Speech (House debate)

{
    "time": "2023-04-26 18:15:00",
    "attribution": {
        "en": "Mr. Peter Julian (New Westminster\u2014Burnaby, NDP)",
        "fr": "M. Peter Julian (New Westminster\u2014Burnaby, NPD)"
    },
    "content": {
        "en": "<p data-HoCid=\"7714530\" data-originallang=\"en\">Madam Speaker, I want to thank members of the community who have stepped up for the Simon Fraser University football team.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"7714531\" data-originallang=\"en\">As members know, the administration at SFU cut the football program just a few weeks ago. This program has produced some of the best football players in Canada. We have had a remarkable reaction from the public, which put in place a financial plan that ensures the continuity of the program. It is now really up to the SFU administration to reverse its decision and stop the cuts to the program. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"7714532\" data-originallang=\"fr\">I am here to talk about Bill <a data-HoCid=\"11474494\" href=\"/bills/44-1/S-211/\" title=\"An Act to enact the Fighting Against Forced Labour and Child Labour in Supply Chains Act and to amend the Customs Tariff\">S-211</a>. To avoid the problem that my colleague had, I will start by saying that the NDP will be voting against this bill because it is an empty shell. It does nothing to change the situation of people experiencing systemic human rights violations around the world. I will talk about a few cases later in my speech.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"7714533\" data-originallang=\"fr\">The fact of the matter is that this bill really does nothing to change an extremely difficult situation when it comes to human rights violations.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"7714534\" data-originallang=\"en\">I just have to speak of three of the many examples of systemic human rights violations that have taken place on the grounds of Canadian companies. We can think about this for just a moment. Canada is standing up for human rights, but when it comes to some of our corporations acting abroad, they have acted in the most nefarious ways and trampled on basic human rights. Bill <a data-HoCid=\"11474494\" href=\"/bills/44-1/S-211/\" title=\"An Act to enact the Fighting Against Forced Labour and Child Labour in Supply Chains Act and to amend the Customs Tariff\">S-211</a> would not address any of the three examples I will give, which is why we need robust legislation. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"7714535\" data-originallang=\"en\">I appreciate my colleague from the Bloc Qu\u00e9b\u00e9cois endorsing NDP bills, which I will speak about in a moment, from me and the member of Parliament for <a data-HoCid=\"278368\" href=\"/politicians/heather-mcpherson/\" title=\"Heather McPherson\">Edmonton Strathcona</a>, the NDP foreign affairs critic.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"7714536\" data-originallang=\"en\">The first example is about forced labour by Nevsun in Eritrea. Forced labour, or slavery, occurs on the grounds of a Canadian-owned company. This is the most outrageous abuse of human rights, and yet it is connected to Canada. We must all bear the shame of a company that acts in that way and allows systemic slavery on its grounds. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"7714537\" data-originallang=\"en\">The second example is in El Salvador, and the company involved is Pacific Rim. We are talking about the most egregious, horrific torture and murder of environmental activists who were speaking up against the mine. Again, here is an example of a Canadian company functioning abroad with systemic human rights violations.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"7714538\" data-originallang=\"en\">The third example is Barrick Gold in Papua New Guinea. We are talking about systemic sexual violence and torture of many women in the area of that mine.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"7714539\" data-originallang=\"en\">In all these cases, the judicial systems simply do not work. There is no protection from government. We are talking about corrupt judicial systems and police who have been paid off. We are talking about a complete Wild West for human rights violations.