Marie-Claude Bibeau

Mr. Speaker, what is going on with the pork industry is an administrative issue. I am confident that we will find a solution very rapidly.Conservatives keep playing little politics. I would like the House to know that today we have learned that the Leader of the Opposition is refusing to allow an independent check on the cost of their promises. I think Conservatives are hiding in the same way Doug Ford is hiding very big cuts.

Mr. Speaker, abortion is about rights, health, and development. Women have the right to choose, and young women should be in school. We must put an end to violence against women, child marriage, teen pregnancy, and dangerous abortions.I can assure the House that women and girls will be at the heart of our priorities and that sexual and reproductive health will be a major component in the new international development policy. It will include sex education for girls and boys, contraception, family planning, and safe abortions.

Mr. Speaker, we were informed yesterday that the Chinese authorities suspended the export permits of two Canadian pork exporters.We were clearly informed that this is an administrative issue, something that happens on a relatively regular basis in various industries and countries. The Canada Food Inspection Agency is monitoring the situation and we expect it to be quickly resolved.

Quite the contrary, Mr. Speaker. I can assure the House that we are standing up for Canada and have been since this all started. Our Canadian pork producers provide very high-quality products.It is true that China informed us that it had suspended a pork producer after detecting the presence of a feed additive that is permitted under international standards but prohibited in China. I can assure the House that the Canadian Food Inspection Agency is monitoring this matter closely. We are taking this very seriously.

Mr. Speaker, as you know, we conducted a broad consultation last year. Our partners asked us for three things: leadership, good policies and funding.We have already proven our leadership on several occasions. Just think of the global fund: with our partners, we have managed to amass $13 billion to wipe out AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. We were asked for good policies, and $650 billion was committed to sexual and reproductive health. We are congratulated the world over for this. In addition, we are showing leadership in innovative funding.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Scarborough—Rouge Park for his involvement in this important issue.Our government remains deeply concerned by the crimes against humanity committed against the Rohingya. That is why I just launched a Myanmar crisis relief fund, a matching fund. The government will match every dollar Canadians donate between now and November 28 to support the efforts of our humanitarian partners on the ground. I urge Canadians to be generous and to visit Canada.ca/myanmarcrisis.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Rivière-des-Mille-Îles for the opportunity to inform the House that the Prime Minister and I made a very important announcement this morning: we will invest $650 million over three years in sexual and reproductive health in developing countries and fragile states.This investment will support the sexuality education of girls and boys, family planning, access to contraceptives, access to legal abortion, and the defence of women's rights because women's rights are human rights.

Mr. Speaker, our government has once again shown leadership. The Replenishment Conference, hosted in Montreal, raised close to $13 billion in pledges to eradicate HIV, malaria, and tuberculosis.We are proud of our pledge of over $800 million. It will help save an additional eight million lives.

Mr. Speaker, we unreservedly condemn the atrocities committed against the Yazidi people. We have already made a significant commitment of $1.1 billion to the conflict in Syria and Iraq. Of that, $150 million has already been allocated to Iraq and $63 million have been disbursed to helping these people.

Mr. Speaker, let me be clear, tax cheats can no longer hide.We are working closely with our international partners because this is a global problem for which there is no simple solution. We have fully adopted the global standard for the automatic exchange of information with OECD partners.

Madam Speaker, our government is very concerned about the Government of Kenya's decision to disband its department of refugee affairs and its intention to close the refugee camp at Dadaab. International refugee law and refugees' rights must be protected. All returns must be voluntary and conducted in accordance with domestic and international laws. Refugees need to be protected.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Scarborough Centre for her constant support of the Pakistani people. The persistence of polio in Pakistan is the biggest obstacle to its eradication worldwide. However, recent evidence proved that the vaccination campaign is paying off. I recently pledged $60 million for the eradication of polio in Pakistan. We are committed to ending it for good.

Mr. Speaker, I can assure the House that we closely watch every dollar invested by our government, particularly in international aid. Much of the funding invested through the International Organisation of La Francophonie goes to help the poorest and most vulnerable, particularly in African countries and in Haiti, to encourage women and young entrepreneurs. We should be proud of this organization.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Davenport for her question.Today, we launched the famine relief fund to help 20 million people facing starvation in South Sudan, Nigeria, Yemen, and Somalia. The government will match every eligible donation made to registered Canadian organizations between March 17 and June 20.I encourage all Canadians to give to the famine relief matching fund. Information is available on Canada.ca or by following #zerofamine.

Mr. Speaker, I take the canola crisis and the discussions with China very seriously. I have been travelling around western Canada over the past few weeks, meeting with farmers, our partners and our provincial counterparts. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is working with its Chinese counterpart. Furthermore, the Minister of International Trade Diversification and I will be appearing before the Standing Committee on International Trade tomorrow afternoon.

