Madam Speaker, I would be remiss if I did not start my speech by wishing a very happy birthday to my dear colleague from Laurentides—Labelle, who is kicking off her 50th year with her usual poise.
I am pleased to rise today to speak to this motion, which proposes a new international assistance framework in Canada. The Bloc Québécois supports the spirit of this motion, but, as is often the case in the House, it also believes that the motion can and should be improved. That is why we moved an amendment, which is essential for making this motion fair, balanced and representative of the realities in Quebec and in small communities in Canada.
I want to thank my Bloc colleague from Lac-Saint-Jean for presenting his amendment. His work reflects our party's long-standing commitment to regional equity and the leadership that Quebec organizations have shown in international co-operation for decades. This amendment is not symbolic; it addresses a very real and persistent problem.
Too often, federal programs focus their funding on large urban centres, ignoring the expertise found in remote regions like Abitibi‑Témiscamingue, the north shore, Quebec's northern regions, Saguenay—Lac‑Saint‑Jean, the Lower St. Lawrence, the Gaspé region, the Magdalen Islands and other communities, such as Mont‑Laurier. Small international co-operation centres, many of which have been established in their communities since the 1970s and 1980s, play a key role. They promote sustainable, community-based development abroad and maintain strong and lasting partnerships. However, they are often sidelined when federal funding is distributed, not because they lack expertise but because they are not close to Ottawa or to the major centralized networks.
Our amendment seeks to correct this imbalance by ensuring that non-profit organizations and small co-operation centres located outside major urban areas have the same opportunities for federal funding as larger organizations. It is about fairness as well as results. These regional organizations carry out high-impact and high-transparency projects abroad and deserve to be included in the system.
I would like to highlight the work of the Centre de solidarité internationale Corcovado, located in my riding of Rouyn-Noranda. It is a perfect example of what I have been talking about. This organization has been supporting international co-operation projects for over 40 years. Its mission is simple but essential: to help develop projects abroad, raise awareness of global solidarity and promote responsible consumption here at home. Since 1984, Corcovado has had deep roots in Abitibi—Témiscamingue, where it works to improve living conditions and build a better future for communities in Latin America, Africa, the Caribbean and Asia. It maintains long-standing partnerships based on trust and genuine community engagement.
However, despite their history and the quality of their work, organizations like Corcovado still struggle to access federal funding because they operate outside major urban centres. Corcovado has to fund its mission by operating a bookstore, where it sells donated books at affordable prices. International aid can also support development abroad while bolstering the economies of different countries. When it is done responsibly, both sides benefit.
Let me give another concrete example. Let us say that Canada is providing assistance to a partner country in South America for the construction of a hydroelectric dam. Instead of paying the entire amount to companies located abroad, Canada could use part of this assistance to enlist the expertise of Hydro-Québec or any Quebec company operating in this sector. The partner country would receive sustainable infrastructure and Canada would be investing in a climate-friendly project. Quebec companies would be contributing their world-class expertise in hydroelectricity. This kind of co-operation would create real value for both parties.
We have already seen how the expertise available in our region of Abitibi—Témiscamingue can change things abroad. When two miners were trapped underground in the Dominican Republic back in 2022, it was Machines Roger International, a Val‑d'Or company, that provided the drilling equipment needed for the rescue operation. These machines were flown in by the Canadian Forces and used on site to reach the workers. People back home followed the story closely and with immense pride. This shows that a company from our region that is not a huge multinational is capable of responding and helping save lives.
Small and medium-sized businesses already have the expertise needed to contribute internationally, and they are being contacted directly. What they need is a federal system that does not put obstacles in the way.
Even in its own national calls for tenders, Ottawa designs processes that exclude SMEs by default because the administrative burdens and eligibility requirements are tailored to large institutions and urban centres. If the government really wants small players to be included in international aid, it needs to start by simplifying its own processes. This is another reason why the Bloc Québécois amendment is so important. It ensures that the motion's intentions translate into real access for organizations in the regions.
We also see this international commitment in our academic institutions. The Université du Québec en Abitibi—Témiscamingue, or UQAT, offers a master's degree and a graduate diploma in global health, and the Abitibi—Témiscamingue CEGEP has long offered international internships, giving students the opportunity to work in health, global development and community development programs abroad. This is in addition to the many high schools in the region that also participate in exchange programs and solidarity initiatives.
I would like to recognize the remarkable work of people in our region who have made history in this field. I am thinking, for example, of former professor Mario Brulé and current professor Johanne Toupin from UQAT, who co-founded Nurses Without Borders. Over the years, they have made it possible for nursing students from our region to participate in internships in Africa and South America, experiences that shaped their careers and connected Abitibi—Témiscamingue to the rest of the world in a very real way. Thanks to their leadership, many young people from Abitibi—Témiscamingue have had the opportunity to participate in projects that have helped them expand their skill set and deepen their understanding of global health issues. I sincerely thank them for their commitment.
The second section of the motion calls for the creation of a new dedicated economic partnerships window for projects that align poverty reduction with Canada's economic security. Again, this is not an idea we are opposed to. A dedicated tool or portal could help to streamline project development.
However, we cannot ignore Ottawa's track record. Every time the federal government announces a new administrative system, it ends up outsourcing the design to an external consultant, often at an eye-watering cost. The COVID Alert app, the ArriveCAN app, the Phoenix pay system, and the Canada Border Services Agency's assessment and revenue management system are just a few examples. All were supposed to simplify federal operations, but all turned into costly failures.
Let us be very clear on this point. The federal public service already has the necessary staff and expertise to design its programs and manage its tools. Our public servants know their stuff. They understand how international assistance works. They do not need to farm this work out to some big consulting firm. We are going to be watching. If a new portal is created, it must be simple, transparent and affordable. It must not morph into another multimillion-dollar contract that gets awarded to international consultants instead of being developed within the government, where it belongs.
The third element of the motion is the one the Bloc Québécois supports most strongly, requiring the Minister of International Development to report to Parliament annually on the effectiveness of our international assistance and how it benefits Canada. In 2023, the Auditor General brought to light an utter failure at Global Affairs Canada, when the minister was unable to demonstrate how the department's $3.5 billion in annual development funding had improved the lives of women and girls under Canada's feminist international assistance policies.
Even more worrying is the fact that only half of the projects funded were in fact reported to Parliament. Canadians cannot effectively evaluate our international assistance initiatives if the government itself does not have any information. Annual reports would strengthen transparency and restore trust, and would enable Parliament to properly assess the impact of Canadian projects abroad.
The Bloc Québécois continues to support the international objective of investing 0.7% of gross national income in official development assistance. This objective was set by the United Nations in 1970. More than half a century later, Canada still has no plan to achieve it. Its focus is on the short term only.
Climate change, conflicts and forced displacements all reach our borders eventually. Investing in prevention abroad means fewer humanitarian crises. Development assistance policies are not just charity, they represent foresight. International assistance also contributes to relieving the pressures that drive populations to leave their home. When we support local economies, we help small businesses get off the ground and we strengthen education systems.