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"7714540\" data-originallang=\"en\"> Each one of these examples, most egregiously, involves Canadian companies. Members can imagine the horrific results for the victims, whether we are talking about forced labour and slavery, systemic sexual violence or the torture and murder of environmental activists. This is why we need legislation that will actually do the job to force companies to comply and ensure that those companies are held liable and held to account. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"7714541\" data-originallang=\"en\">There simply cannot be two fates for Canadian companies, one when they are subject to the rule of law here in Canada and a second in the Wild West, where the most outrageous, atrocious human rights violations can occur with impunity on the grounds of these Canadian firms, and where these companies can act without any regard for fundamental human rights and values. This is why I brought forward Bill <a data-HoCid=\"11611332\" href=\"/bills/44-1/C-262/\" title=\"An Act respecting the corporate responsibility to prevent, address and remedy adverse impacts on human rights occurring in relation to business activities conducted abroad\">C-262</a>. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"7714542\" data-originallang=\"en\">I want to state very clearly that this bill that I am presenting on the floor, Bill <a data-HoCid=\"11611332\" href=\"/bills/44-1/C-262/\" title=\"An Act respecting the corporate responsibility to prevent, address and remedy adverse impacts on human rights occurring in relation to business activities conducted abroad\">C-262</a>, comes after incredible work by the Canadian Network on Corporate Accountability. It includes activists from some of the most significant organizations in Canada, such as Oxfam Canada, Amnesty International Canada and Human Rights Watch Canada, along with a number of very important labour organizations, in both the private and the public sectors. They are all standing together to say that Canada's appalling corporate human rights violations abroad need to be treated with the rigour and the type of legislative framework that will force companies to stop these appalling abuses and practices. The Canadian Network on Corporate Accountability did much of the vital groundwork for the bill that I am bringing forward, Bill C-262.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"7714543\" data-originallang=\"en\">This is a bill that would actually address human rights abuses. It would hold companies to account and force them to do their due diligence before an investment. It would make them liable. These are just three cases among many. If there was systemic sexual violence, torture and murder of activists, or slavery or forced labour, the companies would be held to account. The directors and leaders of those companies would be held to account.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"7714544\" data-originallang=\"en\"> That is why Bill <a data-HoCid=\"11474494\" href=\"/bills/44-1/S-211/\" title=\"An Act to enact the Fighting Against Forced Labour and Child Labour in Supply Chains Act and to amend the Customs Tariff\">S-211</a> falls so far short. It is just an empty box that asks a few companies to prepare some kind of report. It does not hold them liable. It does not hold them to account. It does not force them to stop the most egregious human rights violations that are taking place in their operations on their property.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"7714545\" data-originallang=\"en\">If those companies can be proud of their relationship to Canada, I can say that Canadians are not proud of those companies' relationship with Canada; we have done nothing. The current and previous governments did nothing to address violations that continue to this day. It may be a different country. It may be a different set of appalling human rights violations, but the reality is that what we are seeing is these companies acting with impunity.