FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 3, 2026
MP Kwan Releases Video Calling for Support on Bill C-233 Before Upcoming Vote at Second Reading
OTTAWA — NDP MP Jenny Kwan (Vancouver East) today announced the release of a new video calling on Members of Parliament from all parties to support Bill C-233, the End the Loopholes Act, as the legislation heads to Second Reading debate in the House of Commons on Monday, March 9, with a vote expected Wednesday evening, March 11th. Featured in the video is Alex Neve, former Secretary-General of Amnesty International and CBC Massey Lecturer and former Canadian Ambassador to the UN and former Liberal Minister of Justice Allan Rock.
Bill C-233 would amend the Export and Import Permits Act to close a longstanding loophole that exempts most Canadian military exports to the United States from case-by-case permitting and public reporting requirements.
“Canadians believe that our arms-export system should reflect our values,” said Kwan. “Right now, there is a glaring gap that allows Canadian-made weapons and components exported to the United States to bypass the same oversight applied everywhere else, resulting in Canadian arms being used in grave human rights abuses. Bill C-233 addresses that directly.”
In a recent national op-ed in the Globe and Mail, former Foreign Affairs minister Lloyd Axworthy and former Minister of Justice Allan Rock underscored the urgency of reform. They wrote: “Canada’s current arms-export system contains a loophole so large that it undermines the very values we claim to uphold.” Because roughly half of Canada’s defence exports go to the U.S., those exports are exempt from permitting and assessment rules applied elsewhere, “most Canadian military goods face no case-by-case review and no public reporting.”
Axworthy and Rock further observed that while Canada calls its export-control regime rigorous, “for much of our export activity, there is effectively no oversight at all.”
Kwan said Bill C-233 would bring consistency and transparency to Canada’s system by ensuring that weapons, components and explosives exported to the United States are subject to the same review standards as those shipped to other countries. “Its premise is simple,” she said. “Canadian standards should be consistent and universal. We need to meet the standard of best practices for the Arms Trade Treaty that we signed and acceded to in 2019.”
Kwan noted that the bill does not affect military aid to Ukraine, which is delivered through a separate Department of National Defence process, nor does it govern imports or Canadian Armed Forces procurement.
“With global conflicts intensifying and international humanitarian law under strain, Canadians deserve assurance that our exports are not contributing — directly or indirectly — to human-rights abuses,” Kwan said.
The newly released video urges MPs to support Bill C-233 at Second Reading and to stand for a modern, principled arms-export regime. Canadians can view and share the video beginning today across social media platforms.
Second Reading debate will take place in the House of Commons on Monday, March 9. A recorded vote is expected Wednesday evening, March 11.
“Parliament now faces a clear choice,” said Kwan. “We can maintain an outdated exemption that undermines Canada’s credibility, or we can adopt a consistent, responsible system that reflects our commitments under international law. I urge all Members of Parliament to vote in favour of Bill C-233.”
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