Parliament Has to Restore the Canada-China Committee
Plus the recent Russia-Ukraine tensions, the trucker vaccine mandate, the PBO report on the federal government's spending, and more
Parliament has to restore the Canada-China Committee
In December 2019, the Conservatives moved a motion in Parliament for the appointment of a special committee with a mandate to examine and review all aspects of the Canada-China relationship. Erin O’Toole, then the foreign affairs critic and the author of the motion, noted that there were significant issues with the newly resurgent People’s Republic of China as it related to the detention of Canadian citizens, territorial disputes in the South China Sea, Huawei and its security concerns, the human rights violations of the Uyghur minority and in Tibet, among others. These are issues that are still of concern today in 2022. But the committee had its mandate expire with the 2021 federal election. It must be restored and made permanent.
Canada has been a major trade partner with Beijing since the time of Pierre Trudeau, engaging with the country in agricultural, environmental, and energy-related issues. They are our second-largest trading partner, and the benefits of trade have enriched both countries in the long relationship. In the recent decade, the Beijing government has become more aggressive in its diplomacy and emerged as a direct challenge to democratic values as well as the post-Soviet international order in the early 1990s. It is now keen to export its brand of authoritarian government along with a deep surveillance state through cutting edge technology.
A decade ago, it started construction of military installations on islands and atolls in the South China Sea, well beyond the country’s coastal limits and sparking tensions with countries in the region. The Philippines brought a case before the international Permanent Court of Arbitration, which sided with the Philippines in the dispute in 2016. Beijing ignored that ruling. In Hong Kong, civil liberties and political freedom have been trampled upon and destroyed with the government’s national security law infringing upon the island’s constitutional principle of “one country, two systems.” Democratic protests were brutally cracked down on with excessive police powers and hundreds of arrests, as power has shifted away from the Hong Kong Legislative Council towards Beijing, resulting in a loss of autonomy. These actions were in violation of the international commitments found in the Basic Law that Beijing had agreed to during the transfer of the former British colony to China. In Taiwan, the People’s Republic of China has increased its campaign of intimidation towards the country by flying an increasing number of fighter sorties into Taiwan’s airspace and pressure with cyber security threats. In the Xinjiang province since the mid-2010s, China has engaged in systemic repression and internment of the Uyghur minority in detention camps, aimed at erasing their thinking, beliefs, and identity. At least half a million children were separated from their families and surrounded by the Chinese government’s surveillance systems and 10,000-volt fences. The minority has been subjected to forced labour, while women were forced to abort children, sterilization and were often sexually assaulted. Canada’s Parliament was rightfully the first to recognize these actions as genocide.
In Canada, we have felt the effects of China’s actions. When Canadian authorities lawfully arrested Meng Wanzhou, the Beijing government took as hostage Canadians Michaels Kovrig and Spavor. Both were unfairly detained and subjected to a show trial. Both were held hostage in poor living conditions for over 1,000 days. This type of hostage diplomacy has become more common with other countries being targeted as well for concentrated and focused abuse, as with the recent case of Lithuania when it formally recognized Taiwan. In the 2021 federal election, misinformation was spread by state actors likely directed by Beijing on WeChat and similar mediums, seeking to influence votes against candidates critical of the regime. This soft power pressure continues to be applied to Canada and to our allies. When that doesn’t work, Beijing moves to use its economic muscle to cause pain and coerce smaller economies to make political and diplomatic concessions it finds advantageous.
Our key agricultural sector fell victim to the Beijing government’s heavy-handed use of tariffs and non-tariff barriers, resulting in billions of dollars of losses for our soybean, canola, pork, and beef exporters. More broadly, we have seen our trade deficit grow over twenty years since the People’s Republic of China joined the World Trade Organization (WTO). While this has provided us immense business opportunities, it has also opened up our businesses to being used as pawns in political games out of Beijing. This aggressive form of diplomacy is being practised by the government in Beijing the world over and Canada is not unique in being on the receiving end of non-tariff trade barriers that stop the flow of goods. It puts pressure on our agricultural producers and manufacturers that cause real economic pain in Canada – expressly for a political purpose. China is, depending on the economic statistic you decide upon, nearly always ranked now in the top two slots for who is the largest world economy. Let’s admit it clearly, China and its government in Beijing are at minimum an economic superpower.
What has the Liberal government done on these issues? They have done precious little. Prime Minister Trudeau struggled to make inroads with Beijing officials to free the two Michaels until the American government stepped in and negotiated a resolution to the impasse. In February 2021, Parliament officially voted to label China’s persecution of the Uyghur minority a genocide and did so without a single vote in support from the Liberal Cabinet. In fact, in a show of moral cowardice, then-foreign affairs minister Marc Garneau was dispatched to Parliament to say the Cabinet was abstaining. Canada was late to join our allies in the United States, the United Kingdom, and the European Union to imposed sanctions on Chinese Communist Party officials for the ongoing genocide. The federal Liberals have been unsuccessful in forming stronger relations with Taiwan. It took over a year after the United Kingdom had introduced a pathway to citizenship for nearly three million eligible Hong Kong residents for Canada to create a pathway to permanent residency only for those who currently live in the country. To date, the Prime Minister has not addressed the election interference from China and other influence operations from its operatives in Canada.
