A new all-party peace caucus will be created for members of Parliament and start meeting before the end of the year.
That announcement was made Oct. 29 by Elizabeth May, leader of the Green Party of Canada and member of Parliament for Saanich—Gulf Islands in B.C.
“We need to find ways to raise peace issues in Parliament,” said May, speaking at an event in Ottawa organized by Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) Canada and the Canadian Friends Service Committee.
Unlike formal parliamentary committees, which are established by the House of Commons or Senate with defined mandates and memberships, all-party caucuses are informal associations.
They are created by MPs to focus on specific issues, such as cancer, ALS, caregiving and interfaith. They have no budget or formal structure.
‘No debate’
Last year, the federal government committed to spend five per cent of gross domestic product on defence and defence-related infrastructure by 2035.
“[W]e have not had a single debate about that,” May said. “Peace is not even on their radar.”
May is organizing the new caucus, which would be a first for Canada, together with Heather McPherson, an NDP MP for Edmonton Strathcona.
Its goal will be to discuss issues related to peacekeeping, conflict prevention, nuclear disarmament and alternative ways to promote national security. It will also bring a peace lens to Canada’s foreign policy.
In announcing the peace caucus, May noted cross-party interest in peace shown by MPs from all five federal parties who attended an Oct. 28 reception in Ottawa organized by Peace Train Canada.
That event was sponsored by May, David Epp (Conservative, Chatham-Kent—Leamington), Ernie Klassen (Liberal, South Surrey—White Rock) and Gord Johns (NDP, Courtenay—Alberni).
Also in attendance at that reception were McPherson, Bruce Fanjoy (Liberal, Carleton) and Andréanne Larouche (Bloc Québécois, Shefford).
Anna Vogt, co-director of the MCC Canada office, welcomed the decision to create a peace caucus. Such a caucus, she said, could enable MPs to do “different thinking” about what security looks like for Canadians. In addition to the peacebuilding and conflict prevention, it could include care for creation and foreign aid.
Such a caucus could help promote “more public conversation” about these different aspects of what security means, Vogt said.
Sandra Wiens, who does government relations for the Canadian Friends Service Committee, says a peace caucus would also be a way to bring the issue to the attention of MPs, including talking about ways peacemaking can be practical.
In addition to May’s announcement, the event featured presentations by MCC Canada and Canadian Friends Service Committee staff about ways peace can be made practical around the world.
The event was sponsored by Tim Louis, Liberal MP for Kitchener—Conestoga and, in addition to May, was attended by Leah Gazan, NDP MP for Winnipeg Centre.