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"7714546\" data-originallang=\"en\">That is why Bill <a data-HoCid=\"11611332\" href=\"/bills/44-1/C-262/\" title=\"An Act respecting the corporate responsibility to prevent, address and remedy adverse impacts on human rights occurring in relation to business activities conducted abroad\">C-262</a> is so very important. It would force an end to slavery, forced labour and systemic sexual violence. It would force an end to companies' security guards torturing and killing activists, who are speaking up for their community, with impunity. These are all things that need to be addressed, and that is why I wanted to thank the Canadian Network on Corporate Accountability and all its member organizations, which worked so assiduously on this for Canada to finally start addressing the elephant in the room. We pay lip service to human rights abroad, but we do nothing to force our companies, as well as their directors and leaders, to be accountable for the actions that they allow to take place on their property and in their operations.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"7714547\" data-originallang=\"en\">The NDP, as the worker bees in this Parliament, tried to improve Bill <a data-HoCid=\"11474494\" href=\"/bills/44-1/S-211/\" title=\"An Act to enact the Fighting Against Forced Labour and Child Labour in Supply Chains Act and to amend the Customs Tariff\">S-211</a>. We tried to give it a backbone. We tried to take the empty box that is Bill S-211 and bring some content to it. We offered half a dozen amendments that come from the activist sector, those organizations that are most attuned to the issue of human rights. We saw Liberals and Conservatives systematically rejecting each one of those amendments.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"7714548\" data-originallang=\"en\">We can just think about that for a moment. Every member of Parliament is aware of the appalling human rights abuses that have taken place through Canadian companies acting abroad. A bill that pays only lip service to that is before a committee. The NDP offered amendments that would actually make the bill meaningful, and the Conservatives and the Liberals voted against them. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"7714549\" data-originallang=\"en\">We will be voting against this bill, and we will be bringing forward very strong human rights legislation. That is what the world calls for, and that is what Canadians deserve.</p>",
        "fr": "<p data-HoCid=\"7714530\" data-originallang=\"en\">Madame la Pr\u00e9sidente, je tiens \u00e0 remercier les concitoyens qui se sont mobilis\u00e9s pour l'\u00e9quipe de football de l'Universit\u00e9 Simon Fraser.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"7714531\" data-originallang=\"en\">Comme les d\u00e9put\u00e9s le savent, l'administration de l'Universit\u00e9 Simon Fraser a supprim\u00e9 le programme de football il y a quelques semaines. Ce programme a permis de former certains des meilleurs joueurs de football au Canada. La r\u00e9action du public a \u00e9t\u00e9 remarquable et a permis de mettre en place un plan financier qui assure la continuit\u00e9 du programme. Il appartient maintenant \u00e0 l'administration de cette universit\u00e9 de revenir sur sa d\u00e9cision et d'arr\u00eater les coupes dans le programme. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"7714532\" data-originallang=\"fr\">Je suis ici pour parler du projet de loi <a data-HoCid=\"11474494\" href=\"/bills/44-1/S-211/\" title=\"An Act to enact the Fighting Against Forced Labour and Child Labour in Supply Chains Act and to amend the Customs Tariff\">S\u2011211</a>. Pour \u00e9viter le probl\u00e8me que mon coll\u00e8gue a eu, je vais dire tout d'abord que le NPD votera contre ce projet de loi, parce que c'est une coquille vide. Cela ne fait rien pour changer la situation des gens qui voient des violations syst\u00e9miques des droits de la personne dans le monde. Je mentionnerai quelques cas tout \u00e0 l'heure.