Heather McPherson MP - the Canada-US Relationship and the NDP’s Vision for Foreign Affairs in a Time of Crisis

Speech by MP Heather McPherson, NDP Foreign Affairs Critic

To the Canadian International Council and the Circle for Democratic Solidarity - Toronto, Ontario - January 21, 2025

Thank you very much to the Canadian International Council and the Circle for Democratic Solidarity for the invitation to speak as part of this series on the Canada – US Relationship in Crisis. And thank you to Ben Rowswell and to Sara Wolfe for the compelling Anishinaabe teaching on the seven generations. Meegwetch.

The connection to how we should be thinking about governance, diplomacy, and policy is clear. What we do today will impact our kids, their kids, and generations to come.

There is no way for me to talk about the Canada-US relationship today without acknowledging what is happening in the first two days of the Trump presidency. Trump’s blood-chilling inauguration and his first executive orders are fundamentally worse than many of us expected.

On his first day back in office Trump pulled the US out of the World Health Organization and the Paris Climate Agreement, has suspended foreign aid, ended refugee resettlement, and threatened the safety and security of the most vulnerable.

Yesterday, Trump’s main advisor, billionaire Elon Musk, did a Nazi salute not once but twice.

Oligarchs who own the social media platforms stood behind Trump and smiled.

The convicted felon and adjudicated rapist has filled his team with men accused of sexual assault, grifters, frauds, and quacks. All of them are interested only in enriching themselves at the expense of the rest of us.

Trump is normalizing hate. And Canada and the world are increasingly vulnerable.

The Canada-US relationship is being redefined as we speak.

The global order is under threat.

Our urgent concerns like the climate crisis, the global attack on democracy and human rights, the erosion of international law, growing inequality, and foreign interference, are now made even worse by this appalling turn away from empathy and tolerance and a turn toward authoritarianism and the extreme right.

These are the most troubling times I have lived through. And for me and all New Democrats – the core values of peace, justice and solidarity are more important than ever.

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The most immediate and pressing concern for Canadians right now is the coming tariffs expected on February 1.

Trump’s tariffs are irresponsible economic bullying. They’ll cost Canadian and American workers hundreds of thousands of jobs. Prices will go up on both sides of the border. Inflation will rise. Our dollar will weaken. Every Canadian will be impacted.

As Bea Bruske, the President of the Canadian Labour Congress has said, “The damage from such tariffs will not stop at the workplace. Families will feel the economic strain, and entire communities will suffer as good jobs disappear and opportunities shrink. This is not just a trade issue; it’s about protecting the future of workers and their families.”

We’re at a critical moment when Canadians need a well-functioning Parliament and government – a moment when politicians across the political spectrum must work together for the good of our country.

Instead, we have a Prime Minister who waited until the very last moment to resign. He left his party and our country effectively leaderless.

Pierre Poilievre has refused to take a clear stand for a united response, while a chunk of his base and his caucus embrace Trump.

And then there’s the Premier of my province, Danielle Smith, who has somehow found a way to be even worse. In the battle of Canada vs. Donald Trump, Danielle Smith has chosen to side with Trump.

If Canada is to survive this assault, we will need to do better. What we need now is a strong and united front. That means working with business leaders, indigenous peoples, premiers, civil society, and especially working with our sisters and brothers in labour.

Trump’s goal is to pit American workers against Canadian workers - but our economies have become too intertwined for that simplistic divide. Organized labour understands that. And whether it’s a union like the Steelworkers which straddles the border, or Unifor with close ties to the UAW, they are not going to let Trump divide them.

We need that kind of Solidarity in all our organizing now.

This weekend, along with fellow New Democrat MPs, I met with Labour leaders and workers in Windsor, Ontario, to talk about how a trade war will affect them. They told us how concerned they are about their families and their livelihoods - how their communities depend on good jobs and a good trading relationship with the United States.

