Debates of May 31st, 2021

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

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

Mr. Chair, we are not contemplating that at this time. The AIIB has adopted the governance structures, policies and best practices of similar and long-standing multilateral development banks.

We are going to continue to work with partners around the world in holding China to account and improving opportunities for our workers and businesses across Canada.

[Michael Chong, Conservative, Wellington—Halton Hills, ON]

Mr. Chair, the question is about the upcoming Winter Olympics in Beijing.

Will the government be sending a representative to the upcoming Beijing Winter Olympics?

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

Mr. Chair, at this time we are contemplating participating in the Olympics. As we have said on a number of occasions, it is the Canadian Olympic and Paralympic Committees that will decide with respect to the athletes themselves.

[Michael Chong, Conservative, Wellington—Halton Hills, ON]

Mr. Chair, maybe I could be more specific. Is the government contemplating sending the head of government, the Prime Minister, or a representative of the government, such as a diplomat, or other senior representative of the government, such as a minister, to the opening and closing ceremonies of the upcoming Winter Olympics in Beijing?

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

Mr. Chair, no specific decision has been taken with respect to who might go to represent the government.

[Michael Chong, Conservative, Wellington—Halton Hills, ON]

Mr. Chair, my question is about Huawei. Minister Goodale said in May 2019 that the government would make a decision on Huawei before the October 2019 election. In July of that year, he said a decision would be made after the 2019 election. It is now more than a year and a half since the election, yet there has been no decision. Four of Canada's Five Eyes allies have made a decision to restrict or ban Huawei. Canada is unilaterally alone in not making a decision.

When will the government make a decision on Huawei?

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

Mr. Chair, we are certainly very conscious of the need to protect our telecommunications networks and other networks with respect to 5G technology. We have been looking at this matter for some time. We are continuing to do our assessment of the situation, but I want to assure Canadians that we have been very successful up until now in terms of protecting networks with respect to cyber attacks and we will continue to use that approach when it comes to 5G.

[Michael Chong, Conservative, Wellington—Halton Hills, ON]

Mr. Chair, the House recognized recently that China is committing a genocide against the Uighur Muslim minority in Xinjiang in China. The previous minister, on his very last morning in office, made a snap announcement about measures to ban the importation of products from China that had been produced using forced Uighur labour: measures that appear to be ineffective.

Is the government willing to introduce new measures, such as those introduced in the United States to ban cotton and tomatoes from Xinjiang Province, and to introduce tools for the CBSA such as cotton pollen tracing to ensure these products do not end up in Canada?

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

Mr. Chair, my colleague summarized what our current position is, but I will say to him that we continue to evaluate the situation to ensure to the highest degree possible that we are not allowing products into the country that are the products of forced labour from Xinjiang.

[Michael Chong, Conservative, Wellington—Halton Hills, ON]

Mr. Chair, I have a question on Iran: 85 Canadians and Canadian residents were victims of the shooting down of Ukrainian Airlines flight 752. Their families are still seeking justice. Just two weeks ago, the Ontario Superior Court found that shooting down the flight was a deliberate act of terrorism by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Given the court's finding, and given that this House adopted a motion three years ago calling on the government to list the IRGC as a terrorist entity, a motion for which the government voted, when will the government list the IRGC as a terrorist entity under Canadian law?

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

Mr. Chair, Canada has done this. In fact, it was done by my colleague's government, which listed the Quds Force as a terrorist entity. We have also imposed sanctions on Iran, whether on individuals or entities. A number of the entities on which we have imposed sanctions include IRGC, missile command and air force command. Also we have listed as terrorist entities three regional terrorist groups that are funded by the IRGC.

[Michael Chong, Conservative, Wellington—Halton Hills, ON]

Mr. Chair, this is a question on Hong Kong. China continues to violate an international treaty registered at the United Nations: the 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration, which guarantees Hong Kong's autonomy for 50 years from 1997.

Last year, the U.S. sanctioned Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam and 10 other Hong Kong and mainland China officials for undermining this international treaty. Is the government considering similar sanctions on Chief Executive Lam and other officials for this violation of international law?

