Elizabeth May (Saanich—Gulf Islands)
2021-02-18 10:40 [p.4214]

Madam Speaker, I want to thank the hon. member for Wellington—Halton Hills and all members in this House who have taken a stand on this issue, particularly through an open letter initially coordinated through the hon. member from the Bloc Québécois, with members from all parties signing it.

I want to put a difficult question to the member for Wellington—Halton Hills. I obviously agree with him that we are seeing a genocide in the Uighur population, but sometimes when I speak to retired senior members of our foreign civil service, there is a tremendous concern that being more aggressive in our communications about the People’s Republic of China could result in more difficulty in gaining the release of Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig.

Could my hon. colleague for Wellington—Halton Hills reflect on this?

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Elizabeth May (Saanich—Gulf Islands)
2020-06-04 13:59

Thank you, Chair.

Through you to the Prime Minister, there is a pattern in history of leaders sometimes using a crisis that absorbs people’s attention to do things they otherwise might not do for fear of global condemnation, such as in a pandemic. We see President Bolsonaro of Brazil turning more brutality against indigenous people in the Amazon.

My questions focus on the People’s Republic of China, which I think is doing the same thing, and on Prime Minister Netanyahu in Israel.

To the question of China, we now see the People’s Republic of China cracking down in Hong Kong in ways that violate the commitment to one country, two systems.

What will the Government of Canada do to help Canadian citizens, even if they are dual citizens of the People’s Republic, to get home to Canada?

Hon. François-Philippe Champagne (Saint-Maurice—Champlain)
2020-06-04 14:00

Mr. Chair, we know that the one country, two systems concept is what has been underpinning the liberty and freedom enjoyed by the people in Hong Kong. We are very deeply concerned by the imposition, unilaterally by Beijing, of a national security law that would undermine that very foundation.

Mr. Chair, we’re working with allies to look at the implications that this imposition would have on the various arrangements and agreements we have in place with Hong Kong.

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Thank you very much for that generous  welcome.

It’s true that I have a petition on my website (elizabethmaymp.ca).  It’s available for everyone.  It’s very important because it raises awareness for other MPs.

Every time I stand in the House of Commons with a petition to call for respecting human rights in China, I’m speaking to the People’s Republic of China, their embassy here certainly notices, but I’m also speaking to my friends, who are other Members of Parliament.

We must not forget what’s happening on a daily basis in China.

It’s an assault on the very notion of humanity.  The inhumanity of treating some people as lesser creatures, as susceptible to incarceration, and to organ harvest, which is an intolerable term and an intolerable practice.  We need to stand strong, as brothers and sisters together, who share one common reality.  We are human beings on the same planet.

Human rights that are not respected in one country is an assault on human rights in every country.

That’s why I am so grateful to you, as practitioners of something that is about love, compassion, tolerance, patience, and truth.  With this, it’s amazing that we always have to get everyone’s attention in China to promote human rights.

It’s a difficult issue, as Canada increases its trade ties with China.  Increases with things that are as dangerous as the Canada-China Investment Treaty.  We must stand up against these things. We must be friends with China, but friends who can tell the truth.  When a friend is afraid to tell the truth, they are not friends, they are subjugated by a larger power.

That’s not friendship.  That’s losing our sovereignty.

I stand with you.  I’m grateful to you.  Continue your struggle.  It’s important for everyone to continue against the violations of human rights.

Thank you very much.

Every person is entitled to the peaceful practice of his or her religion without fear of persecution. However, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) banned the practice of Falun Gong in 1999, using tactics employed against peaceful Falun practitioners including imprisonment, forced labour, torture, murder, Orwellian indoctrination and even allegations of live organ extraction.

Help Elizabeth push the Canadian government to tell the Chinese government to stop their persecution of Falun Gong practitioners. Sign or download her petition, get as many people as possible to sign it, and mail it – postage free – to either her Ottawa or Sidney offices. With as few as 25 signatures, Elizabeth can present your petition to the government in the House of Commons.

Online Petition

[cfdb-count form=”Petition: Falun Gong”] people have signed this petition. Add your voice to the growing number of Canadians speaking out about this issue.

We, the undersigned citizens of Canada, call upon the Minister of the Crown for Foreign Affairs to impress the importance of universal human rights declarations as an international norm upon the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC). persecution of Falun Dafa practitioners, and we request that the Minister of the Crown for Citizenship and Immigration list the PRC as a refugee Source Country, thereby allowing swifter accommodation for those fleeing its persecution.

[contact-form-7 id=”6901″ title=”Petition: Falun Gong”]

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In relation to the pressure to prevent oil revenue ending up funding terrorism in that region of the world, should our foreign policy extend to our trade policies with relation to the People’s Republic of China? What more could we be doing there?

Jinny Jogindera Sims: Mr. Speaker, I can remember a time when the Prime Minister made a comment to the effect that we would only have truck or trade with countries that had good human rights records.

Our government has a relationship with China. Whether it is on a trading issue, which it obviously is, in our speed to sell off our Canadian jobs overseas and risk huge environmental damage, we have that relationship. Is the government using it wisely to at least press the Chinese to press Assad to find a peaceful solution? We need to continue to use that tool. It is at our disposal.

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1:15 p.m. – Green Leader Elizabeth May will speak at Falun Dafa Month rally on Parliament Hill.

Parliament Hill
Ottawa, Ontario

NOTE: Rally speeches will start at 1:00 p.m.

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Given his extreme attempt at secrecy, it is possible that the Prime Minister could have succeeded in quietly passing this dangerous treaty into force without the public knowing had Elizabeth May not been waiting and watching for the treaty to surface.