I also met with a Democratic Congresswoman from Detroit who shared concerns about how Trump will hurt workers on both sides of the border.

Political leaders in Canada need to meet this new challenge with an understanding that the economy is more than just the financial markets – the economy is the product of working people across our two countries. That means, at every step, we need to put Canadian workers, families, and communities first. As New Democrats, that approach is in our DNA.

We need to make sure any retaliation protects Canadian resources and jobs.

There are a lot of retaliatory tariffs we could impose, but the things the US really needs are our critical minerals and our energy.

Donald Trump and America need potash, aluminum, cobalt, lithium, and many other critical minerals that Canada mines and refines. Trump may not care that these minerals are vital for making solar panels and electric vehicle batteries, but they’re also central to making everything from cell phones to medical and healthcare devices. Let’s stop the flow of those critical minerals.

Let’s shut off the supply of electricity from provinces like Manitoba and Quebec.

And let’s halt the flow of oil and gas from Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Newfoundland and Labrador.

This is the language that Donald Trump understands – not the embarrassing appeasement of Conservatives like Danielle Smith.

And while we’re dealing with Donald Trump, let’s take a long hard look at ourselves, start building a more resilient and sustainable Canada, restore our own capacity to build more of what we need here in Canada, and prioritize products made by Canadian workers with public procurement.

We have a history of Conservatives undermining our economy by selling off assets, like our vaccine manufacturer and the Wheat Board, and going after our universities and scientific capacity. And when the Liberals get back in charge, they fail to restore that investment.

New Democrats believe first and foremost in supporting Canadian workers.

I am encouraged by the new Council on Canada-U.S. Relations which includes great Canadians like Rachel Notley, and Lana Payne. I know they will bring this perspective to the table.

However, we need the government to go further, to create a pan-Canadian “Jobs War Room,” uniting provinces, unions, and businesses to support Canadian-made goods.

We’re calling for a worker-centered approach so that supports go directly to impacted workers; an immediate challenge under CUSMA; and a reversal of the Harper cuts to the border service. We also need to reform our EI system to make sure hard-working Canadians have the supports they need.

Standing together, focusing on our strengths and our people is our only hope to contain and withstand Donald Trump’s threats to our economy and to our sovereignty.

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But of course, Donald Trump isn’t just a threat to Canada. He’s a threat to the world.

The Stimson Centre released its list of “Top Ten Global Risks for 2025” last week. Top of the list was “Rogue America.”

We saw the beginning of this last night with his Executive Orders.

Before becoming a Member of Parliament, I spent more than two decades working in difficult and heartbreaking contexts around the world, in countries such as Mozambique, devastated by civil war and the ongoing curse of landmines; Uganda, where hundreds of thousands lost their lives to decades of war; and Nicaragua, where, even to this day, ordinary citizens endure the legacy of brutal regimes and foreign interference.

We know, in all war zones – including Ukraine, Gaza, and Sudan – it is civilians — especially women, children, and the elderly — who suffer the most.

I have seen some of the best and worst of humanity in crisis. I have seen where Canadian action has saved lives, and where inaction and moral cowardice has enabled genocide. I have seen, in brutal detail, the importance of international law, human rights, and solidarity with the most vulnerable people.

Now more than ever, Canada must do better.

We need to continue the work in Ukraine, where I am proud to say New Democrats pushed for key pieces of Canada’s strategy. That work included four motions that I sponsored in the House of Commons:

• calling on the government to help document Russian war crimes and crimes against humanity;
• declaring that the Russian Federation is committing acts of genocide;
• designating Russia’s Wagner Group as a terrorist entity;
• and honouring those who gave their lives in defence of our shared values.

In 2023, when other members of the foreign affairs committee were in Europe and refused to join me, I travelled into Ukraine alone to meet with Ukrainian officials, talk to Ukrainian people, and see for myself the impact of Russia’s invasion.

