Peace Network Issues Sample Bilingual Questions for Federal Candidates

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Canada’s peace network, the Canada-Wide Peace and Justice Network, has issued a set of sample questions and talking points for federal candidates. The questions relate to foreign policy issues for Canada vis-a-vis the USA, Ukraine, nuclear weapons, NATO, NORAD, Palestine, the “Middle East,” and the Asia-Pacific. The purpose of the list is to prepare Canadians, concerned about foreign policy, to raise important issues at all-candidates meetings, at work, among family, and at their own front doors.

The full list of English questions is below:

Ukraine

Prime Minister Carney met recently with European leaders in the so-called “Coalition of the Willing” and later informed Canadians that he favoured the ideas of a) sending Canadian troops as part of a “reassurance force” into Ukraine and b) increasing military spending to “unprecedented” levels. The Russian Federation has clearly indicated that putting NATO troops into Ukraine was a red line for it, contradicting its plan for a possible peace deal in Ukraine involving United Nations’ supervision. Do you agree that Carney’s plans to insert Canadian troops into Ukraine is a provocative and dangerous move that might trigger WW3 with Russia? Do you agree that raising military spending to unprecedented levels is likewise a foolish idea that will end up further weakening all of Canada’s already-underfunded social programs?

Now that US President Trump has indicated he wants to wind up the US role in what his Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, has described as a US proxy war in Ukraine against Russia and there has been some action on a proposed 30-day ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine, (a) do you support withdrawing Canadian funds, military equipment (e.g., armoured personnel carriers), and personnel (eg, special forces) from Ukraine? (b) Do you think that NATO, including Canadian forces, should pull back from this conflicted region, specifically by pulling our troops out of Latvia and our fighter jets out of Romania?

Nuclear Disarmament

The present conflicts in Ukraine and West Asia have stirred up fears of nuclear war. Don’t you think that Canada should sign onto the Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, which was drawn up by the United Nations in 2017, ratified in 2021, and has now been adopted by 94 member states?

Do you agree that the government of Canada should join the call for Israel to join the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NNPT), officially declare its stockpile of nuclear weapons, and become subject to regular inspections by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)?

Trump’s Tariffs and Annexation Threats

In view of the US tariffs against Canadian goods exported to the US and Canada’s retaliative measures against the US, what do you think about rebuilding diplomatic and trade relations with Russia China, and Iran? That would be nicer than warring with them, right?

In light of the US economic war on Canada and the need for Canada to find new markets around the globe, how do you feel these days about removing Canadian coercive economic measures (economic sanctions) on 23 countries of the world, including Haiti, Guatemala, Belarus, China, Russia, Iran, Yemen, the Congo, Venezuela, Zimbabwe, Iraq, Nicaragua, Sudan, Libya, Lebanon, Moldova, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, and North Korea?

In response to Trump’s tariffs and threats to annex our country, as well as the recent revelation that the US has a de facto software “kill switch” over the military hardware it sells to Canada, do you agree that Canada should put a halt to all purchases of US military arms such as the F-35 fighter jets, naval destroyers, air surveillance craft, refueling jets, and drones?

Since Canada is under attack by the Trump Administration, is there, in your opinion, any reason at this point for Canada to remain a member of NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization), which is the US-led military alliance that has led us into wars that destroyed the former Yugoslavia, Libya, Iraq, and Afghanistan? Is there any point in Canada in remaining in NORAD (North American Aerospace Defence Command), in which a US general can unilaterally commit Canada to war against Russia without even consulting the Canadian government?

Independent Foreign Policy

Canadians have not been invited to participate for decades in any public discussion on foreign policy. Would your government be open to initiating a green paper discussion on developing an independent foreign policy for Canada, outside of NATO and NORAD, a policy of promoting peace and cooperation with all the countries of the world?

Many public figures have warned that the world is facing two major crises: the possibility of environmental collapse (with major fires, floods, and droughts) and a never-ending health crisis (including the resurgence of many diseases thought to have been eradicated). In your opinion, should Canada continue to participate in aggressive US foreign wars or should we instead seek peaceful global solutions by putting our money into a green economic transition, into spending on health care, and into improving our infrastructure?

Indigenous Relations

Is it remotely possible for Canada to have a democratic foreign policy while it simultaneously does not respect the right of Indigenous Nations to determine their futures domestically, either in Canada’s constitution or with fairly-settled land claims? What would you say to diverting funds from the military into projects bringing potable water and decent, affordable housing to Canada’s native communities?

Jobs

Many studies prove that, for the same amount of spending, far fewer jobs are created in the military industry compared to health, education, and housing. In that light and in view of Mark Carney’s promise to increase military spending to “unprecedented levels”, where would your government put its spending priorities?

West Asia

The United Nations and various NGO’s have labelled the State of Israel an “apartheid regime” which has consistently abused its native Palestinian population. Today, while a genocide is taking place before our very eyes against the Palestinian people in Gaza and the West Bank, the Trudeau and Carney governments have failed to take any action to censure, punish, or isolate the State of Israel within the international community. What would your government do to stop the genocide? What would your government do to stop the attacks by Israel on neighbouring countries such as Lebanon, Syria, and Yemen?

Currently, as the Israeli genocide has resumed in Gaza, the Ansar Allah movement of Yemen has re-imposed a blockade on Israeli and US shipping in the Red Sea. The Government of Canada has seconded about 25 Canadian military officers to the US/UK war room in Bahrain to help coordinate supply and logistics for so-called Operation Prosperity Guardian in bombing Yemen. Would your government be amenable to the idea of bringing home those 25 military officers and ending Canada’s role in that illegal operation?

In view of Israel’s resumption of its genocide in Gaza, would your government consider any of the following:

a) suspending diplomatic relations with the State of Israel?

b) joining the South African initiative at the International Court of Justice?

c) recognizing the State of Palestine NOW?

d) respecting that Arms Trade Treaty and instituting a robust two-way arms trade embargo on Israel?

e) ending the charitable status of organizations raising money in Canada for the State of Israel or any of its institutions, including the IDF?

f) prosecuting Canadians who recruit illegally for the IDF?

g) prosecute Canadians who fought for the IDF since October 8, 2023?

h) suspending the Canada-Israel Free Trade Agreement

I) suspending the Canada-Israel security arrangement?

– In an attempt to lower tensions in the region and boost Canadian trade, would your government remove sanctions upon, and normalize diplomatic relations with, Iran?

Asia-Pacific

Would your government be amenable to restoring the good relations between Canada and China that prevailed before Trudeau’s arrest of Meng Wanzhou, the removal of Huawei from the rollout of Canada’s 5G network, and the imposition of a 100% tariff on Chinese EV vehicles? At a time when the USA is imposing punishing tariffs on Canada, do you believe that it would be advantageous to have China in our corner?

Would your government see the value in ceasing and desisting from its provocative practice of sending warships along the coasts of China and North Korea? Are you aware that this provocative practice comes at a cost of $500 million CAD over a period of several years? Have you noticed that China and North Korea do not send warships to patrol Canada’s coasts?

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Canadians concerned about foreign policy would be well-advised to have a look at these questions before joining any all-candidate meetings.

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Ken Stone is the Treasurer of the Hamilton Coalition To Stop The War and a Coordinating Committee member of the Canada-Wide Peace and Justice Network. He is an occasional contributor to Global Research.

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