Mr. Speaker, Palestinian refugees are among the poorest and most vulnerable, and it is my mandate to help them. This is why, after conducting a thorough investigation of the allegations and negotiating an agreement that includes robust control measures, I announced this morning that Canada is providing $25 million in funding to UNRWA. For their safety and development and for the stability of the region, I would prefer to see these children in classrooms than on the street.

Madam Speaker, we are talking about lunch in New York at a juice bar called Jamba Juice.Since my colleague clearly has nothing important to ask during this very important question period, I have to assume that we are doing an excellent job.

Mr. Speaker, we are proud to support a Canadian woman at the head of the International Organisation of La Francophonie. Madame Jean does excellent work as far as the Organisation's mission is concerned. She promotes values that are important to Canadians such as defending human rights, defending women's rights, and supporting women entrepreneurs and young entrepreneurs.The International Organisation of La Francophonie needs to modernize its financial practices and we will help it to do just that.

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, Chinese authorities informed us that two pork exporters' permits had been suspended.I want to clarify that this happened for administrative reasons. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is working with the two companies to find a solution. This kind of thing happens regularly, and we expect to find a solution quickly.

Mr. Speaker, I believe that my hon. colleague misunderstood my speech yesterday. We are very proud to support a wide range of reproductive health services.Yesterday, I was joined by Dr. Babatunde, from the United Nations population fund. The plans we announced did not directly target abortion, but that does not mean we are against it. We were responding to a demand specifically focused on family planning, sex education, safe abortions, and the fight against sexually transmitted diseases.

Mr. Speaker, once again, I have had the chance to travel to many francophone countries, meet with my counterparts and attend ministerial meetings. I can assure the House that there is a great deal of support for the secretary general, a Canadian who is doing a good job managing the organization. We would agree that this organization’s management and financial rules could be improved, and that is what we are helping Madame Jean and the organization to do.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Glengarry—Prescott—Russell for his question.Canada already contributes to a number of projects in French-speaking Africa in the areas of education, health, reproductive health, and agriculture in the era of climate change, but young Africans, particularly adolescent girls, need more opportunities to achieve their full potential and contribute to the economic growth and stability of their countries and the world.At the Sommet de la Francophonie in Madagascar, I will be making a series of announcements about Canada's renewed presence in French-speaking Africa.

Mr. Speaker, I have been going through consultations for the last year, and I can assure members that it is a profound consensus here in Canada and globally that sexual health and reproductive rights are a priority. I can assure the member that it will be a major element in our new international assistance policy and that yes, we will support sexual education, contraceptive supplies, family planning, safe abortion, and obviously, maternal health and the health of newborns.

Mr. Speaker, I completely understand the worries of our farmers. I was in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba last week and the week before to speak with farmers and stakeholders. I can assure members that it is a very high priority for our government. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is having discussions with its counterparts in China and we are working on finding a science-based solution.

Mr. Speaker, I completely agree with my colleague. The attack was utterly unacceptable, as is any such act targeting doctors, humanitarian workers, and the women and children who are there because they need care.Our government strongly condemns such violations of international humanitarian law. That is why, yesterday, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and I announced that Canada was co-sponsoring the United Nations Security Council resolution on protection of medical personnel and hospitals. The resolution was unanimously approved by the United Nations Security Council this morning.

Mr. Speaker, we are working very closely with producers and the entire agriculture industry. Our main objective is to reopen markets in China, which we are doing in various ways in collaboration with my colleagues at the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Department of International Trade and my provincial counterparts.We were informed that China would be increasing pork inspections. That is why we are encouraging all members of the industry to be extremely vigilant as they continue exporting.

Madam Speaker, our delegation did extremely important work when we were in New York. Once again, my colleagues are fixating on one meal that a colleague picked up for me at a juice bar and that I ate on the run. It cost $17.

Mr. Speaker, Palestinian refugees are among the poorest and most vulnerable, and it is my mandate to help them. This is why, after conducting meaningful oversight and negotiating an agreement that includes robust control measures, I announced today that Canada is providing $25 million in funding to UNRWA for their security and development, but also for the stability of the region. I prefer to see these children in UN schools, in classrooms, than in the street.

Mr. Speaker, once again, I can say that we are very engaged in working as a team to solve this issue with China because we stand by our farmers, our canola producers and our exporters. This is a very important issue, and we should not confuse supporting our farmers and our robust inspection system with supporting the poorest and the most vulnerable of this world.

Mr. Speaker, as Canadians are well aware, reaching successful trade agreements is no small feat and is a time-consuming process.Canadians also understand how important it is to do things right and move forward on our discussions. With 600,000 good new jobs created in two years and an unemployment rate under 6%, it is safe to say that our economic plan is working.

