Pam Goldsmith-Jones

[Foreign Affairs, February 18th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the Minister of Foreign Affairs and pursuant to Standing Order 32(2), I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the treaties entitled Protocol between the Government of Canada and the Government of Romania Supplementing the Agreement between the Government of Canada and the Government of the Socialist Republic of Romania for Co-operation in the Development and Application of Atomic Energy for Peaceful Purposes, done at Ottawa on October 24, 1977, done at Bucharest on July 31, 2015; the Audiovisual Co-Production Treaty between the Government of Canada and the Government of Ireland done at Ottawa on February 4, 2016; and the Agreement Concerning the Application of the Arbitration Provisions Under the Income Tax Convention between Canada and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, signed through an exchange of diplomatic notes, done at Ottawa on July 27, 2015, done at London on August 11, 2015. An explanatory memorandum is included with each treaty.

[Pay Equity, February 5th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, we talked about the importance of pay equity this week. In keeping with that theme, I am rising to draw attention to a success story in my province of British Columbia.

The British Columbia Maritime Employers Association, a waterfront organization, represents a vital industry. It employs thousands of people and is a driving force of our economy. Today, I would like to acknowledge the incredible work that the BCMEA does in the fight for pay equity.

For the third year in a row, the B.C. Maritime Employers Association has earned the designation of employment equity leader by the Canadian Human Rights Commission, in the water transportation industry.

Between 2011 and 2015, Women on the Waterfront has been a concerted effort to increase the proportion of women in its workforce, traditionally very male dominated, by almost 50%. Also, the Human Rights Commission has stated that the B.C. Maritime Employers Association continues to exceed expectations with respect to employing indigenous peoples.

[Foreign Affairs, February 4th, 2016]

Madam Speaker, I thank the member for her passion and seriousness on this.

Canada is fully committed to joining its international partners and NATO allies by becoming a party to the Arms Trade Treaty. We will do so in a responsible manner that ensures we can implement domestically all the obligations that we will take on as a state party to the treaty. The process of acceding to the treaty, as I have said before, is being pursued on a priority basis.

In the meantime, we will continue to advocate for and work with our international partners to promote responsibility, transparency, and accountability in the global arms trade.

[Foreign Affairs, February 4th, 2016]

Madam Speaker, as pledged in our electoral campaign platform and as highlighted in the Minister of Foreign Affairs mandate letter, our government intends for Canada to become a state party to the Arms Trade Treaty. This is good news. We are firmly committed to preventing the illicit trade in conventional arms that can contribute to weakening international and regional peace, security, and stability.

The Arms Trade Treaty and its provisions provide the international community with tools to reduce human suffering. The treaty promotes co-operation, transparency, and responsible action by states in the international trade of conventional arms.

We also welcome its focus in addressing the potential impacts of arms exports on international human rights law, international humanitarian law, and gender-based violence.

I wish to reinforce that nothing in the treaty prevents the lawful use of sporting firearms for legitimate purposes such as sports shooting and hunting nor does it hinder the legitimate trade in conventional arms. Rather, it prevents diversion of conventional arms to the illicit market, thereby reducing the likelihood of weapons reaching terrorist or organized crime groups. It also requires that all states parties exercise responsibility and maintain clear export control processes to ensure that the legal trade in conventional arms does not contribute to conflict, violations of international human rights and international humanitarian law, international crime, or terrorism.

The Arms Trade Treaty entered into force on December 24, 2014. As per article 21 of the treaty, Canada can accede to the treaty in order to join it. Accession to a treaty is an important step for any state as it binds itself to legal obligations under the treaty. This means that Canada must fully align its domestic policies and laws with the ATT's obligations before we will be able to join as a state party.

Canada already has some of the strongest export controls in the world. We are confident that Canada already meets most of the obligations of the Arms Trade Treaty. However, there may be areas where changes to domestic laws or policies are necessary to meet all of Canada's commitments.

Our government is therefore currently undertaking a review of our existing laws and policies in order to ensure that we can fully implement the ATT. This work is being pursued on a priority basis, I am pleased to say. It will, however, take some time to complete a full review of the treaty and identify the steps necessary in order to accede to it. The government remains committed to a strategy that will allow Canada to accede to the treaty at the earliest possible opportunity. Once this review is complete, the government will inform Parliament of its plan for ensuring that Canada can become a party in good standing of the Arms Trade Treaty.

In the meantime, Canada will attend the upcoming meeting of the Arms Trade Treaty as an observer. We intend to engage constructively and actively with our international partners to ensure that Canada will play a leadership role on this important issue.