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"7714533\" data-originallang=\"fr\">La r\u00e9alit\u00e9, c'est qu'on a ici un projet de loi qui ne fait vraiment rien pour changer une situation extr\u00eamement difficile quand il s'agit de violation des droits de la personne.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"7714534\" data-originallang=\"en\">Je tiens \u00e0 vous pr\u00e9senter trois des nombreux exemples de violations syst\u00e9miques des droits de la personne qui sont perp\u00e9tr\u00e9es dans les installations d'entreprises canadiennes. Prenons un instant pour y r\u00e9fl\u00e9chir. Le Canada d\u00e9fend les droits de la personne. Toutefois, certaines grandes soci\u00e9t\u00e9s canadiennes profitent du fait qu'elles m\u00e8nent leurs activit\u00e9s \u00e0 l'\u00e9tranger pour agir de la mani\u00e8re la plus r\u00e9pr\u00e9hensible en bafouant les droits fondamentaux de la personne. Le projet de loi <a data-HoCid=\"11474494\" href=\"/bills/44-1/S-211/\" title=\"An Act to enact the Fighting Against Forced Labour and Child Labour in Supply Chains Act and to amend the Customs Tariff\">S\u2011211</a> ne ferait rien pour corriger l'un ou l'autre des trois exemples que je vais vous pr\u00e9senter. C'est pourquoi je crois que nous avons besoin de mesures l\u00e9gislatives plus robustes. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"7714535\" data-originallang=\"en\">Je remercie le d\u00e9put\u00e9 du Bloc qu\u00e9b\u00e9cois qui appuie les projets de loi du NPD. J'y reviendrai dans un instant, en mon nom et au nom de la d\u00e9put\u00e9e d'<a data-HoCid=\"278368\" href=\"/politicians/heather-mcpherson/\" title=\"Heather McPherson\">Edmonton Strathcona</a>, la porte-parole du NPD en mati\u00e8re d'affaires \u00e9trang\u00e8res.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"7714536\" data-originallang=\"en\">Le premier exemple est le travail forc\u00e9 au sein de l'entreprise Nevsun, en \u00c9rythr\u00e9e. Du travail forc\u00e9, ou de l'esclavage, se produit dans les installations d'une entreprise de propri\u00e9t\u00e9 canadienne. Il s'agit d'une violation scandaleuse des droits de la personne, pourtant on peut tracer un lien avec le Canada. La honte des agissements de cette entreprise qui permet l'esclavage syst\u00e9mique dans ses installations retombe sur nous tous. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"7714537\" data-originallang=\"en\">Le deuxi\u00e8me exemple se situe au Salvador, et l'entreprise impliqu\u00e9e est Pacific Rim. Il est question des cas les plus flagrants et les plus horribles de torture et de meurtre de militants \u00e9cologistes qui s'opposaient \u00e0 la mine. Il s'agit d'un autre exemple d'entreprise canadienne qui m\u00e8ne des activit\u00e9s \u00e0 l'\u00e9tranger et qui commet des violations syst\u00e9miques des droits de la personne.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"7714538\" data-originallang=\"en\">Le troisi\u00e8me exemple est celui de Barrick Gold, en Papouasie\u2011Nouvelle\u2011Guin\u00e9e. Il est question de violence sexuelle syst\u00e9mique et de torture dont ont \u00e9t\u00e9 victimes de nombreuses femmes vivant pr\u00e8s de la mine.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"7714539\" data-originallang=\"en\">Dans tous ces cas, les syst\u00e8mes judiciaires ne fonctionnent tout simplement pas. Il n'y a pas de protection de la part du gouvernement. Il est question de syst\u00e8mes judiciaires corrompus et de policiers qui ont \u00e9t\u00e9 achet\u00e9s. C'est un v\u00e9ritable far west pour les violations des droits de la personne.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"7714540\" data-originallang=\"en\">Le pire, c'est que chacun de ces exemples implique une entreprise canadienne. Les d\u00e9put\u00e9s peuvent imaginer les cons\u00e9quences horribles pour les victimes, qu'il s'agisse de travail forc\u00e9, d'esclavage, de violence sexuelle syst\u00e9mique, de torture ou de meurtre de militants \u00e9cologistes. C'est pourquoi nous avons besoin d'une mesure l\u00e9gislative qui permet de contraindre les entreprises \u00e0 se conformer \u00e0 la loi et \u00e0 rendre des comptes, et de les tenir responsables de leurs actes. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"7714541\" data-originallang=\"en\">Les entreprises canadiennes ne peuvent tout simplement pas, d'un c\u00f4t\u00e9, \u00eatre assujetties \u00e0 la primaut\u00e9 du droit, ici, au Canada, et de l'autre, \u00eatre libres de commettre les violations les plus flagrantes et les plus odieuses des droits de la personne en toute impunit\u00e9 \u00e0 l'\u00e9tranger, comme en plein far west, et faire fi des droits fondamentaux de la personne. C'est pourquoi j'ai pr\u00e9sent\u00e9 le projet de loi <a data-HoCid=\"11611332\" href=\"/bills/44-1/C-262/\" title=\"An Act respecting the corporate responsibility to prevent, address and remedy adverse impacts on human rights occurring in relation to business activities conducted abroad\">C\u2011262</a>.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"7714542\" data-originallang=\"en\">Je tiens \u00e0 pr\u00e9ciser que le projet de loi que je pr\u00e9sente, le projet de loi <a data-HoCid=\"11611332\" href=\"/bills/44-1/C-262/\" title=\"An Act respecting the corporate responsibility to prevent, address and remedy adverse impacts on human rights occurring in relation to business activities conducted abroad\">C\u2011262</a>, est le fruit du travail remarquable du R\u00e9seau canadien sur la reddition de comptes des entreprises. Ce r\u00e9seau rassemble des militants de certaines des plus importantes organisations au Canada, comme Oxfam Canada, Amnistie internationale Canada, et Human Rights Watch Canada, ainsi qu'un certain nombre d'organisations syndicales majeures du secteur priv\u00e9 et du secteur public. Ces organisations s'entendent pour dire que les terribles violations des droits de la personne commises par les entreprises canadiennes \u00e0 l'\u00e9tranger doivent \u00eatre trait\u00e9es avec la rigueur et le cadre l\u00e9gislatif n\u00e9cessaires pour obliger les entreprises \u00e0 mettre fin \u00e0 ces violations et \u00e0 ces pratiques d\u00e9plorables. Le R\u00e9seau canadien sur la reddition de comptes des entreprises a r\u00e9alis\u00e9 la majeure partie du travail pr\u00e9paratoire essentiel au projet de loi que je pr\u00e9sente, le projet de loi C\u2011262.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"7714543\" data-originallang=\"en\">C'est un projet de loi qui vise \u00e0 lutter concr\u00e8tement contre les violations des droits de la personne. Il permettrait de demander des comptes aux entreprises et de les obliger \u00e0 faire preuve de diligence raisonnable avant d'effectuer un investissement. Ce projet de loi vise \u00e0 les responsabiliser. Ce ne sont que trois exemples parmi tant d'autres. Dans les cas de violence sexuelle syst\u00e9mique, de torture et d'assassinat de militants, ou dans les cas d'esclavage ou de travail forc\u00e9, les entreprises seraient tenues de rendre des comptes. Les dirigeants de ces entreprises seraient tenus de rendre des comptes.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"7714544\" data-originallang=\"en\">C'est pourquoi le projet de loi <a data-HoCid=\"11474494\" href=\"/bills/44-1/S-211/\" title=\"An Act to enact the Fighting Against Forced Labour and Child Labour in Supply Chains Act and to amend the Customs Tariff\">S\u2011211</a> est loin d'\u00eatre suffisant. Il s'agit simplement d'une coquille vide qui demande \u00e0 quelques entreprises de pr\u00e9parer un quelconque rapport. Ce projet de loi ne les tient pas responsables de quoi que ce soit. On ne leur demande pas de rendre des comptes. On ne les oblige pas non plus \u00e0 mettre fin aux violations des droits de la personne flagrantes qui sont commises dans le cadre de leurs activit\u00e9s sur leur propri\u00e9t\u00e9.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"7714545\" data-originallang=\"en\">Ces entreprises sont peut-\u00eatre fi\u00e8res de leur lien avec le Canada, mais je peux dire que les Canadiens, eux, n'en sont pas fiers. Aucune mesure n'a \u00e9t\u00e9 prise. Le gouvernement actuel et les gouvernements pr\u00e9c\u00e9dents n'ont rien fait pour rem\u00e9dier aux violations qui se poursuivent encore aujourd'hui. Le pays peut avoir chang\u00e9. Peut-\u00eatre que les violations effroyables des droits de la personne sont diff\u00e9rentes. Mais la r\u00e9alit\u00e9, c'est que ces entreprises agissent en toute impunit\u00e9.