Hélène Laverdière

[Business of Supply, February 18th, 2016]

Madam Speaker, my colleague mentioned democracy a few times in his speech.

Would my colleague not agree that one of the basic tenets of democracy is freedom of opinion and expression, even for people with whom we do not necessarily agree?

[Canada's Contribution to the Effort to Combat ISIL, February 17th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the minister for his speech.

We have a very clear mandate from the United Nations to prevent ISIS from recruiting foreign fighters.

However, the government's plan is silent on deradicalization efforts here in Canada even though that is critical to achieving the objective.

I would like to know why the government did not include a plan for deradicalization here in Canada.

[Canada's Contribution to the Effort to Combat ISIL, February 17th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, I listened carefully to the Leader of the Opposition's speech, especially when she said that she supports humanitarian efforts. Unfortunately, the Conservative government sometimes gave us conflicting messages about humanitarian efforts.

Humanitarian assistance is based on three fundamental principles: neutrality, independence, and impartiality.

Does the hon. Leader of the Opposition agree that we must not confuse humanitarian assistance with military intervention?

[Massimadi Film Festival, February 17th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, the Massimadi festival kicked off yesterday in Montreal, as part of Black History Month. Massimadi is an annual LGBT and Afro-Caribbean film and arts festival.

I want to pay tribute to all those who are participating in the festival and helping to make it a success by creating, working, or attending. Creators and their art raise the profile of the cultures and identities that contribute so much to Montreal, Quebec, and Canada.

For festival-goers, this is a unique opportunity to learn about realities that deserve to be seen and understood. The festival also reminds us that freedom and tolerance are still fragile notions and that we must remain courageous as we stand up for our common values.

I thank the Arc-en-ciel d'Afrique team, as well as all the festival volunteers and partners. I wish them well this year.

[National Defence, February 5th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, the Conservative-initiated bombing mission against ISIL is coming to an end in just a few weeks.

However, the current government has still not announced its plan for the future, and it is sending conflicting messages. It is not even able to answer a simple, fundamental question, which I want to ask the Minister of National Defence.

Will the new mission be subject to a debate and vote in the House, as it should be, yes or no?

[Foreign Affairs, February 4th, 2016]

Madam Speaker, basically there is no argument about the treaty. We agree on the content and the importance of the treaty. However, I remain concerned. Yes, it was pledged in the campaign, but as I said earlier, it was also said that the assessment of arms deals should be released and we are saying the government is not doing that.

My specific question is this: what has been done up to now? What is the plan? Is there a timeline and can the member give an estimate of when Canada will be able to accede to this very important treaty and show not only in words that Canada is back on such an important issue?

[Foreign Affairs, February 4th, 2016]

Madam Speaker, the NDP has long been calling for Canada to sign the Arms Trade Treaty. I must admit that I have a vested interest in this, because I had the honour of participating in the treaty talks nearly 15 years ago. It was extraordinary, because Canada was a leader on the matter. If Canada is truly back on the world stage, we must once again be a leader.

This treaty can tangibly change the lives of millions of people. This treaty would essentially ensure that the arms we sell abroad do not end up in the wrong hands and do not get used to violate international laws or to commit human rights crimes.

Unfortunately, Canada is dragging its feet, and although the new government has said that it would sign the Arms Trade Treaty, I am still concerned in light of how it is dealing with other matters, for example, the sale of arms to Saudi Arabia. While the Liberals were in opposition, they demanded that the government release the assessment, which should have been done before the arms sale was authorized, but now that they are in power, they refuse to do so. Transparency should also apply here.

I hope the government members of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development will agree with my suggestion to create a subcommittee to look into the whole issue of Canada's weapons exports.

We are the only NATO country that has not signed the Arms Trade Treaty. I know that a lot of the blame lies with the previous government, which did not want to hear of it, but still, we must act immediately.

My main question for the government is the following: What process is in place for signing the treaty? Has the government started working on this? There are so many areas where nothing is being done. Promises were made that things would be done in the first 90 days, and there is still nothing after more than 100 days. What is the process and when can we expect the government to finally sign the treaty?

As I was saying, the New Democrats have been asking for a long time for Canada to accede to this treaty. The ATT is a very important treaty that could change things for millions of people in the world by avoiding sending arms abroad that will be used to commit human rights violations or international violations. However, it seems to be slow, and we are seeing a lack of transparency, for example, with respect to the Saudi arms deal where we do not have the assessment yet.

My question for the government is this. What is the process? Has the government started working on that seriously? When can we expect to see Canada finally accede to the treaty?

[National Defence, February 3rd, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, the Conservative-initiated bombing mission against ISIL is coming to an end in just a few weeks. Not only has the government not given us its new plan, but now we are also learning that the plan may not be submitted to Parliament.

Openness and transparency should be more than just a catch phrase.

My question is for the Minister of National Defence. Will he clear up this confusion and confirm that there will be a debate and a vote in the House?

[National Defence, February 2nd, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, the bombing missions against ISIS authorized by the Conservatives will end in just a few weeks. The government has not yet announced its new plan, even though one was promised during the election campaign.

Naturally, all kinds of rumours have been circulating in the meantime, including rumours about an expanded ground mission in Iraq.

Canadians have the right to know.

Where is the minister's plan? Will he increase the number of Canadian troops on the ground?

[International Development, February 1st, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, in 2013, the Conservative government completely cut off Canadian aid to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East.

This agency provides humanitarian aid to some of the most vulnerable people in the world. For example, it helps keep thousands of young Palestinians in school.

Will the minister restore Canadian aid to this relief agency or not?