The Canadian Press: “The defeat of this legislation leaves unaddressed a serious weakness in Canada’s arms export control system — one that continues to undermine both our international credibility and our legal obligations under the Arms Trade Treaty,” Axworthy and Rock wrote in the letter obtained by The Canadian Press.
“Canada’s bilateral relationship with the United States is long-standing and vital, but our responsibilities under international law are our own. No alliance exempts us from our duty to ensure that Canadian weapons or components do not contribute to gross violations of international humanitarian or human rights law. Transparency and parliamentary oversight strengthen sovereignty — they do not weaken it.”…