These issues make the Committee on Canada-China relations crucial for Canadian interests. Special committees, created by Parliament, increase accountability and transparency as Members hear from witnesses, order the release of government documents, and produce reports on matters they are assigned to review. This is how Parliament dealt with the question of electoral reform between 2015-2019 and now with the special committee on Afghanistan. The Canada-China committee must return and be made a permanent fixture in the House of Commons, fashioned with a similar mandate to the U.S-China Economic and Security Review Commission. First established in 2000, the commission makes recommendations directly to the US President on issues of bilateral trade, evaluates national security risks, and conducts research on China’s actions. Given the growing effects of China’s actions on Canadian interests, the return of this committee and adding to its mandate is more important than ever.
There are many who look at criticism of China and charge those critics of racism. Criticism of the regime does not mean criticism of its people. Just like all Canadians are not at fault for every mistake and misstep our government makes. I approach the problems with mainland China’s Beijing-based government as an issue of policy and ideology and not race. The Chinese government’s actions against Uyghurs in Xinjiang province, the occupation of the South China Sea, persecution of Hong Kong democracy activists, and the independent state of Taiwan is deserving of condemnation. Canada must take a strong stance against them. Hence, I will be working with like-minded parliamentarians to ensure the return of the Committee on Canada-China relations and for it to be made permanent to serve as ongoing oversight for our economic and security relations between our two countries.
Russia-Ukraine tensions
As tensions grow between Ukraine and Russia amid a build-up of Russian troops on the Ukrainian border, Conservatives are calling upon the Prime Minister to work with NATO allies and steadfastly reject President Putin’s proposals for capitulation. Canada has long been a partner to Ukraine and we have engaged with them in trade and joint training exercises in the past. Capitulation to President Putin has simply allowed for further Russian aggression to take place and this cannot be allowed. The Liberals must immediately use Magnitsky sanctions against those responsible for Russian aggression against Ukraine.
PBO report highlights a shocking $176.6 billion in non-pandemic spending
A recent report by the Parliamentary Budget Officer (PBO) found that since the start of the pandemic, the government has spent, or has planned to spend, an eye-watering $541.9 billion in new measures over 2019-20 to 2026-27. Of that figure, $176.6 billion does not tie into the COVID response, meaning the federal Liberal government added an additional $176 billion of non-pandemic spending out of taxpayers to fulfil unrelated promises. During this pandemic, Canada’s deficit has grown faster than any other developed country, and the debt has now reached $1.2 trillion. Conservatives raised concerns about pandemic spending and voted against new spending to keep Canada’s fiscal position afloat as inflation has taken off and the cost of living has increased massively in the past year.
Opposition parties call on Auditor-General to investigate federal outsourcing
The Globe and Mail reported this week on a significant rise of federal outsourcing contracts to McKinsey and Company, from nearly zero under the final years of the Harper government to $17.2 million in the past fiscal year. They also noted that federal spending on such contracts has increased massively under the Liberal government, hitting $11.8 billion despite the hiring of over 60,000 more public servants over the same period. Presumably, these public servants could have been tasked with doing the work outsourced to consultants. The Liberals promised to cut back on using external consultants so where is this money going? To make matters worse, even more money leaves the government’s coffers every year through grants and contributions. If you are interested in tracking down which companies receive taxpayer dollars and how much is given out, you can find out more at the link below
The trucker vaccine mandate is wrong
Canada’s supply chains were disrupted even further last week as the Liberal government fumbled on the implementation of a vaccine mandate for cross-border truckers. After initially saying Canadian truckers would be exempt from the mandate, the government reversed course hours later and mandated that any truck driver entering Canada had to be fully vaccinated or spend time in quarantine. As I covered in my Substack last week, I am opposed to mandatory vaccination regimes given the inefficacy of border controls in slowing the spread of the pandemic. The industry has already seen a severe shortage of drivers and could not have come at a worse time as inflation runs rampant across the economy and grocery shelves go empty. Over 120,000 drivers cross the border on a regular basis, delivering essential goods across North America and ensuring there are no shortages in what we need. As the vaccination rate of truckers follows closely with the national average of 85%, up to 18,000 Canadian truckers will not be able to cross the border to deliver their goods. This government-induced labour shortage and supply chain disruption is entirely the fault of the Liberal government. The federal Liberals have failed to make small, basic accommodations that can ensure a steady supply chain of groceries and essential goods that Canadians need. It will only get worse unless the government changes course. Conservative leader Erin O’Toole addressed this issue in a recent town hall, watch at the link below.