Amid the extreme cold wild chill temperatures of -50 degrees Celsius, a local activist group held a rally today outside of Minister MP Rebecca Alty’s office in Yellowknife, calling leaders to back Bill C-233 to help prevent the unregulated movement of weapons.
The group called on territorial and federal leaders to stand behind a proposed law aimed to prevent unregulated weapons and weapon component exports into the U.S.
According to a report made public this fall, Canada’s and the U.S. hold “outdated exemptions” that could allow for weapons, components and explosives to travel through the United States without permits or regulations.
Canada’s Export Control List puts requirements identifies certain items that require a permit.
The guide report states that it includes “military, dual-use, and strategic goods and technology and all United States origin goods and technology that are controlled” according to the Canada’s multilateral export control regimes, bilateral agreements, as well as certain unilateral controls.
Organizers with Yellowknife’s Citizens for Ceasefire said without legislation in place, weapons and components manufactured in Canada can potentially make their way into places where the United Nations and Amnesty International have reported that crimes against humanity are occurring.
Alison Ryan, an lead organizer, said that the loophole is in violation of Canada’s obligations under the UN Arms Trade Treaty.
Group leaders along with Ryan said the No More Loopholes Act would amend Canada’s Export and Import Permits Act to help ensure that any weapons, components and explosives going into the US from Canada are “subject to the same oversight” applied to “any other allied country.”
The rally is among dozens being held across Canada on Feb. 17 as part of what the group is calling a national “Day of Action.”
MP Michael Chong, an MP with the Conservative Party also took part in discussions back in November, when the Bill was proposed and said the bill’s mitigation measures would create additional “considerations” when it comes to exports.
“The bill would change the legal framework by preventing the issuance of general export permits and general brokering permits for arms, ammunition, implements or munitions of war; by expanding the list of considerations that the minister must take into account in issuing a permit to export or broker arms, implements, ammunition or munitions of war; and by providing that the minister must require end-use certificates from the government of a country to which these arms, ammunition, implements or munitions of war are being exported if doing so would sufficiently mitigate a substantial risk of war crimes or violations of international humanitarian law or international human rights law.”
Back in November, MP Chong pointed out that there are some exceptions. Chong added that one concern according to the Conservative party, is that the bill would create extra paperwork including an annual report.
“[T]he bill would change the current legal framework by requiring the minister to prepare and table in Parliament an annual report on the export of arms, ammunition, implements or munitions of war and Canada’s compliance with the Arms Trade Treaty,” said MP Chong.
MP Chong said that the defence industrial sector would suffer if the regulations were changed.
“The defence industrial sector in Canada in 2022 contributed $14.3 billion to our GDP, which is roughly 0.5% of Canada’s GDP. This sector is expected to grow substantially as a result of the government’s commitment to massively increase Canada’s military spending. Half of the production of Canada’s defence industrial sector is exported, much of it to the United States, and herein lies the problem with the bill.”
Thida Ith, a spokesperson with Minister Rebecca Alty’s office said some statistics relating to the export of military goods and technology can be found in the Annual Report on Strategic Goods and Technologies Pursuant to Section 27 of the Export and Import Permits Act – 2024.
Ith pointed out that regarding military exports to the United States, Global Affairs Canada collects data on military exports only when a permit is required.
“This includes all Arms Trade Treaty items. The statistics in the report are obtained from reports filed by exporters on actual exports for certain Group 2 (military) items and Group 9 (ATT) items. These reports include information on the country of destination and a description of the goods and their value. Information related to the specific export permits is commercially confidential”
Foreign Affairs Minister Robert Oliphant has said that the legislation would undermine Canada’s obligations under NATO.
“The changes proposed in the bill would severely hinder our defence industry by creating further instability. It would weaken Canada’s role in NATO by creating unnecessary delays and potentially blocking Canadian-made materials and equipment from getting to our allies to keep our world safe, allies like Ukraine, and it would jeopardize the capabilities of our Canadian Armed Forces by constraining the way they get the supply of critical equipment and impeding their operations in vital regions like the Arctic.”
“Under Canada’s existing export control framework, Canada allows certain military items to be exported without permits, provided they are destined for specific countries. This flexibility is embedded in the systems of our closest allies, such as the U.K., the EU and Australia. We also have deep and symbolic relationships with other partners, such as the United States, and it is a party for which the ATT also provides certain exemptions. Canada already applies this discretion more narrowly than any of the other nations granting permit-free access to only one country,” added Minister Oliphant.
MP Jenny Kwan who proposed the law, in response to oppositions has said that it is important that the federal government take a “stand on the international stage.”
“We want Canadians to feel proud, and we want the Canadian government to take action so we can proudly stand on the international stage and say that Canada is not complicit, because as it stands right now, we are. Our arms, our components and our weaponry are ending up in some of the most brutal conflicts in this world, which are killing civilians using Canadian-made arms. That is wrong and has to stop.”
The house is expected to vote on the bill within the coming weeks.