This treaty would give China the unacceptable power to secretly challenge Canadian laws that infringe on its business interests, and Prime Minister Harper planned to ratify it without any public consultation, meaningful debate, or vote in the House.

Although he could have ratified the Agreement months ago, huge public opposition from Canadians of all political stripes and walks of life has caused many Members of Parliament, including many Conservatives of good conscience, to reconsider the wisdom of turning over this much power to a foreign government. We suspect that it is precisely this massive public outcry that has succeeded in forcing Prime Minister Harper to reconsider ratifying this treaty for the time being.

Thankfully, Members of Parliament will finally have an opportunity to vote on this secretive and dangerous Agreement, and we need your help to make sure that all MPs stand with the majority of Canadians who do not want this treaty ratified.

On Monday, there will be a vote on an NDP motion to demand that Canada not ratify the Canada-China FIPA. We strongly support this motion and believe that it represents the will of Canadians.

Currently, both the Conservatives and Liberals have promised to vote against the NDP motion. However, the Liberals have proposed a compromise motion, which we also support and which we believe could represent a starting point for real dialogue and consultation on the Canada-China FIPA across party lines.

Please take a few minutes of your time to call or write to your NDP and Liberal Members of Parliament ask them to reach a compromise to prevent the ratification of the Canada-China FIPA without ANY public consultation.

Most importantly, please call or write to your Conservative Members of Parliament and ask that they stand up for Canada and vote to prevent Prime Minister Harper from ratifying this Agreement behind our backs. We only have a few days left.

Write a letter to your MP

Sign the online petition

Email your friend

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Tabled in the House of Commons this week, May’s Private Members’ Bill C-484 amends the greenhouse gas emissionsregulations on coal electricity brought in late last year. “This Bill is what the Harper Conservatives would have done if they were serious about climate change,” said Elizabeth May. “Despite his talking points, Peter Kent bowed to the pressure of energy companies and weakened his already-weak greenhouse gas regulations on coal-fired electricity. C-484 shows how easily they could fix the regulations if they wanted to.”

These regulations, roundly criticized and wholly inadequate, sought to limit the greenhouse gasses produced through burning coal to generate electricity, yet contained gaping holes such as a 50 year grace period for plants built after 1986. Bill C-484 would insist that all coal-generated power plants in Canada adhere to the emissions standard, initially proposed by Peter Kent, of 375 tonnes per Gigawatt hour (t/GWh) by 2025.

“Any energy company executive that built a new coal plant in the last few decades was taking a calculated risk; the facts about climate change were already well known,” said Elizabeth May. “This Bill presents a responsible solution to our dirtiest sources of electricity that is both in line with what the science demands and provides sufficient time for Canada to transition our remaining baseload generation toward cleaner sources of energy.”

“How can we expect other countries like China, India, and the US to stop burning coal, when we can’t even manage to stop burning coal ourselves? We can’t be two-faced,” said Adam Olsen, Green Party candidate for Saanich North and the Islands. “Elizabeth’s Bill proposes that we start with our own backyard. It’s the right thing for our economy and for our environment.”

“With Canada’s high GDP and abundance of renewable energy sources we should be natural leaders in clean energy generation,” said Andrew Weaver, Green Party candidate for Oak Bay-Gordon Head and one of Canada’s leading climatologists. “Elizabeth’s private members bill is an important step in Canada’s much needed transition to a prosperous low carbon economy.”

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After facing the threat of international arbitration from foreign companies, India has ordered in January 2013 a freeze of all bilateral investment protection agreements negotiations until a governmental review is carried out and completed. Although news of India’s decision has not been mentioned in the Canadian media, the decision is clearly relevant.

“In November 2012, Prime Minister Harper told me in the House of Commons that the Indian Prime Minister was committed to signing a foreign investment promotion and protection agreement with Canada. I think Canada should take good note of India’s freeze on all investment protection agreements,” said Green Leader Elizabeth May, Member of Parliament for Saanich-Gulf Islands.

“The investor/state dispute system contained in investment agreements allows foreign companies to sue Canada outside of Canadian courts. Special arbitrators would take the decisions; their decision cannot be subject to judicial review. And the arbitrations are to be secret. Even the fact they are happening is to be secret,” said May.

“India is joining nations such as Australia and South Africa in saying ‘no’ to investor/state provisions. It’s time for Canada to also turn the page on this out-of-date and undemocratic international trade model,” said May.

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1:00 p.m. – Green Leader Elizabeth May will speak at the Rally for a Free Tibet.

BC Legislature front steps
Victoria, British Columbia

NOTES:

• Ms. May will speak at approximately 1:20 p.m.
• Green Party of Canada’s release on the 54^th Tibetan Uprising Day.

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“The desperation of Tibetans has led to over 107 self-immolation suicides in recent years. The situation in Tibet is an international crisis. Harper’s Conservatives recently created the Office of Religious Freedom: will it remain silent on the Tibetan question? If protecting religious minorities is really a ‘foreign policy priority’ for Canada, now is the time to send the Office’s ambassador to Tibet,” said Green Leader Elizabeth May, Member of Parliament for Saanich-Gulf Islands.

Last week, Lobsang Sangay, exiled Tibetans’ political leader, called on Canada’s ambassador for religious freedom to investigate in Tibet.

“This is an opportune time for China’s new leader to act on his recent expression supporting democracy. There can be no democracy without respect for Human Rights. Recognizing the leadership presently in exile as the legitimate leaders of the Tibetan people and upholding the earlier negotiated autonomy within China would prove China’s new direction to the world,” said Joe Foster, Human Rights Critic for the Green Party of Canada.

Note: Media advisory for Ms. May’s participation in a Tibetan Uprising Day event on March 9th.

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