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

Mr. Chair, I share with my colleague our deep concerns with respect to what is happening in Hong Kong, whether it is the national security law or the fact that certain people are barred from running for the legislature in Hong Kong because they are not considered patriotic. It is deeply disturbing.

The 50-year rule seems to have been thrown out the window, as has respect for the Basic Law of Hong Kong and obviously the concept of one country, two systems. We are following the situation, but I agree with my colleague that China is moving much more quickly than it was supposed to with respect to the 50-year period.

[Michael Chong, Conservative, Wellington—Halton Hills, ON]

Mr. Chair, I have a question on Russia. Mr. Prigozhin, a Russian, has been sanctioned by Canada's allies and partners in part for his agency's spreading of disinformation throughout western democracies, for his interference in the 2016 presidential election in the United States, and for spreading disinformation via social media platforms in Canada and the United States, much of which actually targeted Canadian government officials.

Is the government considering sanctions against Mr. Prigozhin for these violations of international law and for this disinformation?

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

Mr. Chair, I thank my colleague for bringing this to my attention. We have imposed over 400 sanctions in recent years against Russia, whether individuals or entities. We always examine the question of imposing sanctions as a judicious tool to be applied as circumstances dictate, and we will definitely be continuing to take that approach with respect to actions committed by Russia.

[Michael Chong, Conservative, Wellington—Halton Hills, ON]

Mr. Chair, has the government made any inquiries or entreaties to join the quadrilateral security dialogue with Australia, Japan, India and the United States?

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

Mr. Chair, we have not made any formal approaches to it, although we certainly watch the quad group and its actions because we are very interested in the Indo-Pacific region. As of now, we have not formally made any requests to join it.

[The Chair, Conservative, Bruce Stanton]

Before we move to the next segment, I want to compliment hon. members on the exchange we just had in the last 15 minutes. It was excellent. I am not referring to the content, although that seemed pretty good too, but the exchange and the rather seamless way in which we had questions and responses was exactly what we like to see in a committee of the whole of this nature.

We will now go to the hon. Minister of Foreign Affairs.

[Marc Garneau, Liberal, Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Chair, I thank the House for this opportunity to appear before the committee of the whole.

I would like to begin by saying a few words about the crisis we are all currently dealing with. The COVID-19 pandemic presents a unique challenge that requires all of us to do our part to overcome it here in Canada and around the world.

We all know that the pandemic has claimed lives and destroyed livelihoods all over the globe, but we must not ignore the profound impact of the pandemic on human rights. This is especially true in countries where political leaders have taken advantage of the situation to restrict civil liberties and trample on democratic rights. The pandemic has exposed and even exacerbated inequalities. Vulnerable populations were the first victims, and unfortunately too many women and children are paying the price.

At the United Nations Human Rights Council, Canada has joined in the call for human dignity and human rights, gender equality, the empowerment of women and girls, as well as inclusion. We have stood up for marginalized populations, and we have worked with our allies to hold several regimes accountable for their actions, including Sri Lanka, Venezuela, Iran, Belarus, China and Myanmar. We have also been strong proponents of digital inclusion and press freedom. The recent diversion and forced landing of a commercial airliner in Belarus reminds us that there is still a lot of work to be done.

While the world continues its frantic race to protect public health, including by developing and distributing vaccines, we must ensure that our actions are centred on human rights and universal access to health measures.

After all, this pandemic will not end for anyone until it ends for everyone. That is why Canada is supporting fair and timely access to vaccination and other public health measures. This approach will be critical to ending this pandemic.

We know that many of the priorities that I have just presented are shared by our G7 partners. Earlier this month at the G7 Foreign and Development Ministers' Meeting in London, Canada released a partnership action plan on arbitrary detention with full G7 support. The plan turns words into action and further raises the penalty for arbitrary detention. The summit covered a lot of ground. It allowed us to have meaningful talks with our counterparts on a number of pressing international issues.

