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Hill Times: Feds on track with immigration cuts, but policy’s long-term impacts remain unknown, say observers

The federal government’s immigration levels plan might be working successfully according to a recent analysis, but its long-term impact remains unknown, say an opposition MP and observers.

NDP MP Jenny Kwan (Vancouver East, B.C.), her party’s immigration critic, told The Hill Times in a March 11 email that a Parliamentary Budget Office (PBO) report offers a demographic snapshot of the government’s immigration levels plan, but does not examine the short or long-term impacts of the Liberals’ “drastic” policy changes.

“Immigration policy cannot be judged by population projections alone. We must look at the real consequences these decisions are having on people, families, communities, and the economy,” she said.

Canadian Press: MPs reject bill to close arms export loophole despite some Liberal support

MPs voted Wednesday to reject a bill that sought to close a loophole in Ottawa’s weapons export regime that allows Washington to send Canadian arms to countries that would otherwise be blocked.

“We are living within a lie with our arms exports,” NDP MP Jenny Kwan said at a Tuesday press conference.

Kwan tabled a private member’s bill last September following attempts by Washington to purchase Canadian weapons for Israel, despite a Canadian ban on exports of various types of weapons to that country.

MPs rejected Bill C-233 in a vote on second reading on Wednesday, with 295 voting against it, and 22 voting in favour. That means the legislation is dead and will not be sent to a committee for study.

Green Leader Elizabeth May voted in favour of the bill, as did all six New Democrats and 15 Liberal MPs — including former minister Steven Guilbeault and recent floor-crosser Lori Idlout.

Kwan said the existing rules need to be overhauled beyond better reporting and argued her legislation should be studied and amended to address any issues that could harm Canadian interests.

“What we have seen instead are attempts to dismiss the bill with arguments that simply do not stand up to scrutiny,” she said.

Click image or link to read the full news story - https://globalnews.ca/news/11726541/canada-arms-exports-loophole-bill-mps-vote/

CBC News: NDP's U.S. arms-control bill fails, 15 Liberal MPs break rank with government

An NDP private member's bill that would have ended exemptions from Canada's export-control regime for weapons and ammunition destined for the U.S. failed to pass at the House of Commons on Wednesday, though it garnered the support of 15 Liberal MPs who sided against their government.

"One of the nice things in a democracy and especially in our government, we are able to vote our own conscience. So that's what led me to believe that was the right thing to do," said Liberal MP Gurbux Saini, who represents the British Columbia riding of Fleetwood-Port Kells.

Other Liberals who support the bill include Lori Idlout, who freshly crossed the floor from the NDP, and former cabinet minister Steven Guilbeault.

Patrick Weiler, Sameer Zuberi, Fares Al Soud, Sean Casey, Salma Zahid, Chi Nguyen, Greg Fergus, Iqra Khalid, Nathaniel Erskine-Smith, Aslam Rana, Kristina Tesser Derksen and Michael Coteau rounded out the list of Liberals who voted with the NDP.

Green Party Leader Elizabeth May also voted for the bill, and the Conservatives and Bloc Québécois voted against it.

Twenty-three MPs did not vote, including 15 Liberals.

Prior to the vote, Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand said the government opposed the bill.

"Canada has one of the strongest export-control regimes in the world," she said, "with human rights considerations applied to every single permit issued for military goods.

"The changes proposed in this bill would decimate Canada's defence industry, would weaken Canada's role in NATO and would jeopardize the capabilities of Canadian Armed Forces."

The bill's sponsor, NDP MP Jenny Kwan, challenged the government by pointing out how two former Liberal cabinet ministers, Allan Rock and Lloyd Axworthy, had recently come out in favour of her legislation.

"They said Parliament now faces a clear choice: maintain an outdated exemption that undermines Canada's credibility or adopt a modern, principled statement, that reflects our commitments and responsibilities," Kwan said.

"Will the prime minister be honest with reality and votes yes to Bill C-233?"

Click image or link to read the full news story - https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/ndp-bill-loopholes-arms-exports-9.7124756