Mr. Speaker, I can assure the member that our government is very concerned about the situation in Somalia and is monitoring it closely.We have already contributed $2 million through the Red Cross to help those who were wounded in the attack. I can assure my colleagues that we are monitoring the situation closely and that we could increase our contribution if necessary.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Vimy for her question and her commitment to improving the status of women. Canada will provide an additional $2 billion over five years for international aid. That is the largest increase in 10 years. This funding will enhance the impact of our feminist policy on the most vulnerable women and girls in the world. These women will not just be beneficiaries of this funding. It will also help them to become agents of change, development, and peace. We will help them to develop their economic, social, and political power.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague from Dorval—Lachine—LaSalle for her interest in the matter.Our government is indeed very concerned by the famine in Yemen, South Sudan, Nigeria and Somalia. We recently announced a contribution of $120 million to provide food, drinking water and health care for the 20 million people suffering from acute malnutrition. We are also insisting that the warring parties ensure full, unhindered access for humanitarian workers.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague from Gatineau for his question.The Syrian refugees on the Hill today will be pleased to hear that Canadians have donated nearly $32 million to the Syria Emergency Relief Fund. As promised, our government is matching that contribution, and even topping it up for a total of $100 million.Of the 29 projects that will receive funding, the largest is the UNICEF project that will help 84 education centres in Jordan, provide school supplies in Syria, and support a national vaccination campaign.

Madam Speaker, I remind my colleague that I am the Minister of International Development and La Francophonie.We are talking about lunch in New York at a juice bar called Jamba Juice. If my colleagues think it is worth using their precious question period time on this $17 issue, I have to assume that we are doing an excellent job, esteemed colleagues.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to see that my colleague has finally developed an interest in canola. This crisis has been going on for over a month. My colleagues and I, along with the Minister of International Trade Diversification and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, have been working very hard on this file. We are working very closely with the industry and our provincial colleagues. I have personally asked my Chinese counterpart to receive a delegation of experts led by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.

Madam Speaker, I can assure my colleague that this has been a top priority for our government and for me for more than one month now. I am working closely with my counterparts from the provinces, with industry and with the CFIA. We are having constant conversations with Chinese officials. I have asked for a delegation to go to China, and I expect an answer shortly. I can assure everyone that we are taking this very seriously, and we have the support of the industry.

Mr. Speaker, unlike my Conservative colleagues, it did not take me weeks to realize that the canola crisis was part of a bigger issue.From day one, my colleagues and I have been working hard on this file. A few weeks ago, I was in Japan, where I met with China's agriculture minister. We agreed that he would discuss the situation with his colleague who is responsible for customs.I am pleased to inform the House that, just last evening, scientists at the Canadian Food Inspection Agency had a discussion with their Chinese counterparts about canola.

Madam Speaker, I can assure the House that we have been standing up for our canola producers and our pork producers from day one. We are taking action on several fronts and we are working closely with the industry, with farmers and with our provincial colleagues.Obviously, as Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, I stand behind the quality of our products and our inspection system, which we can rely on. The Minister of International Trade Diversification is currently on a trade mission and we are supporting our farmers.

Mr. Speaker, once again, our government is firmly committed to protecting supply management. The 41 members from Quebec and all Liberal MPs support and believe in the supply management system. Our Prime Minister and our Minister of Foreign Affairs are defending this system.The Conservatives do not agree on the subject. Believe it or not, the Leader of the Opposition put the member for Beauce, who strongly opposes supply management, in charge of economic development.

Mr. Speaker, I can assure you that we are working hard to reopen the Chinese market to our canola producers.To help our farmers in the meantime, we improved the advanced payment program and I can assure the House that we are working very hard to make this happen as soon as possible. We are changing the rules and we are soon going to reach an agreement with the 36 agencies that administer the funds. I can assure the House that we are standing up for our canola producers.

Madam Speaker, we are taking real action for our farmers, and have been, consistently, since day one. I was pleased to meet with my Chinese counterpart and have a discussion with him when I was in Japan. Just two days ago, we followed up on the file. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has discussed the canola file with Chinese scientists. We are moving forward on this issue. We have also increased our support for farmers through the advance payments program in a meaningful way.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague from Thérèse-De Blainville for his question. Just yesterday, the Prime Minister announced that we will be hosting the Global Fund replenishment conference in September. The Global Fund is an important organization that seeks to eradicate HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria.We also announced that we will commit $785 million over three years. That represents a 20% increase over the previous commitment, which will save eight million lives.

