Debates of May 31st, 2021

Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development—Main Estimates, 2021-22

[Heather McPherson, NDP, Edmonton Strathcona, AB]

Mr. Chair, an example of the incoherentness of our foreign policy is when we provide humanitarian funds to Yemen and still sell arms to Saudi Arabia to use against the Yemeni people. In fact, Canada's foreign policy is so incoherent that Canada was condemned by the United Nations for contributing to grave human rights abuses.

Will the government stop selling arms to Saudi Arabia?

[Marc Garneau, Liberal, Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Westmount, QC]

Mr. Chair, I reject the premise of that question. We are providing humanitarian aid to Yemen, a very stricken area. We also have, separately from that, very strict requirements with respect to the export of arms. We are respecting that requirement as well.

[Heather McPherson, NDP, Edmonton Strathcona, AB]

Mr. Chair, does the minister honestly believe that Canada will ever be considered for a Security Council seat and will ever be considered as a legitimate peacekeeper when it fuels conflict and war, as it is doing in the Yemeni conflict?

[Marc Garneau, Liberal, Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Westmount, QC]

Mr. Chair, again, I reject those comments. They are very inflammatory comments about fuelling a war and unrest. I totally reject them.

Canada is a member of the United Nations. Yes, perhaps sometime in the future we will have a seat on the Security Council, but we will continue to work within the United Nations' multilateral body.

[Heather McPherson, NDP, Edmonton Strathcona, AB]

Mr. Chair, according to Human Rights Watch there are 47 Canadians detained in camps in northern Syria. Of those 47, 26 are children. They are innocent Canadian children. They are not responsible for what their parents have done and are being held in deplorable, abhorrent conditions. They have no access to clean water, they have barely enough food and there is no medical care.

They are Canadian citizens. They are children. Will the Liberal government take the necessary steps to repatriate these Canadian children, these Canadian citizens, as soon as possible?

[Marc Garneau, Liberal, Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Westmount, QC]

Mr. Chair, let me be clear: Those children are with parents. Parents have custody of the children. If the parents do not want their children to be separated from them, that is something we need to respect.

[Heather McPherson, NDP, Edmonton Strathcona, AB]

Mr. Chair, the Afghan peace talks are crumbling. There has been an increase in violence. Canada has, of course, contributed an awful lot to Afghanistan over the years. What is the government doing to ensure women and girls are protected and that their voices are included in the peace talks?

[Karina Gould, Liberal, Burlington, ON]

Mr. Chair, this is a top priority for us in Canada. As my hon. colleague mentioned, Canada has contributed significantly to development in Afghanistan, making gender equality and the rights of women and girls a top priority over the last 20 years.

We are watching this situation closely, and we are certainly advocating at every opportunity that whatever a future Afghan government looks like, the rights of women and girls are included. We will stand up for them at every turn.

[The Chair, Conservative, Bruce Stanton]

Before we wrap up the committee of the whole, I want to extend my appreciation to all hon. members who participated this evening. It was sometimes a little clunky to do it in the hybrid virtual means, but members did exceedingly well, in my opinion.

It being 11:07 p.m., pursuant to an order made Friday, May 28, and Standing Order 81(4), all votes are deemed reported. The committee will rise and I will now leave the chair.

[The Deputy Speaker, Conservative, Bruce Stanton]

The House stands adjourned until tomorrow at 10 a.m. pursuant to Standing Order 24(1).

(The House adjourned at 11:07 p.m.)