Russia’s attacks on Kyiv’s suburban outskirts of Irpin and Bucha were directed at civilians and civilian infrastructure, including hospitals, schools, homes, and apartment buildings.

These attacks on civilian structures are increasingly a feature of modern warfare: spaces protected under international law, targeted on purpose.

The destroyed bridge across the Irpin River is a landmark now, a symbol of the wanton terror that Putin’s war has inflicted on Ukrainians. I stood there, beside a stroller that marks the spot where a baby girl and her mother were murdered by Russian forces and I thought about my own family, my children.

New Democrats recognize that Ukraine is fighting for our shared values of democracy and justice – fighting for us.

And while I’m proud of Canada’s support for Ukraine and Ukrainians, we could be doing more.

We need to enforce our sanctions regime. A few days ago, CBC reported that since the start of the Ukraine war roughly 2.5 million barrels of Russian petroleum products have ended up in Canada. And last year, we learned that the Liberals waived sanctions on Russian titanium and of course, the turbines.

Canada’s sanctions regime needs fixing. But that won’t happen without political will.

And with Donald Trump expected to undermine support for Ukraine, we must be strong.

Recall the Conservatives’ voted against the Canada-Ukraine Free Trade Agreement. Never forget how they cozy up to extreme right-wing figures like Tucker Carlson who are funded by Russia. And how MAGA politics has infiltrated Canada’s Conservatives.
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International law and human rights are under attack. Increasingly, the rules that sustained the international community for years are being broken with impunity by world leaders who know that the United States, Canada, and the EU, won’t hold them to account.

Last week, Human Rights Watch released its annual report and it was scathing towards the West, including Canada, who have stood by while our allies have committed atrocities and supported perpetrators.

This is especially clear in Gaza, as arms continued to flow to Netanyahu despite widespread evidence of war crimes. And in Sudan, where Canada and our allies have done nothing to stop the United Arab Emirates from arming the principal perpetrator.

We are witnessing the failure of our own country and the international community to hold the warmongers and lawbreakers to account.

Canada was once a leader in international justice. We were one of the architects of the International Criminal Court.

While Canada has rightfully supported Ukrainians, the Rohingya, and the Syrian people in recent processes at international courts, it has not done the same for Palestinians and Israelis at the ICJ and the ICC.

Lloyd Axworthy - who helped create the Rome Statute - called the Liberal response to the crisis in the Middle East morally indefensible.

Canada has also stayed silent while witnessing attacks on the United Nations system itself.

In Gaza, over two hundred United Nations staff have been killed in Netanyahu’s genocide over the past year. This year alone, dozens of UN peacekeepers have been killed in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Central African Republic, and South Sudan. And the banning of the UN Secretary General from Israel shows an unacceptable disregard for the work of this crucial international institution.

When UN staff and other aid workers are targeted, the very fabric of diplomacy is threatened.

United Nations institutions remain a lifeline for many around the world, including the most vulnerable - those living in conflict zones where UN agencies provide life-saving services, including immunizations, food aid, and social supports.

We know that Donald Trump has no love for the UN. And here in Canada, some Conservatives are calling for Canada to withdraw from the United Nations. Poilievre has pledged to end funding to UN agencies like UNRWA.

This is absurd. Instead of supporting those in the Global South who are dealing with increasing challenges due to the climate crisis and rising inequality, we will now need to spend trillions of dollars to rebuild Ukraine, Gaza, and other areas affected by conflict.

We need collective action, strong diplomacy, and institutions like the United Nations to drive meaningful global action.

And with Trump, what is going to happen to other multilateral institutions, to alliances like NATO? We don’t know. But I am not optimistic.

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I want to be clear, the Trudeau government has had some notable foreign policy achievements.

Canada’s response to Ukraine is one. Solid funding to feminist organizations and women human rights defenders is another.

Canadians can be proud of our strong initial response to the Syrian crisis and important work on Rohingya refugees.

In these crises, Canada did a lot of good.

But Canada’s foreign policy failures have also caused harm.