Mr. Speaker, I want to reassure my colleague and supply-managed farmers.Our government made them a commitment. The budget clearly states that $3.9 billion will be allocated, $2.4 billion of which will go to farmers. We are also strongly committed to helping processors.I would ask the member to wait a few weeks for more information on this matter.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Vimy for her interest in refugees and host communities.Canada supports Jordan and Lebanon and others in different ways, for example when it comes to education. Together with the Federation of Canadian Municipalities we are intervening in the waste management sector and in skills development for women so that they may become involved in municipal management. Reducing the burden on these communities by strengthening local government is also a matter of peace and stability.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague for his interest in Canada's response to Cyclone Winston.After initial support of basic supplies for 5,000 Fijians, our government has made additional contributions to the Red Cross and UNICEF of $1 million to improve health, food, and education of 350,000 people affected by the cyclone, including 120,000 children.We continue to assess the situation and ongoing needs.

Mr. Speaker, globally, LGBTQ communities continue to face discrimination and injustice because of who they are. To help address this discrimination, our government has announced a new initiative of $30 million over five years, followed by $10 million per year ongoing, to advance human rights and improve socio-economic outcomes for LGBTQ2 people in developing countries.Our government continues to take concrete action to advance human rights, including LGBTQ2 rights, in Canada and around the world.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to remind the House that our government and our Minister of Canadian Heritage are deeply committed to official languages. This issue is very important to us, and we will ensure that all of our departments and programs uphold that priority to the best of their ability.

Mr. Speaker, I am very proud to have participated in three international summits recently. One was on the status of women, another was on humanitarian aid, and the third was on health.My opposition colleague will not be surprised to learn that, as in past years, we pledged contributions to the Central Emergency Response Fund to ensure that Canada will always be among the first to respond to disasters. We also pledged to respond to major humanitarian organizations' annual appeals.

Mr. Speaker, I wish to reassure my colleague that we have done all the necessary verification in co-operation with our allies and UNRWA, and even the Israeli government, before making this decision. The funding announcement includes a robust oversight mechanism and a stronger accountability framework. This funding is crucial for the security of the region.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for giving me the opportunity to provide an update on our commitment to supply management.We are indeed firmly committed to supply management and to our dairy, poultry and egg farmers as well as to our processors. We will soon be announcing the mechanisms that will be used to provide our industry with the compensation it was promised.

Mr. Speaker, once again our government is firmly committed to protecting the supply management system. The Prime Minister, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, the 41 members from Quebec and all members of the Liberal Party are unanimous: they support and believe in supply management. I assure my colleagues that we will protect the supply management system.

Mr. Speaker, our government is firmly committed to protecting supply management. The Prime Minister, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-food, and all members of our caucus believe in supply management, and we are committed to protecting it.

Mr. Speaker, I take the canola crisis and the discussions with China very seriously. I have been travelling around western Canada over the past few weeks, meeting with farmers, our partners and our provincial counterparts. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is working with its Chinese counterpart. Furthermore, the Minister of International Trade Diversification and I will be appearing before the Standing Committee on International Trade tomorrow afternoon.

Mr. Speaker, once again, our government is firmly committed to defending supply management. We are the ones who created it, we believe in it, and we will protect it. In addition, to support our rural communities, we have invested $250 million for dairy producers and $100 million for dairy processors, funding that has already begun to be distributed throughout the regions. We believe in supply management and we will continue to stand up for it.

Mr. Speaker, as you know, I represent the riding of Compton—Stanstead. It is impossible for me to travel by plane or train, as many of my colleagues do, so, yes, I use a car service to get home to my riding.

Mr. Speaker, our government is firmly committed to defending supply management.The Prime Minister, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Minister of Agriculture, and our entire caucus are staunch defenders of supply management. Unlike the Conservative Party's innovation critic, we believe in it.We will continue to protect the interests of our rural communities.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Vimy for her interest in refugees and host communities.Canada supports Jordan and Lebanon and others in different ways, for example when it comes to education. Together with the Federation of Canadian Municipalities we are intervening in the waste management sector and in skills development for women so that they may become involved in municipal management. Reducing the burden on these communities by strengthening local government is also a matter of peace and stability.

Mr. Speaker, I can assure my colleague that our government, our entire caucus, is committed to defending supply management. The Prime Minister, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, and the 41 MPs from Quebec unanimously support the protection of the supply management system.

Mr. Speaker, our government is fully committed to protecting the supply management system. Our Prime Minister, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Minister of Agriculture, the 41 Quebec MPs, and our entire caucus believe in the supply management system, and we will protect it. Ours is the party that created the supply management system, and we will protect it.

Mr. Speaker, ever since I was appointed to my new position on March 1, I have been working very hard on this issue with my colleagues, the Minister of International Trade Diversification, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Prime Minister, as well as our provincial counterparts.As a team, we are working tirelessly on ongoing technical discussions with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and Chinese officials. We are standing by our farmers.

