Join MP Jenny Kwan's Fight to Stop Canadian Weapons from Fuelling War

Canada must close the loopholes that let our arms end up in the hands of human rights abusers.

Jenny Kwan is closing Canada’s “arms embargo loophole” that allows Canadian arms to flow through the US without accountability. Currently, Canadian weapons can reach global conflicts, contributing to human rights abuses despite international law.

Her Private Member’s Bill strengthens monitoring and disclosure standards to prevent Canadian arms from being used in war crimes or harming civilians. This legislation reflects Canada’s commitment to peace, justice, and human rights, including situations of impunity such as in Gaza being perpetrated by Israel.

✍️ Sign the Parliamentary Petition →

Canada Must Not Be Complicit in War and Repression

Right now, loopholes in Canada’s arms export laws allow Canadian-made weapons and components to end up in the hands of governments accused of war crimes and human rights abuses.

That’s wrong.

On September 19th, Jenny introduced a Private Member’s Bill in Parliament to close these dangerous loopholes and make sure Canadian weapons are never used to harm civilians or fuel repression abroad. There will be a vote in Parliament in February 2026. We need your help to mobilize your friends and neighbours!

The Problem

When Canada joined the Arms Trade Treaty in 2019, it left out one big exception — exports to the United States.

The U.S. is the largest buyer of Canadian military goods. Once there, those Canadian-made parts can be built into weapons systems and shipped to countries accused of bombing civilians or violating human rights — with no transparency, no accountability, and no oversight.

Reports from Amnesty International and Arms Embargo Now have shown that Canadian components have been used in conflicts like Gaza and Yemen.

This must stop.

What Jenny’s Bill Will Do

✅ Apply export controls to all arms, parts, and technology — no exceptions.
✅ Remove exemptions for the U.S. and other countries.
✅ Ban blanket export permits for weapons and munitions.
✅ Require end-use certificates to prevent diversion to human rights abusers.
✅ Mandate annual public reports to Parliament on Canada’s compliance with the Arms Trade Treaty.

Jenny's Private Member's Bill is Supported By:

Oxfam Canada, Canadians for a Just Peace in the Middle East, Independent Jewish Voices, National Council of Canadian Muslims, and the Canadian Muslim Public Affairs Council — all standing together for peace, accountability, and human rights.

Latest Update

HANSARD: Present Gaza petition

Toronto Sun: LILLEY: NDP MP shows radical side opposing sale of Canadian vehicles to ICE

LILLEY: "This is nothing but Trump derangement syndrome on full display."

"Kwan has no problem with these vehicles being sent around the world to be used in an actual war, she’s just against the Americans using them to defend their borders and keep their law enforcement officials safe. She’s against ICE using them because she’s opposed to the Trump administration and their policies around deporting people in their country illegally, in particular criminals and gang members.

For the past several months she’s been speaking up in favour of Kneecap, an Irish musical act known for supporting terrorist groups that was blocked from coming to Canada by the Mark Carney government.

That’s the kind of person Jenny Kwan is, opposed to safety for American law enforcement but in favour of bringing Irish musicians who support terror groups into the country."

"For the past several months she’s been speaking up in favour of Kneecap, an Irish musical act known for supporting terrorist groups that was blocked from coming to Canada by the Mark Carney government.

That’s the kind of person Jenny Kwan is, opposed to safety for American law enforcement but in favour of bringing Irish musicians who support terror groups into the country."

Click image or link to read the opinion article - https://ca.news.yahoo.com/lilley-ndp-mp-shows-radical-225101896.html

The Independent: ‘Deeply troubling’: Canadian legislators call for halt to ICE armored vehicle sale after report by The Independent

The pending purchase by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement of 20 bullet-and bomb-resistant armored vehicles from a Canadian manufacturer – first revealed by The Independent – has generated intense backlash north of the border, where lawmakers are now exploring ways they might halt the multimillion-dollar sale.

Following The Independent’s report on Monday, Jenny Kwan, a New Democratic Party member of Parliament who represents Vancouver East, said she was “deeply” and “profoundly” troubled by the news in light of credible accusations of human rights abuses by the U.S. immigration enforcement agency. It has so far made nearly 600,000 arrests in 2025, and has faced fierce criticism over its aggressive, unyielding tactics.

“I think Canadians expect our industries and our government to uphold human rights domestically and internationally, and not enable the further militarization of an organization whose conduct already puts vulnerable people at great risk,” Kwan told The Canadian Press. “This contract raises serious questions about Canada’s role and responsibility when it comes to our technology and products being deployed abroad.”

Kwan said Canadian law contains intentional loopholes that allow military gear to be sold to the United States without the same level of governmental oversight that would be applied to that same gear being exported to other nations. She told the wire service that she will be proposing revisions to a bill she sponsored in January, prohibiting sales of military items to problematic regimes, that would close those loopholes and prevent such materiel from going to the U.S.