In the first years of the Trudeau government, we were told Canada had a new “feminist foreign policy.” I was working in the development sector at the time, and hearing this was encouraging. In fact, I headed one of the organizations that helped draft the feminist international assistance policy, or FIAP.

The FIAP was a victory for all of us in the sector who knew that women’s rights are integral to economic and political advancement. But this feminist foreign policy did not extend further. The lack of cohesion between development, trade, and diplomacy proved Trudeau's “feminism” to be largely performative.

A feminist government would not sell weapons to Saudi Arabia, a place Amnesty International calls “a kingdom of cruelty.” We’ve seen Saudi atrocities against civilians in Yemen, serious human rights violations against Saudi civil society, and the murders of hundreds of Ethiopian refugees. And yet, Canadian-made weapons continue to flow to Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Arabia has effectively bought Canada’s silence.

A feminist government would not sell weapons to India, a country whose Prime Minister has presided over the rapid deterioration of human rights protections, including increasing violence against women and minorities. And yet, India is now Canada’s fourth largest destination for arms exports.

New Democrats have called on the Liberal government to ban entry to BJP officials who have advocated for racist and genocidal violence against Muslims, Sikhs, and other minorities in India and to boycott G20 events in India’s Kashmir region. But the Liberal government ignored these calls.

The Indian government’s foreign interference in Canada and assassination of a Canadian citizen on Canadian soil SHOULD merit at least a review of Canada’s relations with the Modi government. But the NDP’s calls have been rejected by the Liberals and Conservatives.

A feminist government would not promote Canadian extractive industries that cause harm to local populations in the Americas and Africa. Just last week, the Globe and Mail reported that a Canadian company has left 300,000 tons of arsenic waste in Namibia.

I have introduced legislation to fix the office of the Canadian Ombudsperson for Responsible Enterprise to ensure that this office can actually deal with these issues.

A feminist government would ratify the Nuclear Ban Treaty, not sit on the sidelines as the Doomsday Clock ticks closer and closer to midnight.

A feminist government would not ally itself with Netanyahu’s extremist coalition as it commits genocide against the Palestinian people in Gaza, where 70% of known civilian victims are women and children.

It is clear to me – and frankly to the rest of the world - that Canada’s support for the rules-based international order only applies to some people and some crises. It doesn’t apply to Palestinians.

Since the horrific Hamas terrorist attacks of October 7, 2023, and the beginning of the genocide in Gaza, every rule of law has been broken.

We’re in the first days now of a ceasefire. We are finally seeing Israeli families reunited with some of their loved ones who spent fifteen months held hostage. We are finally seeing some Palestinian families reunited with loved ones detained without trial – including children.

But we are also seeing people in Gaza returning to their destroyed homes and finding the remains of their loved ones.

The pain and grief these Palestinian and Israeli families have felt over these past months is unimaginable.

I truly hope this deal holds. But I am not optimistic.

We need to be truthful about the situation. Human rights authorities have all concluded that what is happening in Gaza is a genocide.

The ICJ’s rulings are binding on all states. But Canada has refused to act according to its obligations under the Genocide Convention or the ICJ.

Last March, I brought a motion to Parliament on Gaza - the first time in history that Palestinian human rights were discussed in the House of Commons.

That day was difficult.

I spoke about six-year-old Hind Rajab, who died alone and afraid, trapped in a vehicle and surrounded by her dead relatives, her rescuers killed only metres away from her.

We know her name. But we don’t know the names of so many of the tens of thousands of other children also killed in Gaza. Humanitarian organizations had to coin a new term in Gaza – WCNSF. Wounded Child, No Surviving Family.

We all want Israelis and Palestinians to live in peace. We all want the hostages to come home. We all want accountability for war crimes. But to get there, Canada must uphold the very international laws and institutions we helped build.

We need a full two-way arms embargo.