Mr. Speaker, our government remains fully committed to defending supply management.The Minister of Agriculture, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Prime Minister, and our entire team are staunch defenders of supply management.I urge my colleague from Mégantic—L'Érable to have a long chat with his colleague from Beauce on supply management. Whether the Conservatives believe in it or not, we believe in it and will continue to stand up for it.

Mr. Speaker, we have stood with our farmers from the very beginning. I do not know where my colleague has been for the last two and a half months, because apparently, he missed a lot. I have travelled to the Prairies. We have talked with the industry, with farmers and with our provincial counterparts. We have created a working group. We have made a declaration at the WTO. I have travelled to Japan. I had a conversation with my Chinese counterpart. We are moving on this file, and we take it very seriously.

Mr. Speaker, I can assure you that we are working hard to reopen the Chinese market to our canola producers.To help our farmers in the meantime, we improved the advanced payment program and I can assure the House that we are working very hard to make this happen as soon as possible. We are changing the rules and we are soon going to reach an agreement with the 36 agencies that administer the funds. I can assure the House that we are standing up for our canola producers.

Mr. Speaker, our government is fully committed to defending supply management. It was introduced by a Liberal government, and we will continue to defend it.The Prime Minister, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Minister of Agriculture and our entire caucus believe in supply management. We will keep working for our rural communities.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from London North Centre for his support to vulnerable populations. Yesterday, I was pleased to join my colleague, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, to unveil our plan to address the Rohingya crisis.Our strategy includes $300 million over three years to address humanitarian, development, peace, and stabilization needs in Myanmar and Bangladesh, as well as support to host communities in Bangladesh to mitigate the impact of the crisis, and to build self-reliance and resilience, with a central emphasis on the needs of women and girls.

Mr. Speaker, hon. members know full well that it is common practice for candidates and volunteers who are actively involved in municipal, provincial, and federal campaigns to work together. None of my resources were used when I went door to door on Saturday. By way of example, the campaign manager for my colleague from Sherbrooke is a municipal councillor.

Madam Speaker, I can assure the House that we have been standing up for our canola producers and our pork producers from day one. We are taking action on several fronts and we are working closely with the industry, with farmers and with our provincial colleagues.Obviously, as Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, I stand behind the quality of our products and our inspection system, which we can rely on. The Minister of International Trade Diversification is currently on a trade mission and we are supporting our farmers.

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate my colleague's interest in the terrible situation that is occurring right now in South Sudan.In 2016, we allocated $45 million in international aid specifically for South Sudan. We are currently reviewing the various requests for humanitarian aid, particularly for the food crisis in Nigeria, Somalia, Yemen, and South Sudan. We will be in a position to contribute even more in the coming weeks.

Mr. Speaker, I want to reassure my colleague, as well as dairy processors. Again, we made a strong commitment to all supply-managed industries. We have created working groups, and we take these discussions very seriously. They will soon see how well we have listened.

Mr. Speaker, I want to reassure my colleague, as well as dairy processors. Again, we made a strong commitment to all supply-managed industries. We have created working groups, and we take these discussions very seriously. They will soon see how well we have listened.

Mr. Speaker, our government has once again shown leadership. The Replenishment Conference, hosted in Montreal, raised close to $13 billion in pledges to eradicate HIV, malaria, and tuberculosis.We are proud of our pledge of over $800 million. It will help save an additional eight million lives.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to remind the House that our government and our Minister of Canadian Heritage are deeply committed to official languages. This issue is very important to us, and we will ensure that all of our departments and programs uphold that priority to the best of their ability.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague for his interest in this matter.During my recent visit to the Zaatari camp in Jordan, which houses 80,000 refugees, I was able to see firsthand the impressive work being done by our humanitarian partners, including the grocery store set up by the World Food Programme and the health clinic set up by the United Nations population fund, which has made it possible for 5,000 babies to be delivered safely.The work being done by UNICEF in regular and alternative schools in Jordan and Lebanon is also very impressive. Canadians can be proud of their contribution.

Mr. Speaker, we have been standing shoulder to shoulder with our canola farmers from the very beginning. We stand with them and their families. We know that we have the best canola in the world. We have a very robust inspection system, and we are having an ongoing conversation with the Chinese authorities to resolve this issue as quickly as we can.We remain committed to resolving this issue and we are also looking at the best ways to support our farmers even more. We look forward to having more on this issue.

Madam Speaker, we are talking about lunch in New York at a juice bar called Jamba Juice.Since my colleague clearly has nothing important to ask during this very important question period, I have to assume that we are doing an excellent job.

Mr. Speaker, Canada has always been a trading nation, and access to diversified, growing markets is critical for growing our economy and creating good jobs.As we have said from the beginning, if we decide to strengthen our economic engagement with China, we will do so on our own terms, based on our interests, safeguarding our values, and at our own speed.