“It’s profoundly concerning that a Canadian manufacturer is supplying specialized military grade vehicles built to withstand bullets and bomb blasts to an agency whose practices have long raised alarms amongst humanitarian organizations,” Kwan told The Globe and Mail.

In a television interview with Global News, Canada’s former Minister of Foreign Affairs Lloyd Axworthy, who served under Prime Minister Jean Chrétien and now chairs the World Refugee & Migration Council, called for the Canadian government to intervene.

“Are we prepared to stand up to Mr. Trump and the illegality of what he's doing and say that Canada still is a voice for fairness and justice and protection of people's rights?” Axworthy asked.

Click image or link to read the full news story - https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/canada-ice-vehicle-sales-trump-carney-b2878330.html

Canadian Press: NDP MP Kwan accuses Liberals of 'fearmongering' over defence export bill

OTTAWA — NDP MP Jenny Kwan is dismissing an internal Liberal caucus document as a "fearmongering" attempt to dissuade government MPs from supporting her bill to tighten oversight of defence-related exports.

"I think it's designed to confuse Liberal members, to be honest with you," Kwan said, describing the briefing document as "out-and-out disinformation."

The leaked caucus briefing document claims that the bill put forward by Kwan would "decimate" Canada's defence industry and "dismantle" defence sector trade with the U.S. — and even invite retaliation.

The document, obtained by The Canadian Press and Kwan herself, was circulated weeks ago and arms Liberal MPs with blunt talking points that call the legislation "misguided" and claim it would add red tape that would delay defence exports and "compromise our sovereignty."

The document suggests the legislation would hamper Canada's role in NATO, jeopardize the military's operational efficiency and even delay aid to Ukraine.

Kwan said she can easily rebut those claims when she lobbies MPs from other parties to support her bill — a mammoth task, given the current makeup of Parliament.

With just seven seats in the House of Commons following their dismal spring election results, the vastly outnumbered New Democrats would need sweeping cross-party support to advance the bill.

Kwan argues that her legislation is needed to strengthen arms oversight and keep Canadian-made military hardware out of the hands of governments which would use those weapons against civilian populations.

Her private member's bill C-233, which she's calling the "No More Loopholes Act," would add new oversight requirements to exports of parts and components, end permit-free access to the United States for military goods and require companies to obtain end-use certificates from foreign governments.

Click image or link to read the news story - https://www.timescolonist.com/the-mix/ndp-mp-kwan-accuses-liberals-of-fearmongering-over-defence-export-bill-11585127

The Maple: Liberals Fear Closing Arms Export Loophole Would Anger U.S.

A leaked Liberal caucus briefing document obtained by The Maple warned that regulating the flow of Canadian-made military goods to the United States might upset the Americans, resulting in economic blows to Canada and damaging geopolitical alliances.

The briefing was prepared in response to Bill C-233, a private members’ bill sponsored by NDP MP Jenny Kwan, who also obtained a copy of the leaked document ahead of a recent debate in the House of Commons.

Bill C-233, dubbed the “No More Loopholes Act,” proposes amending federal export law to prevent certain countries from being exempt from permitting requirements, and introducing additional regulations and reporting measures for Canadian military exports.

Most military exports to the United States currently do not require permits, and researchers have warned that this serves as a backdoor by which Canadian-made military goods are ending up in Israel, which is committing a genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.

A recent report, co-authored by the Palestinian Youth Movement, Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East, Arms Embargo Now and World Beyond War, identified hundreds of shipments of Canadian-made F-35 fighter jet components, other aircraft parts, and explosives and flammable materials to U.S. facilities that supply the Israeli military.

Click image or link to read the story - https://www.readthemaple.com/liberals-fear-closing-arms-export-loophole-would-anger-u-s/

Spring: Canadian government feeding massacres in Sudan

Since the defeat of the revolution that saw the 2019 overthrow of Sudan’s dictator Omar al-Bashir, the two main armed forces in Sudan have engaged in all out counterrevolutionary war. This is not a war that engages the Sudanese people in taking up sides; rather, ordinary Sudanese are the victims of two externally-backed militaries, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF). Millions have been displaced and killed, creating the world’s largest current humanitarian disaster.

Most recently, the mainstream media has paid more attention to this crisis, specifically the genocide taking place in Darfur by the RSF, which has now assumed control of the major cities in the region, following its rout of the SAF. Over 100,000 innocent people in El Fasher are now facing ethnic cleansing, hunger and loss of shelter and medical aid. Sexual violence is also being widely used as a weapon of war.

There are a number of layers of external support for the warring factions but the one that has become most newsworthy is the military support of the RSF by the United Arab Emirates (UAE), in exchange for gold. This has been going on for years and is one of several impediments to establishing true democracy in Sudan.

Canadian arms manufacturers are profiting from sales to the UAE, and some of those weapons are then used in Sudan against the people. According to a CBC report, UAE is the main conduit for rifles made by BC-based Sterling Cross Defense Systems.
Yet on November 21, while paying lip service to furthering human rights in Sudan, Carney met with UAE officials to further increase trade ties between Canada and the UAE. According to CBC reporting, Carney stated, “We welcome UAE investors to visit Canada — I will personally host them — to explore investment in Canada’s transformative projects.” To that end, Carney’s office said Friday that the UAE had agreed to invest $70 billion in Canada.

