing these gaps?

[Marie-Claude Bibeau, Liberal, Compton—Stanstead, QC]

Mr. Chair, I would like to start by thanking my colleague, the parliamentary secretary, for her contribution to our effort to refocus international assistance. I also thank her for the question, which is very important to both of us.

Indeed, we recognize the importance of the initiative on maternal, newborn, and child health that we are pursuing. We have decided to broaden our commitment with an additional $650-million contribution for the three remaining years of this initiative to ensure that our partners can truly provide the entire range of sexual and reproductive health services, which includes sexual education for girls and boys, family planning, provision of birth control methods, legal and safe abortion, and post-abortion care. It is really important to us to continue with this initiative and provide the entire broad range of sexual and reproductive health services to this population.

[Celina Caesar-Chavannes, Liberal, Whitby, ON]

Mr. Chair, I understand that the $650 million directed toward the sexual and reproductive health and rights commitment, or SRHR, will build on and address gaps in the previous MNCH commitment by protecting and promoting SRHR of women and adolescent girls.

What does the new funding seek to achieve, and what else is Canada doing to support SRHR?

[Marie-Claude Bibeau, Liberal, Compton—Stanstead, QC]

Mr. Chair, currently, 225 million women worldwide have an unmet need for modern contraception, and there are more than four million unintended pregnancies every year. Twenty-two million women and girls put their lives at risk annually by undergoing unsafe abortions. The SRHR investment will contribute to the attainment of SDG target 3.7, which is ensuring universal access to sexual and reproductive health care services.

We also want to help enable 120 million more women and adolescent girls to access contraception by 2020. Canada will also join the Ouagadougou Partnership, which aims to accelerate progress in the use of family planning services.

[Celina Caesar-Chavannes, Liberal, Whitby, ON]

Mr. Chair, my question is for the minister.

We know that AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria are the leading causes of death in developing countries. These epidemics have a disproportionate impact on the world's poorest, but especially on women and girls, who are still the most affected by new HIV infections.

In 2014, tuberculosis killed 1.5 million people, including 480,000 women and 140,000 children. Currently, half the world's population is at risk of malaria. I would like to know what Canada is doing to fight effectively against these diseases. More precisely, how do we make sure that our efforts benefit the most vulnerable?

[Marie-Claude Bibeau, Liberal, Compton—Stanstead, QC]

Mr. Chair, Canada showed real leadership at the global fund’s fifth replenishment conference.

We managed to bring together donor nations, private partners, and the countries that receive assistance but are an integral part of the fight to wipe out AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria. We are very proud to have raised $13 million for this cause.

What is particularly interesting about the global fund is that it requires partner countries to invest in health systems in the developing world as well as to strengthen the governance of their own ministries of health. This has a double benefit. We are able to fight these diseases while improving governance in our partner countries.

[Celina Caesar-Chavannes, Liberal, Whitby, ON]

Mr. Chair, how is Canada approaching the notion of increasing its partnership to attract new sources of funds for development issues?

[Marie-Claude Bibeau, Liberal, Compton—Stanstead, QC]

Mr. Chair, we talked about Canada’s development finance institute, which is a concrete example of the efforts we are making to encourage the private sector to contribute to economic growth within the developing world.

[Gerry Ritz, Conservative, Battlefords—Lloydminster, SK]

Mr. Chair, it is indeed a pleasure to be on this side. I had the opportunity to be over there a couple of times when we were in government. I was thinking too, Mr. Chair, that if you moved up to this end of the table, we might not forget you as often as we do when you are sitting away down there. I will try to remember you.

Most of my discussion will be based around questions, but I might get off on a tirade every once in a while, so bear with me.

Before I move on to the trade files, I just want to drill down a bit further on a case that my friend from Thornhill brought up, the case of John Chang and Allison Lu. This is not a consular case, and I guess I say that with impunity because consular officials have gone to visit Mr. Chang only on a quarterly basis, every three months. It is basically a trade case.

The allegation is that he under-reported the value of the wine that he was bringing into China. He has been doing this for six years, so he knows the program. He is a Canadian of Chinese descent, so I guess they are reprogramming him more than anything else.

When the minister stands and talks about an integral part of all their discussions being due process, human rights, security, and rule of law, does that not apply then to Canadians who find themselves in these types of situations?

[Chrystia Freeland, Liberal, University—Rosedale, ON]

Mr. Chair, I was hoping that the first question from the member for Battlefords—Lloydminster would be for me, because it is very rare that I disagree with my colleague, the Minister of International Trade, and rarer still that I disagree with him and agree with the member for Battlefords—Lloydminster. However, I must say that the Minister of International Trade suggested that very many Canadians were watching us all here tonight, and the member for Battlefords—Lloydminster, sotto voce, suggested that perhaps more were watching the Senators. I popped out earlier and I can inform the member for Battlefords—Lloydminster that when I popped out, they were winning 4-0, which is fantastic.

We had a lot of discussion earlier about CETA, and I want to take this opportunity, with his first question directed to me, to thank the member for Battlefords—Lloydminster personally for the hard work that I know he did on that. Also, there is someone who is not here with us—I do not know if I am allowed to say that—but we should not talk about CETA without also acknowledging the hard work that the member for Abbotsford did on that agreement.

[Gerry Ritz, Conservative, Battlefords—Lloydminster, SK]

Mr. Chair, I will let the minister know that the member for Abbotsford is in hospital today having an operation. He is all heart and he kind of wore it out in these negotiations, but he will be back up and around in no time at all. We know that.

Again, this case, as I say, is not a consular situation. It is based on some concerns on under-reporting the value of these 2,000 cases of wine, and somebody has absconded with them. The family has been working for over a year to try to get someone at Global Affairs to take this seriously. I have been trying for the last number of days and weeks, and I keep getting the same runaround. We get chased around and chased around. We cannot get through to this one, and this one will not return calls, so I can understand their frustration.

He has a court date a week from Friday, and we will never hear from or see him again if we do not intervene now. This is going to take a phone call to the new ambassador to China to say, “Get on your horse, go to Shanghai, and find out what is going on.” There are allegations but never any real charges laid, but it completely contravenes a lot of the WTO agreements we have with China and, of course, the FIPA that we have signed. We can point to issues in there as well.

Will the minister take this seriously and make that call? It is 9:30 in the morning in Beijing. Take a moment, step out, call Ambassador McCallum, and get this under way.

[Chrystia Freeland, Liberal, University—Rosedale, ON]

Mr. Chair, I want to thank the member for Battlefords—Lloydminster for bringing up this case. I am very seized of it. I absolutely am. I am very concerned about the situation of Mr. Chang. My officials are working hard on it as well. I am glad that the hon. member has brought it up. It is very important for us to focus on the status of Canadians abroad. I agree with the hon. member's characterization of the details of this case and want to assure him that we are working hard on it.

He has mentioned a friend of all of us, Ambassador John McCallum. He is doing a great job and working very hard. I am glad that the hon. member shares my confidence that Ambassador McCallum is a person we can rely on to advocate for Canadians in China, and that is what he is doing.