In the face of Trump, it is even more urgent that we sanction extremist Israeli leaders responsible for incitement to genocide – Netanyahu, Gallant, Ben Gvir, Smotrich – just as Canada has rightfully sanctioned Hamas leaders.

International law applies to everyone - even our allies.

And Canada’s voice matters even more today than yesterday. Because yesterday Donald Trump mused about redeveloping Gaza for its beautiful beaches. He ended US sanctions on extremist settlers in the West Bank as another pogrom threatened Palestinians who have suffered under decades of occupation there.

This is horrifying - and it threatens the security of both Palestinians and Israelis.

There is no military solution to this conflict.

Canadians overwhelmingly want this genocide to end. Canadians overwhelmingly want the occupation to end. They want peace for Palestinians and for Israelis.

By recognizing the State of Palestine, Canada could demonstrate the same moral courage as 146 other governments worldwide, including Spain, Norway, and Ireland. Nothing prevents Canada from recognizing it today.

If we genuinely believed in a two-state solution, as the Liberals claim, then we would recognize two states.

The Conservatives won’t. They will never support a peace for both Israelis and Palestinians. They will move Canada’s embassy to Jerusalem. And they will punish Canadians who spoke out against this genocide.

A quick word on Iran.

The Iranian regime is a threat to the Iranian people and global security. It is a state sponsor of terrorism. It is also a threat to Iranian Canadians.

I’ve worked closely with many tireless advocates for human rights to promote the Woman, Life, Freedom movement and to get the government to list the IRGC as a terrorist entity.

We must support the Iranian people in their aspiration for freedom and democracy. We must end gender apartheid.

But, with Trump’s hawks calling for strikes, with Pierre Poilievre celebrating attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities – calling them a “gift” to humanity – we are walking even closer toward hell.

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These foreign policy challenges directly affect so many Canadians.

Multiple communities in Canada – the Palestinian, Arab, Muslim communities, the Lebanese community, the Jewish community, the Sudanese community, the Sikh community, the Afghan community – are begging for the same kind of consideration and diplomatic investment Canada has put into Ukraine. They are telling us that they feel dehumanized and abandoned by this government.
They are saying: we don’t need you to choose a side – we need you to choose a VALUE. Choose humanity. Choose international law. Choose justice. Choose peace.

And they are devastated. Because they see Canada has chosen whose human rights matter and whose don’t. And they are increasingly vulnerable.

The foreign policy issue where Parliament has spent the most time is the Canada-China relationship.

We’ve raised the plight of the Uyghur people, advocated for the people of Hong Kong and their right to political expression, and defended Taiwan as a vibrant democracy.

This work is essential, and it must continue.

New Democrats believe that foreign AND economic policy must be based on human rights and international law.

The Conservatives love to vilify Beijing while calling for more deals with Chinese companies, and while refusing to address the strategic threat to Canada's national security that foreign interference poses. From China. Russia. India. Iran. And maybe even the US under Trump.

There is clear electoral interference. And violent crime, extortion, homicides of Canadians on Canadian soil.

New Democrats believe in a Canada where all Canadians can be confident that their elections are by and for Canadians only. And where all people can walk the streets without fear of being gunned down by a foreign government.

All parties should be putting Canadian safety, security, and democracy first. All parties should be concerned about this issue.

Yet, the Conservative party leader still refuses to undergo screening to obtain the proper security clearance to read the unredacted reports.

I have it; my leader has it, and many of us have it.

Why is the Leader of the Official Opposition unwilling to get it?

And we can’t talk about electoral interference without talking about Elon Musk - the man who, again, made not one but TWO Nazi salutes yesterday. The man who openly supports neo-Nazis in Germany’s AfD – the same AfD that members of Pierre Poilievre’s caucus hosted in Canada. He has openly discussed interfering in the UK and German elections and has been clear about his support for Pierre Poilievre.

European leaders are warning us about Musk and his misinformation campaigns. Make no mistake: Elon Musk will interfere in the Canadian federal election and stir up hatred. Canada’s Conservatives will not just let it happen - they will welcome it.