Response in Parliament

NDP Member of Parliament Jenny Kwan has introduced a private members bill, Bill C-233, An Act to Amend the Export and Import Permits Act, or the “No More Loopholes Act”. This Act would close the loophole that allows Canadian military manufacturers to export their products to the US where they are then shipped for use in the genocides in Gaza and Sudan. As Kwan stated when introducing the Bill, “When Canada signed on to the Arms Trade Treaty in 2019, the government exempted all exports to the United States from scrutiny. This loophole has become a back door for Canadian weapons, components and technologies to fuel some of the bloodiest conflicts on earth.”

Click image or link to read the news story - https://springmag.ca/canadian-government-feeding-massacres-in-sudan

The Breach" In the genocide in Sudan, Canada has a hand in the violence

The massacres of civilians in Sudan are being fuelled by Canadian weapons, mining interests, and refugee restrictions. It’s time for Canada to end its complicity.

As Nicholas Coghlan, Canada’s former ambassador to Sudan noted, “If the squeeze had really been put on the UAE a year ago—before they had ramped up all of the arms sales—we would not have had the genocide that is, I would say, indisputably underway in Darfur.”
The UAE is not the only foreign power fuelling this war—on the other side of the battlefield, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Turkey are supplying weapons to the SAF. But the UAE is a major actor in the conflict, and a trade partner that Prime Minister Mark Carney is keenly courting.
To ensure that Canadian arms are not being used to commit genocide in Sudan, Gaza, and elsewhere, Canada must adopt Bill C-233, a bill proposed by NDP MP Jenny Kwan that is being debated in Parliament. The bill would close the loophole that allows arms exports to the U.S. to bypass review and enables the U.S. to divert Canadian weapons to the UAE.
To avoid fuelling the trade in conflict gold, Canada should restrict the import of gold from the UAE. With no gold mines of its own, the UAE’s gold comes largely from Africa—including Sudan, where the RSF provides the precious metal in exchange for arms and support.

Click link to read the article - https://breachmedia.ca/in-the-genocide-in-sudan-canada-has-a-hand-in-the-violence/

Media Release: Statement on Canadian Arms Fuelling Human Rights Violations in Sudan via UAE

Statement by MP Jenny Kwan and Alexandre Boulerice on Canadian Arms Fuelling Human Rights Violations in Sudan via UAE

New Democrats are deeply concerned about potential Canadian complicity in the conflict in Sudan via Canadian arms exports to the United Arab Emirates – the same country Prime Minister Carney visited this week to expand trade.

In response to a question from NDP Foreign Affairs Critic Alexandre Boulerice in Parliament on Thursday, Parliamentary Secretary Mona Fortier refused to answer whether the government will end potential Canadian complicity in the horrific war crimes committed by the RSF in Sudan, and suspend Canadian arms exports to the UAE.

The latest CBC investigation revealing Canadian-branded weapons in the hands of Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces is nothing short of alarming — and it demands immediate accountability from this Liberal government. For over a year, open-source researchers and humanitarian experts have warned that foreign-supplied arms are fuelling atrocities in Sudan, including ethnic cleansing and the massacre of civilians in El Fasher. Now we learn that rifles bearing the logo of a Canadian company, Sterling Cross Defense Systems, have been verified in at least nine photos and videos of RSF fighters.

Canada has maintained an arms embargo on Sudan since 2004. We are a signatory to the Arms Trade Treaty. Yet somehow, weapons produced by a Canadian manufacturer have entered one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises — a conflict that has already killed more than 150,000 people and displaced over 12 million. That is a catastrophic failure of oversight.

While the Liberals say Canada has a “robust risk-assessment framework,” the facts tell a different story. Experts say Canada’s export-monitoring system is weak, opaque, and riddled with gaps that allow arms to be diverted through intermediaries such as the United Arab Emirates. Even Global Affairs cannot explain how these rifles reached a sanctioned paramilitary force accused of mass atrocities.

This is unacceptable. The Liberals must immediately launch a full investigation into any potential breaches of Canadian export or brokering laws, strengthen end-use monitoring, and close the loopholes that allow Canadian-made equipment to end up in the hands of human rights abusers.

New Democrats once again call on all parties in the House to support the “No More Loopholes” Bill C-233, introduced by NDP MP Jenny Kwan, that would strengthen monitoring and disclosure standards to prevent Canadian arms from being used in war crimes or harming civilians. Canada cannot claim to champion human rights abroad while failing to prevent our own weapons from fuelling conflict.

Parliament VIDEO: 1st hour debate on PMB C-233 to close arm embargo loophole

The first hour of debate on my Private Member’s Bill C-233 is now live.
This bill aims to close the arms-export loophole and ensure Canada is not complicit in grave human rights violations.

PMB - Stop Canadian Weapons from Fuelling War