Mr. Speaker, once again, I have had the chance to travel to many francophone countries, meet with my counterparts and attend ministerial meetings. I can assure the House that there is a great deal of support for the secretary general, a Canadian who is doing a good job managing the organization. We would agree that this organization’s management and financial rules could be improved, and that is what we are helping Madame Jean and the organization to do.

Madam Speaker, I remind my colleague that I am the Minister of International Development and La Francophonie.We are talking about lunch in New York at a juice bar called Jamba Juice. If my colleagues think it is worth using their precious question period time on this $17 issue, I have to assume that we are doing an excellent job, esteemed colleagues.

Mr. Speaker, we unreservedly condemn the atrocities committed against the Yazidi people. We have already made a significant commitment of $1.1 billion to the conflict in Syria and Iraq. Of that, $150 million has already been allocated to Iraq and $63 million have been disbursed to helping these people.

Mr. Speaker, as Canadians are well aware, reaching successful trade agreements is no small feat and is a time-consuming process.Canadians also understand how important it is to do things right and move forward on our discussions. With 600,000 good new jobs created in two years and an unemployment rate under 6%, it is safe to say that our economic plan is working.

Mr. Speaker, I can assure you that my team and I are doing everything we can to ensure that the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East is doing its job properly in full transparency, that it is respecting human rights and providing help.This summer, I visited Palestine and the UNRWA schools and I can assure you that school is the best place for children. This enhances security in the region.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Alfred-Pellan for the question.I was very proud this morning to unveil Canada's new feminist international aid policy. From now on, all of our partners will have to ensure that they contribute in a tangible way to gender parity and to the empowerment of women and girls.I am confident that our new feminist approach will help reduce poverty and inequality, and create a more inclusive, peaceful, and prosperous world.

Madam Speaker, I invite my colleague to do a quick Google search. If he looks at the Jamba Juice menu, he will see that there is more than just juice available for a quick meal on the go in New York.

Mr. Speaker, last week, I was very proud to join the Prime Minister in announcing the creation of a new development finance institute. After thorough analysis, we decided to make the institute a subsidiary of Export Development Canada because the evidence shows that this will be the most effective and efficient mechanism. This will enable us to form new partnerships with the private sector.

Mr. Speaker, I believe that my hon. colleague misunderstood my speech yesterday. We are very proud to support a wide range of reproductive health services.Yesterday, I was joined by Dr. Babatunde, from the United Nations population fund. The plans we announced did not directly target abortion, but that does not mean we are against it. We were responding to a demand specifically focused on family planning, sex education, safe abortions, and the fight against sexually transmitted diseases.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for giving me the opportunity to reassure him and all supply-managed dairy farmers across Canada.I would like them to know that we are making progress. We already announced the amount of funding earmarked for them in the last budget. I am sure that in the coming weeks, we will have more details to announce about the mechanisms that will help provide their compensation.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for giving me the opportunity to reassure him and all supply-managed dairy farmers across Canada.I would like them to know that we are making progress. We already announced the amount of funding earmarked for them in the last budget. I am sure that in the coming weeks, we will have more details to announce about the mechanisms that will help provide their compensation.

Mr. Speaker, we remain acutely aware of how important it is to distinguish between matters under federal jurisdiction and those under provincial jurisdiction. The Minister of Canadian Heritage is fulfilling her mandate with the utmost respect for her responsibilities.

Mr. Speaker, our farmers know how hard our government is working with them and for them. They know how much we are doing to support the system. We have the best agricultural products in the world and one of the best food inspection systems in the world.I know that our farmers are aware we are standing by them, consulting them and doing what needs to be done to help them and reopen markets, including the Chinese market, as quickly as possible.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Vaughan—Woodbridge for accompanying me to Riverside Natural Foods.This is an expanding family business whose healthy snacks are enjoyed in more than 30 countries. It is a business that has provided markets for Canadian agriculture products.Our investment under the agriInnovate program will help Riverside install its new, first-in-Canada robotic equipment, customize and automate production, and develop many new healthy snack foods.Through budget 2019, we are investing $100 million to drive innovation in the food processing industry.

Mr. Speaker, as you know, we conducted a broad consultation last year. Our partners asked us for three things: leadership, good policies and funding.We have already proven our leadership on several occasions. Just think of the global fund: with our partners, we have managed to amass $13 billion to wipe out AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. We were asked for good policies, and $650 billion was committed to sexual and reproductive health. We are congratulated the world over for this. In addition, we are showing leadership in innovative funding.

Mr. Speaker, since we restored funding for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, we have been monitoring the organization's activities very closely, and we take all allegations very seriously.Since Canada has been at the table, the organization has been monitored more and more closely. We are conducting background checks on financial services employees, ensuring that executives and teachers are getting training on the importance of web independence, and reviewing the educational materials. I can assure the House that Canadians' money is being put to good use.

