Lois Brown

[Iran Accountability Week, May 5th, 2015]

Mr. Chair, I appreciate the things that my colleague has brought to the floor today. He spoke briefly in his comments about the situation in Syria and the regime of Bashar al Assad. We know that Iran is a state sponsor of the al Assad regime. I wonder if my colleague has any thoughts on how this has extended and protracted the war in Syria.

[Iran Accountability Week, May 5th, 2015]

Mr. Chair, in one of our very first throne speeches, we announced that we were going to establish the Office of Religious Freedom. We did that, and have appointed Dr. Andrew Bennett as our ambassador for religious freedom.

I know that the ambassador has travelled the world. He has met with diplomats, presidents, and prime ministers around the world. I wonder if my colleague has any idea of some of the comments that Ambassador Bennett has made regarding the Iranian regime.

[Iran Accountability Week, May 5th, 2015]

Mr. Chair, I thank my colleague for his comments tonight. I know that he has spent some time on the Subcommittee on International Human Rights.

For many years there was a camp situated in Iraq called Camp Ashraf. I have a very large group of people in my constituency who are of the Baha'i fath, and they have been in to see me on numerous occasions about the treatment of the Baha'i people in Iran. I know that the camp has now disbanded and that the Baha'i people have been moved to other places, but I wonder if my colleague has any comment on what the Baha'i people were looking for in Iran.

[Petitions, May 4th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to stand today and present a petition on behalf of my constituents in Newmarket—Aurora, which calls upon the government to adopt international aid policies to support small family farmers, especially women, and recognize their vital role in the fight against hunger and poverty, ensure that these policies and programs are developed in consultation with small family farmers, and protect the rights of small family farmers in the global south to preserve, use, and freely exchange seeds.

[International Day of the Midwife, May 4th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, tomorrow is International Day of the Midwife, a day to recognize the essential contributions that midwives make to ensuring safe quality care to mothers and babies around the world.

Midwives in Canada are represented by the Canadian Association of Midwives. Their organization provides leadership and advocacy for midwifery as a regulated, publicly funded and vital part of the primary maternity care system.

Our government's renewed commitment to maternal, newborn and child health will continue to help train midwives internationally and increase women's access to quality midwifery services.

In June 2017, Canada will host the International Midwives Global Midwifery Conference in Toronto. It will be an opportunity to demonstrate Canada's contribution internationally and how vital midwifery is to our health care system domestically.

On the International Day of the Midwife, please join me in celebrating the profession of midwifery and in thanking midwives for the health services they provide.

[Pipeline Safety Act, April 30th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, my colleague spoke a bit in her speech about the opportunities that this legislation would provide for the people of our aboriginal communities. I wonder if she would like to expand on that just a little more for the House.

[Ongoing Situation in Ukraine, April 29th, 2015]

Mr. Chair, what we do know about aid is that at the conference that is coming up in Addis Ababa in July, the ask is going to be for some $135 billion. We know there is never going to be enough money in any aid budget. It is time that we did aid differently.

We are looking at some new financing mechanisms to ensure we get private sector dollars in there as well. With our Minister of International Development, Canada has been at the forefront of these initiatives, working with the World Economic Forum and most recently there is the announcement that was made in Washington.

Canadians continue to be exceedingly generous people. We just made the announcement on Monday about a matching fund for the Nepal emergency that is going on. For every dollar that is contributed by an individual Canadian, the Canadian government is going to match that dollar for dollar. I encourage people to consider giving generously. Organizations like Save the Children, World Vision, the World Food Programme, Salvation Army, Habitat for Humanity, Médecins Sans Frontières and Red Cross are all organizations that are accepting donations. We know that Canadians are exceedingly generous people, and they want to know that their aid dollars are being spent effectively.

The results we have seen from the money that we have put into our maternal, newborn and child health initiative have been nothing short of miraculous. The lives of some 280,000 moms have been saved and millions and millions of children are now reaching their fifth birthday.

It is about accountability. It is about effectiveness. We are going to continue to spend the dollars appropriately and continue to get those kinds of results.

