Deepak Obhrai

[Foreign Affairs, December 15th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, our government remains deeply concerned by the continued flagrant disregard by the Iranian authorities for the rights of Iranians. This appears to be another case in which someone in Iran is facing a death sentence after a highly questionable process.

Canada, with the international community, is striving to hold Iran accountable for such human rights violations. This includes Canada's leadership on the resolution on the situation of human rights in Iran that was recently adopted in the third committee of the UN General Assembly for the eighth consecutive year.

[Economic Negotiations with the European Union, December 14th, 2010]

Madam Chair, of course, it is a well-known fact that the NDP would never support any free trade agreement deal with any country. It will always put barriers to them, despite the fact that there is overwhelming evidence that free trade around the world is beneficial to all humanity. The WTO has irrefutable evidence, but that evidence the NDP will never accept.

He is talking about giving away sovereignty. Nobody is giving away sovereignty here. What we are talking about is an agreement between two countries that is beneficial to them and to us, as are all agreements that have been made by Canada.

It is amazing how the NDP says we have been a free trading nation all our lives, but for some reason they forget the fact that all the free trading that they were talking about, before governments came into play, was free trade.

The free trade agreement also allows us to set standards that are important to Canadians, the labour code, human rights, all these things, and to work with these countries to ensure that Canadian values are also there.

It is of importance to Canadian values to have a free trade agreement. I do not understand why the NDP would not agree to that.

[Economic Negotiations with the European Union, December 14th, 2010]

Madam Chair, NDP members always oppose free trade, yet that party claims it wants to help workers.

Canada's population is 32 million. One factory with 500 workers would meet the demands of this agreement. A free trade agreement helped RIM sell its goods all over the world. This free trade agreement will open up markets. Factories will be built in the country and workers will be employed to work in those factories. The most important thing is that more people will be working and there will be more factories.

The NDP says that it supports workers. How will those members support workers when factories are shut down because there is no market? Free trade agreements provide markets so people can work in the country.

Is that not right?

[Economic Negotiations with the European Union, December 14th, 2010]

Madam Chair, I am happy to note that the member opposite is willing to support this free trade agreement. Sure, free trade agreements require a lot on both sides. It is a normal interest for both sides to want to protect the industries, but at the same time, look at the larger picture that benefits Canada.

Every time we have had free trade agreements with other countries it has benefited this country. Let me ask the hon. member, will he be able to tell his colleagues from the NDP how important this is for his economy, for the Canadian economy, and why it is important for us to have an agreement that would be beneficial for both of us?

[Situation in Haiti, December 13th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, as my hon. colleague is the last speaker and the debate is coming to an end, may I take this opportunity to thank the member for Bourassa for requesting this emergency debate to discuss the serious issue of Haiti.

I will take the opportunity to thank everyone from the opposite side who talked about the situation in Haiti. As I said, we are all in agreement that there is a need to do things for Haiti. We will be working together in the future toward ensuring that the things happening there are addressed jointly.

I want to take this opportunity to thank my ministers, including the Minister of International Cooperation and the Minister of State of Foreign Affairs for the Americas, and everyone who took part in the debate.

Again, I am thankful to the member for bringing this issue up and I hope everyone will work together to address the situation.

[Situation in Haiti, December 13th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, in response to the question from the NDP member, I will give a little clarification in reference to the matching funds he was talking about.

The matching funds program was for a duration of time and it has already expired. There is no other program that the Government of Canada has for matching funds. However, for the member's information, he can always donate to the Canadian NGOs working in Haiti and ask Canadians to donate to them for the excellent effort they are doing. The matching fund program is over.

Secondly, I think there needs to be some clarification on the money that has been pledged and the international effort that is there. The Minister of Foreign Affairs, the minister for CIDA and the American Secretary of State have said that this money needs to go through the reconstruction commission. In turn, it works with the Government of Haiti to identify the projects on the ground.

I do understand the frustration of everyone, and our frustration, that the process has slowed down due to the elections. We need to really push that program. Yes, the money is there, the effort is there, but the point is to push the Government of Haiti and the electorate to expedite the reconstruction process.

[Situation in Haiti, December 13th, 2010]

Madam Speaker, overall the Government of Canada, with its matching funds and everything, has committed over $1 billion towards Haiti. Recently the government announced $400 million over two years to support the Haiti action plan for national recovery and development, out of which $150 million has been allocated. We will continue with the reconstruction process.

I want to assure the member that over $1 billion has been committed to Haiti both by Canadians and by the Government of Canada.

[Situation in Haiti, December 13th, 2010]

Madam Speaker, yes, Canada has been quick off the mark. We have addressed the short-term needs of Haiti, but we also need to address the long-term needs of Haiti.

On the long-term needs of Haiti we are working with our international partners and the reconstruction commission that has been set up in conjunction with the Government of Haiti to address the very serious and important issues.

Regretfully, at the current time, due to the problem and preoccupation with the election, some of the work required to be done has not proceeded as it should proceed. The minister has talked to the president and made it very clear that the Government of Haiti has a responsibility to its citizens to work together towards the reconstruction of Haiti.

As the minister of state has said, Canada is prepared and willing to work with the reconstruction commission and the Government of Haiti to address these issues. We will continue to work with them, but first and foremost it is critically important that there is good governance established there and that the issues arising out of the elections are resolved very quickly.

[Situation in Haiti, December 13th, 2010]

Madam Speaker, I do not want to get into partisan politics, but I can tell the hon. member that the debate started at 6:30 this evening and the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the minister responsible for CIDA have spoken on those issues he is talking about.

Now, when he did not hear it from me, he seems a little disappointed, but if he had given his attention to the debate, he would have got his answers. The Minister of Foreign Affairs said today is that he is very much concerned. He is absolutely right on one point, that there have to be transparent, democratic elections in Haiti. There has to be a transparent government in Haiti.

Yes, there is a concern with the way the elections have taken place. TheMinister of Foreign Affairs has called the President of Haiti and the Prime Minister has talked to them and has told them that Canada would help out to ensure that there is a free, democratic election. Good governance is the most important aspect and, as he rightly pointed out, the trust of the Haitians toward their government is a key element. If the Haitians do not have trust in their government, it will become very hard for a reconstruction process to go on and to address many of the issues.

On that we agree very much with the hon. member. The Government of Canada, including the Minister of Foreign Affairs, has talked, as I said, and we will give whatever is necessary to the Haitian government to ensure that there is a transparent, fair election. We are very happy to hear there will be a recount, and we will be sending observers to that.

[Situation in Haiti, December 13th, 2010]

Madam Speaker, I am happy to answer that question.

First and foremost, it is important to recognize that Canadians opened up their wallets to address this humanitarian crisis. There was a generous outpouring of support by Canadians and with the Government of Canada's matching funds. Those matching funds are given out on a project-by-project basis and to date the Government of Canada has given out the following. On April 8 CIDA announced $65.15 million will be provided for humanitarian assistance. Then $5 million was set aside by CIDA's climate change in October and $30 million for proposals by Canadian organizations.

As proposals are coming forward, Canada will continue to provide the money. Out of the $400 million that has been earmarked for this, $150 million has already been disbursed.