Mr. Speaker, this organization operates under long-established rules. It is worth reviewing these rules based on what is acceptable today. I can assure the House that we are working closely with the administration and the secretary general to modernize these rules that, based on today’s standards, are no longer acceptable. The secretary general followed the rules, based on the information I have, and I am proud to support her renewed candidacy.

Our team is working non-stop across the country to fix this situation. Our priority is reopening the Chinese markets for agricultural products.We have increased our support for farmers through the advance payments program. Farmers will be able to submit their application as of June 10. They already had access to $400,000 loan advances and will now be eligible for $1 million. As for canola producers, they are entitled to $500,000 interest free.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague from Dorval—Lachine—LaSalle for her interest in the matter.Our government is indeed very concerned by the famine in Yemen, South Sudan, Nigeria and Somalia. We recently announced a contribution of $120 million to provide food, drinking water and health care for the 20 million people suffering from acute malnutrition. We are also insisting that the warring parties ensure full, unhindered access for humanitarian workers.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Scarborough—Rouge Park for his question.Since the beginning of the year, our government has provided over $11 million in humanitarian aid for Haiti, including $6 million to assist the victims of Hurricane Matthew. We also increased our contribution to UNICEF by $8 million in order to provide drinking water and sanitation systems in regions affected by cholera.We have also provided an additional $200,000 to local NGOs that offer direct assistance to the people of Haiti. Lastly, we are awaiting the details of the UN plan in order to assess how we can best contribute to the fight against cholera.

Madam Speaker, our delegation did extremely important work when we were in New York. Once again, my colleagues are fixating on one meal that a colleague picked up for me at a juice bar and that I ate on the run. It cost $17.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Châteauguay—Lacolle for her support for women.With our feminist international assistance policy, we focus on empowering women and girls to end poverty by supporting local women's organizations, funding education, in particular by reducing the barriers that prevent teen girls from going to school, giving them full access to sexual and reproductive health services, and supporting women entrepreneurs.By involving women and girls, we can create a fairer, more inclusive, and more prosperous world.

Mr. Speaker, once again, I can assure the House that we are closely monitoring the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East. We are also reviewing the educational materials, and we are satisfied with the progress that is being made.Even the Israeli ministry of defence made a statement regarding this organization. It said: UNRWA is making efforts to create a balanced, positive curriculum with universal values free from violence and incitement after criticism directed at the agency. That is from the Israeli ministry of defence.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Rivière-des-Mille-Îles for the opportunity to inform the House that the Prime Minister and I made a very important announcement this morning: we will invest $650 million over three years in sexual and reproductive health in developing countries and fragile states.This investment will support the sexuality education of girls and boys, family planning, access to contraceptives, access to legal abortion, and the defence of women's rights because women's rights are human rights.

Mr. Speaker, we are proud to support a Canadian woman at the head of the International Organisation of La Francophonie. Madame Jean does excellent work as far as the Organisation's mission is concerned. She promotes values that are important to Canadians such as defending human rights, defending women's rights, and supporting women entrepreneurs and young entrepreneurs.The International Organisation of La Francophonie needs to modernize its financial practices and we will help it to do just that.

Mr. Speaker, I assure the House that we are very concerned about the fact that a tunnel was found under a school run by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency. We have taken action and are following this situation very closely. These kinds of things can happen in this environment, but that is no reason to condemn 30,000 employees and deny a good education to 500,000 children.

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, Chinese authorities informed us that two pork exporters' permits had been suspended.I want to clarify that this happened for administrative reasons. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is working with the two companies to find a solution. This kind of thing happens regularly, and we expect to find a solution quickly.

Madam Speaker, we are taking real action for our farmers, and have been, consistently, since day one. I was pleased to meet with my Chinese counterpart and have a discussion with him when I was in Japan. Just two days ago, we followed up on the file. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has discussed the canola file with Chinese scientists. We are moving forward on this issue. We have also increased our support for farmers through the advance payments program in a meaningful way.

Mr. Speaker, first of all, I would like to offer our sincere condolences to the grieving family and the victims' loved ones.I would also like to assure everyone here that the Quebec family is receiving assistance from Canadian consular officials. Our team is in contact with local authorities to assess the impact of the earthquake and the needs on the ground. I can say that we will be providing $1 million to local authorities for relief efforts in the very near future.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Glengarry—Prescott—Russell for his question.Canada already contributes to a number of projects in French-speaking Africa in the areas of education, health, reproductive health, and agriculture in the era of climate change, but young Africans, particularly adolescent girls, need more opportunities to achieve their full potential and contribute to the economic growth and stability of their countries and the world.At the Sommet de la Francophonie in Madagascar, I will be making a series of announcements about Canada's renewed presence in French-speaking Africa.