[Ongoing Situation in Ukraine, April 29th, 2015]

Mr. Chair, I was privileged to be part of the foreign affairs committee that went to Ukraine two years ago. When we were in Kharkiv, we met with a small group of people who were part of the free media. They too were telling us how difficult it was for the free media to have any effect or influence in Ukraine, simply because they did not have enough private sector advertisements to keep the free media functional. I am pleased to tell the House that while I was there, I wrote a personal cheque for $200 to give to this one gentleman who was running his own radio station. I said to him, “I am buying advertising from you. This is a fair exchange of goods and I don't care if the only thing you say is that Lois Brown supports free and fair elections.” However many times $200 would buy, I wanted him to put that advertisement on the radio. I am pleased to say I have supported the free and independent media in Kharkiv and certainly hope that it has the opportunity to continue.

We will continue to do that with our development dollars. We know how important civil society is to the growth of a free and democratic society.

[Ongoing Situation in Ukraine, April 29th, 2015]

Mr. Chair, I am splitting my time with the member for Etobicoke Centre.

I am thankful for the opportunity to participate in this debate. I have heard many people talk tonight about helping Ukraine. I am pleased to inform the House that Canada is doing a great deal to help Ukraine from a humanitarian situation, from a development perspective, and also with what we are doing to help strengthen its military. I want to focus my remarks today on Canada's development assistance program and its role in responding to Ukraine's democratic and economic crisis.

Last year's revolution was about the desire of Ukrainians to live in a prosperous, democratic, independent European country. Given the current conflict in eastern Ukraine and the country's general economic and democratic fragility, there is quite obviously still a very long way to go. Progress is coming and this is thanks in large part to a new generation of young reformers in government and because of a re-energized civil society that continues to work in the best interests of the Ukrainian people.

Canada's own contributions in Ukraine are helping too. As our Prime Minister has announced, Canada has expedited and prioritized new bilateral development assistance programming to support Ukraine, more than doubling the development assistance budget over traditional levels.

Since January 2014, Canada has committed more than $578 million in funding to assist Ukraine. Of this, $139 million is for increased bilateral development assistance, or more specifically, to advance democracy and the rule of law, and to stimulate sustainable economic growth. Since January 2014, Canada has announced over $43 million for projects to advance democracy and the rule of law.

Through trusted partners, we have sent observers to ensure free and fair elections. Canadian technical assistance improves elections regulations, trains elections officials, ensures safety at voting stations, and raises voter rights awareness. There were two national elections in Ukraine last year and Canada played a leadership role in coordinating international assistance and election monitoring. This year, our partners will continue to work for longer term change in Ukraine's democratic culture. They will do this by training political parties to better respond to citizens' issues and by developing mechanisms for public engagement. As Ukraine begins to decentralize, next October's local elections will be another important step forward in the country's democratic transition.

Canadian contributions in Ukraine also include supporting efforts for an independent free media and a strong civil society. Free access to information and ideas lets citizens form educated opinions based on facts, allowing for constructive and effective participation in the democratic decision-making process. Freedom of expression, information and media are therefore as important for individual dignity as they are for accountability and democracy. Canada is pleased to support development projects that improve these basic rights in Ukraine.

In addition, Canada supports Ukrainian cities and regional administrations in economic planning and active and effective citizen engagement. As resources and authority continue to be decentralized, local governments are facing greater demands. Given Canada's strong municipal management expertise, we have spent the past several years sharing our knowledge with Ukrainian cities. The country's 2015 budget has increased funding for local governments, and a constitutional reform to entrench decentralization is planned. We will continue to draw on Canadian and regional experiences, including Polish expertise, to assist local governments to manage new functions, resources, and to ensure oversight and accountability.

Mr. Chair, I see that you have given me the sign that I have very little time left. I just want to emphasize that Ukraine is a top priority for Canada and it is one of the 25 countries of focus for development assistance. Canada is among the strongest international supporters of Ukraine's efforts to restore economic stability and implement democratic and economic reforms.

We have condemned in the strongest terms Russia's aggressive actions in Ukraine, and we continue to be at the forefront of the international community's response to Russia's aggression. We are monitoring the situation very closely and we will continue to deliver assistance and appropriate aid.

[Business of Supply, April 27th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, I think you will find unanimous consent to see the clock at 6:30.