On the margins of this very fruitful G7 meeting, I was also able to have constructive bilateral meetings, notably with key partners from the Indo-Pacific region. We know that the Indo-Pacific region will continue to fuel global growth in the decades to come. In this context, it is critical that we work alongside our allies to advance peace, stability and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region. In fact, when I met with my Japanese counterpart in London, we agreed on six areas of bilateral co-operation that would benefit both countries and advance common interests in the region. These six areas are the rule of law, security co-operation, energy security, health, trade promotion and environment and climate change. We have also supported efforts to strengthen peace and security on the Korean Peninsula. I had a chance to talk about this with my Korean counterpart earlier this month.

China is, of course, the major player in the region and members have all heard me say before that our bilateral relationship with China is complex and multi-dimensional. China's increasing authoritarianism and coercive diplomacy are challenges shared by all democracies around the world. I can say that many countries share our concern about the arbitrary detention of Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig for close to two and a half years. Ensuring their safe return remains my top priority.

Our message to China is clear: The world is watching. More than ever, democratic countries need to stand together to promote values of democracy and human rights. Our approach to China must continue to evolve. We will coexist and co-operate with China on global issues such as climate change. We will compete with and challenge China to uphold international law and we will protect our national interests.

Canada has taken action in addressing arbitrary detention for diplomatic leverage. We are building a common front to oppose this abhorrent practice. Around the world, foreign nationals are being detained arbitrarily and used as bargaining chips in international relations. Such tactics expose citizens of all countries who travel, work and live abroad to greater risk. Countries from every continent are responding.

So far, almost one-third of the world's countries endorse Canada's declaration against arbitrary detention in state-to-state relations. This is a significant achievement, and it reminds countries that coercively detain citizens of another country for political gain that they will have the eyes of the world turned on them. They face the collective criticism of countries standing together in solidarity.

Arbitrary detention for diplomatic leverage is unlawful. It is unacceptable and it will not succeed. We will always stand up for Canadians in difficulty and distress abroad.

Meanwhile, the renewed tensions in the Middle East have reminded us how fragile the peace process is. Eleven days of violence caused a devastating loss of life, particularly among civilians, including women and dozens of children.

We welcomed the ceasefire in Israel and Gaza and urged further de-escalation of tensions. A sustainable long-term solution must be found for both the Palestinian and Israeli peoples. Canada firmly believes in the right of Palestinians and Israelis to live with dignity, without fear, and with their human rights respected. We support the principle of two states for two peoples, with both Israelis and Palestinians living within secure borders that are mutually respected and recognized.

Last week, we announced $25 million in funding to support Palestinian civilians in the region. Those funds will be provided to United Nations agencies and other organizations with proven track records of delivering assistance effectively.

Canada remains firmly committed to working with the international community to achieve lasting peace in the region, and we are offering our full support for the efforts to put an end to the violence and suffering.

The world is indeed facing many serious challenges that call for strong alliances and partnerships. We are using the alliances we have and building the alliances we need. Canada will continue to reinforce our bilateral and multilateral ties with traditional allies, while pursuing new collaboration with emerging partners. This effort starts with our enduring alliance with the Unites States.

This is an alliance with global reach, but it is rooted in and reliant on the security of our shared continent. It involves, among other things, a path to the modernization of NORAD as part of the road map for a renewed U.S.-Canada partnership that President Biden and the Prime Minister announced in February.

In closing, our foreign policy must continue to adapt to respond to today's challenges while reflecting our traditional values, which include promoting democracy, human rights, gender equality, inclusion and the rule of international law.

We are working with our partners to build greater respect for international law. Canada's values and interests are at the heart of everything we are doing on the international stage. I hope that I was able to provide a clear and concise summary of that today.

I thank my colleagues for their time, and I am now ready to answer their questions and listen to their comments.