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"7714546\" data-originallang=\"en\">C'est pourquoi le projet de loi <a data-HoCid=\"11611332\" href=\"/bills/44-1/C-262/\" title=\"An Act respecting the corporate responsibility to prevent, address and remedy adverse impacts on human rights occurring in relation to business activities conducted abroad\">C\u2011262</a> est si important. Il mettrait fin \u00e0 l'esclavage, au travail forc\u00e9 et \u00e0 la violence sexuelle syst\u00e9mique. Elle mettrait fin \u00e0 l'impunit\u00e9 des agents de s\u00e9curit\u00e9 des entreprises qui torturent et qui tuent les militants qui s'expriment au nom de leur collectivit\u00e9. Il faut s'attaquer \u00e0 tous ces probl\u00e8mes, et c'est pourquoi je tenais \u00e0 remercier le R\u00e9seau canadien sur la reddition de compte des entreprises et toutes ses organisations membres, qui ont travaill\u00e9 si assid\u00fbment sur ce dossier pour que le Canada commence enfin \u00e0 s'attaquer \u00e0 l'\u00e9l\u00e9phant dans la pi\u00e8ce. Nous pronon\u00e7ons de beaux discours au sujet des droits de la personne \u00e0 l'\u00e9tranger, mais nous ne faisons rien pour obliger nos entreprises, ainsi que leurs administrateurs et leurs dirigeants, \u00e0 rendre compte des actes qu'ils autorisent sur leur propri\u00e9t\u00e9 et dans le cadre de leurs activit\u00e9s.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"7714547\" data-originallang=\"en\">Les d\u00e9put\u00e9s du NPD, en tant qu'abeilles ouvri\u00e8res du Parlement, ont essay\u00e9 d'am\u00e9liorer le projet de loi <a data-HoCid=\"11474494\" href=\"/bills/44-1/S-211/\" title=\"An Act to enact the Fighting Against Forced Labour and Child Labour in Supply Chains Act and to amend the Customs Tariff\">S\u2011211</a>. Nous avons essay\u00e9 de lui donner une colonne vert\u00e9brale. Nous avons essay\u00e9 de prendre la bo\u00eete vide qu'est le projet de loi S\u2011211 et de lui donner du contenu. Nous avons propos\u00e9 une demi-douzaine d'amendements \u00e9manant du secteur militant, des organismes les plus sensibles \u00e0 la question des droits de la personne. Nous avons vu les lib\u00e9raux et les conservateurs rejeter syst\u00e9matiquement chacun de ces amendements.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"7714548\" data-originallang=\"en\">Nous pouvons y penser un instant. Chaque d\u00e9put\u00e9 est au courant des violations \u00e9pouvantables des droits de la personne qui ont \u00e9t\u00e9 perp\u00e9tr\u00e9es et qui d\u00e9coulent des activit\u00e9s de soci\u00e9t\u00e9s canadiennes exploit\u00e9es \u00e0 l'\u00e9tranger. Un comit\u00e9 est saisi d'un projet de loi qui n'en traite que pour la forme. Les n\u00e9o-d\u00e9mocrates ont propos\u00e9 des amendements qui auraient vraiment rendu le projet de loi significatif, mais les conservateurs et les lib\u00e9raux ont rejet\u00e9 ces amendements.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"7714549\" data-originallang=\"en\">Nous allons voter contre le projet de loi et nous allons pr\u00e9senter une mesure l\u00e9gislative tr\u00e8s rigoureuse sur les droits de la personne. C'est ce que le monde r\u00e9clame et ce que les Canadiens m\u00e9ritent.</p>"
    },
    "url": "/debates/2023/4/26/peter-julian-1/",
    "politician_url": "/politicians/peter-julian/",
    "politician_membership_url": "/politicians/memberships/4198/",
    "procedural": false,
    "source_id": "12164858",
    "h1": {
        "en": "Private Members' Business",
        "fr": "Affaires \u00e9manant des d\u00e9put\u00e9s"
    },
    "h2": {
        "en": "Fighting Against Forced Labour and Child Labour in Supply Chains Act",
        "fr": "Loi sur la lutte contre le travail forc\u00e9 et le travail des enfants dans les chaines d\u2019approvisionnement"
    },
    "document_url": "/debates/2023/4/26/",
    "related": {
        "document_speeches_url": "/speeches/?document=%2Fdebates%2F2023%2F4%2F26%2F"
    }
}