[Foreign Affairs, February 4th, 2016]

Madam Speaker, we are reviewing the Office of Religious Freedom as we support efforts to promote interfaith dialogue and conflict mediation. Such efforts could help build tolerance, security, and stability.

The promotion and protection of human rights is an integral part of Canada's constructive leadership in the world. The government is currently examining its options about how to enhance efforts to champion peaceful pluralism, respect for diversity, and human rights, above all.

Terrorism today is a long-term global challenge and requires a consistent, comprehensive, and coordinated response, and that is what Canada, together with its allies and partners around the world, is actively and proudly doing.

[Foreign Affairs, February 4th, 2016]

Madam Speaker, I would like to focus on an aspect of the good work that the Office of Religious Freedom did, because the hon. member is making a very good point that is worth reviewing for the sake of the exact kind of appeal that has been made and to indicate that we are listening and do wish to go further.

On January 31, Boko Haram attacked Dalori, a village on the outskirts of Maiduguri in northeastern Nigeria, and massacred 86 children, women, and men. This group is responsible for many despicable acts in Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad, and Niger. The Minister of Foreign Affairs condemned these attacks in Nigeria in a press release, in which he offered his sincere condolences to the families and friends of those killed and wished a strong recovery to the many injured.

Canada is deeply concerned by these continuing atrocities. Boko Haram is responsible for more than 6,600 deaths in a single year, making it the deadliest insurgent group in the world outside of Iraq and Syria, and this must stop. Nigeria and its neighbours around Lake Chad are determined to eradicate Boko Haram. Canada and the international community are supporting the Lake Chad Basin allies in their fight.

We are actively engaged with our international partners as the co-chair of the Sahel Working Group of the Global Counterterrorism Forum. Since 2010, Canada has committed over $37 million toward assisting vulnerable countries around the world to fight terrorism through the counterterrorism capacity-building program. In the Lake Chad Basin, the counterterrorism capacity-building program has provided training to Nigerian law enforcement personnel on analysis, investigation, and interview techniques. Nigeria also received training through Canadian support to Interpol, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, and the Institute for Security Studies Africa. Canada participates annually in a military exercise called Flintlock that develops capacity in collaboration among African forces.

Millions of people living in the Lake Chad Basin are affected by Boko Haram's terror. In response to this, Canada provided over $11 million in humanitarian assistance in 2015 to help those who have been forced to flee their homes.

In its efforts to combat Boko Haram's history of inter-communal violence in the region, Canada, through the Office of Religious Freedom, supported a two-year project to promote interfaith dialogue and conflict mediation in Plateau State, Nigeria. We are well aware of the good work it has done.

The project successfully developed a community-based mechanism to help defuse tensions between different religious and ethnic groups, and has been used by the Nigerian government on various occasions, including in response to attacks and bombings in Jos and in the lead up to Nigeria's elections in March 2015. While this phase of the project concluded in January 2015, our government is pleased that Canada has been able to continue to support this model for inter-communal dialogue in neighbouring conflict-affected regions in Nigeria through Canada's global peace and security fund.

Human rights are universal, interdependent, and indivisible. The promotion and protection of human rights, including freedom of religion and belief, is an integral part of Canada's history and constructive leadership in the world. The government is currently examining its options on how best to build on the good work that has been done so far and enhance efforts to champion peaceful pluralism, respect for diversity, and human rights.

Terrorism today is a long-term global challenge, requiring a consistent, comprehensive, and coordinated international response, and that is what Canada is actively doing, together with our allies and partners around the world.

[Foreign Affairs, February 2nd, 2016]

He is in Rome now. I should aim so high. He will be arriving back from Rome. He, together with the Minister of National Defence, will be pleased to represent our position.

[Foreign Affairs, February 2nd, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for reminding us about the tragedies that have happened recently and the respect that Canadians have paid to those families whose lives tragically ended in Burkina Faso. It is important to continue to remember.

When we will be acting, will be very soon. I am starting to talk like Minister Dion.

[Foreign Affairs, February 2nd, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, to reiterate, we are steadfast allies of Ukraine. When we were provoked—and this was underscored by the opposition—by the foreign minister of Russia, we said that just because he wanted warmer relations did not mean we did, until they demonstrate respect for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine.

[Foreign Affairs, February 2nd, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, of course, we have denounced that over and over, and we are steadfastly standing with the Ukraine, as the member well knows.

However, Canada is basing its foreign policy on a policy of engagement. That is much more difficult than a policy of isolationism and choosing to believe one's own point of view. It is a hard path for us and we are choosing it, not to find agreement all the time but to be able to hold other countries to account because we are talking.