[Mark Gerretsen, Liberal, Kingston and the Islands, ON]

Mr. Chair, President Biden's first bilateral meeting was in Canada. Since then, Canada and the American cabinet members have been working closely, regularly holding virtual meetings and working on ways we can strengthen our relationship and advance common goals. Our two countries are each other's most important ally, and we must closely coordinate on the international stage. The road map for a renewed U.S.-Canada partnership, announced after the first meeting between the Prime Minister and President Biden, as well as the Canadian cabinet ministers, established a blueprint for the ambitious and whole-of-government effort against the COVID-19 pandemic. This road map aims to support our countries' mutual prosperity.

Could the minister please tell us more about the road map for a renewed U.S.-Canada partnership and what it means for Canadians?

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

Madam Chair, Canada and the United States did agree to an ambitious partnership road map. In fact, I had the privilege of being there when President Biden and our Prime Minister had that understanding last February. We will work together to beat COVID-19, first of all, and ensure that everyone everywhere has access to a vaccine, but we will also fight climate change and accelerate clean growth; we will create jobs and grow the middle class as part of the economic recovery; and we will address systemic racism, which exists in both of our countries.

Canada and the U.S. are each other's closest allies and most important trading partners. United, we will beat the pandemic, and we will build back better for everyone.

[Mark Gerretsen, Liberal, Kingston and the Islands, ON]

Madam Chair, climate change remains one of the greatest challenges of our times. A little more than a year ago, hundreds of thousands of Canadians took part in climate marches across the country. This is an issue that is important to Canadians and, indeed, our government. Climate change is real.

Our government delivers on its promises and took concrete action to address the climate emergency, such as transitioning to net zero, putting a price on pollution and re-engaging on this issue on the international scene. Our government has stated from the beginning that Canada understands that if we do not have a plan to tackle climate change, then we do not have a plan to create jobs and economic growth, but now climate change is an issue being tackled on both sides of the border. Since the road map for a renewed Canada-U.S. partnership was revealed, Canada attended the Leaders Summit on Climate, hosted by President Biden and John Kerry, the U.S. climate envoy.

Could the minister please tell us how Canada and the U.S. will coordinate on advancing climate solutions and protecting nature?

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

Madam Chair, there should be no mistake about this: Canada and the United States are very serious about tackling climate change, and this was very obvious as one of the items in the road map between our two countries.

Since the road map was revealed, the government also announced at the Leaders Summit on Climate that Canada will enhance our emissions reduction target under the Paris Agreement, known as the nationally determined contribution, or NDC, by 40% to 45% below 2005 levels by 2030. As a signatory to the Paris Agreement, Canada's NDC reflects the highest possible ambition in light of its current national circumstances.

There are many areas where we can co-operate with the United States, whether it is in electric vehicles, methane reduction or providing hydro clean power to the United States. There are many areas where we can work together, and that is our intention, to take a continental approach with respect to climate change.

[Stéphane Bergeron, Bloc, Montarville, QC]

Madam Chair, I would like to make a few opening remarks to emphasize how central today's process is to our political system.

Members will recall that the Patriotes fought for a truly democratic and accountable government, by virtue of which the legislative assembly grants the government credits, which it must justify before the assembly members.

Having served for over a dozen years, first in the Quebec National Assembly, then in the House of Commons, I know that the process is somewhat symbolic in nature here, in Ottawa, but this does not make it any less important. Also, I wish to thank the Minister of Foreign Affairs for being here today and for his comments so far.

If I may, I will start by saying that, since taking office in 2015, this government has consistently promoted multilateralism and international co-operation, and yet, curiously, the budget for development, peace and security programs is being cut to the tune of $783,280,420. Meanwhile, needs in these areas have clearly increased internationally and could grow further still over the next year.

How does the government explain this massive cut to international development?

[Karina Gould, Liberal, Minister of International Development]

Madam Chair, I thank my colleague for his question.

As he said, I think this is an important process. I believe he is referring to the multi-year projects that were renewed in the previous budget, but I will confirm with Global Affairs Canada officials.

I also want to reassure my hon. colleague by reminding him that, last year, Canada mobilized close to $1.7 billion more to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. We recognize how important it is for Canada to play a part internationally.