Last Friday, International Cooperation Minister Julian Fantino outlined his vision for CIDA’s future in an address to the Economic Club of Canada. He spoke of a profound shift towards the private sector, particularly mining companies, and of more explicit work to promote Canada’s interests abroad. The same week, a confidential draft document on Canadian foreign policy was severely criticized by opposition MPs, human rights experts and former diplomats. Thomas Mulcair said in the Commons that “the Conservatives’ new foreign policy plan, crafted in secret, includes no vision for human rights, no vision for peace and security, no vision for aid and international development, no vision for Canada as an even-handed leader on the world stage.”
News from ICLMG
Warren Allmand’s presentation on Bill C-42 before the SECU Committee
Warren Allmand has appeared before the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security (SECU) on Wednesday October 24, 2012 to present ICLMG’s position on Bill C-42, Enhancing Royal Canadian Mounted Police Accountability Act.
Summary of comment on Bill C-43: Reducing fairness for refugees and permanent residents
Bill C-43 contains a number of provisions of concern to the CCR because they will lead to less fairness, do not honour Canada’s international legal obligations and deny some people the right to appear before an independent decision-maker.
Less fairness for people inadmissible on grounds of security, human or international rights violations or organized criminality
These inadmissibility sections are extremely broad and catch people who have committed no crime and represent no danger to safety or security. Among those affected are people who are inadmissible simply because they worked against undemocratic or brutal regimes.
For details on these and other concerns, see the CCR submission.