Mr. Speaker, we were working on this issue from the first day while our Conservative colleagues kept asking questions on other issues. It took them six weeks to ask the first question on the canola issue.I have been working on this, and our team has been working with the industry, with our provincial colleagues, with the businesses involved and with the farmers for more than two months now. We have been there, standing by our farmers and their families since the beginning.

Mr. Speaker, 15,000 people participated in those consultations and most of them were Canadian. I personally participated in nine consultation sessions and round tables here in Canada. I had help from my parliamentary secretary. Many department officials participated in the round tables. All of our partner organizations participated and contributed. They submitted hundreds of briefs. We mostly heard from Canadians. I am pleased to tell the House that women and girls are going to be the focus of our new policy.

Mr. Speaker, we have been working on this issue since the beginning. It took six weeks for my colleague from Mégantic—L'Érable to ask me the first question about canola. Since the very beginning, I have been working with our farmers, with our producers, with the industry, with our provincial colleagues and with businesses that are directly affected. We have created a working group. We are looking at all the options. I will shortly be announcing some good news to further support our farmers.

Mr. Speaker, I want to reassure my colleague and supply-managed farmers.Our government made them a commitment. The budget clearly states that $3.9 billion will be allocated, $2.4 billion of which will go to farmers. We are also strongly committed to helping processors.I would ask the member to wait a few weeks for more information on this matter.

Mr. Speaker, we have been talking about this matter and doing something about it for exactly two months now. We are in contact with the Chinese authorities. Our representatives there are in daily contact with Chinese authorities. We have regular meetings with a working group because we recognize that this is an important industry, we respect our partners, we respect the industry and we are working together to find the best way to resolve this situation as quickly as possible.

Mr. Speaker, once again, I can say that we are very engaged in working as a team to solve this issue with China because we stand by our farmers, our canola producers and our exporters. This is a very important issue, and we should not confuse supporting our farmers and our robust inspection system with supporting the poorest and the most vulnerable of this world.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Scarborough—Rouge Park for his involvement in this important issue.Our government remains deeply concerned by the crimes against humanity committed against the Rohingya. That is why I just launched a Myanmar crisis relief fund, a matching fund. The government will match every dollar Canadians donate between now and November 28 to support the efforts of our humanitarian partners on the ground. I urge Canadians to be generous and to visit Canada.ca/myanmarcrisis.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Davenport for her question.Today, we launched the famine relief fund to help 20 million people facing starvation in South Sudan, Nigeria, Yemen, and Somalia. The government will match every eligible donation made to registered Canadian organizations between March 17 and June 20.I encourage all Canadians to give to the famine relief matching fund. Information is available on Canada.ca or by following #zerofamine.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague from Gatineau for his question.The Syrian refugees on the Hill today will be pleased to hear that Canadians have donated nearly $32 million to the Syria Emergency Relief Fund. As promised, our government is matching that contribution, and even topping it up for a total of $100 million.Of the 29 projects that will receive funding, the largest is the UNICEF project that will help 84 education centres in Jordan, provide school supplies in Syria, and support a national vaccination campaign.

Mr. Speaker, we have already allocated $1 million to help with the situation in Ecuador and help meet immediate humanitarian needs. Our consular team is assisting the grieving families at this time. We sent a team of three Global Affairs Canada staff and three Department of National Defence personnel to assess the needs.We will take the appropriate action as soon as we receive their recommendations.

Mr. Speaker, we have been standing firm on this issue for well over two months. It did not take us six weeks to ask a first question about canola.We are working with the Minister of International Trade Diversification and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, and also with farmers, their representatives, the industry and our provincial colleagues. We are working together to implement the best strategy and to find a long-term solution. We support our canola producers.

Mr. Speaker, I have a clear mandate. It consists of refocusing Canada’s development assistance on helping the poorest and most vulnerable. I can assure the House that our department is working hard to ensure that everything is done properly with respect to all contracts awarded and all assistance given to our international partners. We are making sure that all of our partners are experienced partners and that the funds are used appropriately.

Mr. Speaker, I have been going through consultations for the last year, and I can assure members that it is a profound consensus here in Canada and globally that sexual health and reproductive rights are a priority. I can assure the member that it will be a major element in our new international assistance policy and that yes, we will support sexual education, contraceptive supplies, family planning, safe abortion, and obviously, maternal health and the health of newborns.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Scarborough Centre for her constant support of the Pakistani people. The persistence of polio in Pakistan is the biggest obstacle to its eradication worldwide. However, recent evidence proved that the vaccination campaign is paying off. I recently pledged $60 million for the eradication of polio in Pakistan. We are committed to ending it for good.