Maybe the worst part is that these harsh divides don’t need to be.

I have worked in secret with a group of Parliamentarians from all parties to bring some of Afghanistan’s last women members of parliament to Canada.

I have stood next to Parliamentarians from all parties to advocate for the human rights of the Uyghur minority in China.

I have secured unanimous consent motions declaring what is happening in Ukraine is genocide and demanding increased sanctions on Iran.

I wrote an amendment, supported by all parties, securing a humanitarian exemption for Canadian organizations wanting to return to life-saving work in Afghanistan, protecting them from prosecution.

These are important moments when Canadian MPs have stood together.

But this past few years in Parliament, a growing toxicity has increasingly divided us and shaken many of us to our core. A lack of civility. Name-calling. Toxic masculinity in the House of Commons.

And outside the House, a massive increase in threats to Parliamentarians and their staff led by groups like Diagolon – the same violent extremist group that Pierre Poilievre courts.

Canadians are worried, too. Worried about war. Worried about foreign interference. Worried about Trump.

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As New Democrats, we want better. And we’re working to define a vision for Canadian foreign policy that, at least, strives to be better.

Imagine a Canadian foreign policy that builds on its support for women and human rights organizations by strengthening civil society like LGBTQI2S+ activists, environmental defenders, labour movements, Indigenous leaders, and youth peacebuilders. These folks are at the front lines of holding their governments to account and are too often targeted for their activism.

Imagine if our foreign policy prioritized stronger communities rather than the profits of Canada’s extractive industries.

Imagine a place where Canadian expertise in peacebuilding, international justice, and democratic development could be harnessed -- an opportunity to bring together Canada’s top experts on peace and conflict – some of whom are in this room.

The Liberals promised this in 2019 – but the promise withered on the vine.

Imagine if, in the next pandemic, vaccines were freely available to the world’s most vulnerable.

Imagine if Canada fought to support waivers in intellectual property rights in global emergencies so low-income countries could start making vaccines locally to save lives.

With all the discussion of Donald Trump’s push for countries to meet the 2% NATO target in defence spending, we forget that Canada’s international development spending is far below the 0.7% target promised decades ago.

Imagine if our promises to increase defence spending came with promised increases to international development assistance, too.

Imagine the impact a Canada like that would have on strengthening democracies, on training peacebuilders, and on ensuring human rights are respected.

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As for this parliament and this government, we are in the dying days.

The Liberals made bold promises on the international stage – but they have achieved so little.

And the first time Pierre Poilievre has been tested to defend Canada, he’s hiding. This is the party that cozies up to the billionaires looking for more power - and they’re seeking to appease Donald Trump.

These Conservatives embrace Hungary’s Orban, Germany’s AfD, Netanyahu, and Modi, extremist parties and governments that threaten the rights and freedoms of minority groups.

They won’t protect Canada’s most marginalized communities. This is a party that punches down instead of lifting people up.

Under Pierre Poilievre, Canada’s foreign policy will take a sharp right turn and many of the values we’ve managed to cling to will no longer apply.

In light of what we are seeing today, Canadians are desperately seeking another way, craving peace, security, and moral courage.

If we are going to make a better, more sustainable world for seven generations to come, we are going to need all of that and more.

This global move away from democracy; the divisive, racist, and fascist politics of Donald Trump; the rise of the extreme right and the oligarchs who cause chaos; the domestic move towards a Conservative party without empathy or vision – We can have a different future if we work for it.

We need the moral courage to have a foreign policy that is our own, based on Canadian values, not based on cruelty and chaos.

We need to be united in our commitment to build a better world.

I think of the words of Gramsci: “The old world is dying, and the new world struggles to be born: now is the time of monsters.”

Now is the time we need unity.

We need to look after each other.

We need the courage to fight the monsters - and create a world that is just and fair for everyone.