Ex-Liberal Ministers Urge Arms Export Reforms

Former senior Liberal cabinet ministers Lloyd Axworthy and Allan Rock have expressed deep concern over the Canadian government's refusal to enact legislation that would address a perceived regulatory gap in arms exports, particularly those routed through the United States to restricted destinations.

In a recent letter to Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand, Axworthy, a former foreign affairs minister, and Rock, a former justice minister and United Nations ambassador, urged the implementation of stricter rules and safeguards. The letter highlights what the pair describe as a weakness in Canada's export control system, stemming from a bilateral defence production agreement with the United States. This agreement allows Canadian arms shipments to the U.S. to bypass the detailed reviews typically required for exports, enabling Washington to potentially redirect them to countries under Canadian restrictions.

The call for reform follows the defeat in March of a private member's bill introduced by NDP MP Jenny Kwan in September. The legislation sought to amend rules permitting the U.S. to re-export Canadian weapons to nations otherwise barred by Ottawa, including Israel. The bill...