MPs blame Tory Genuis for stalling House Foreign Affairs Committee reproductive health study

Members of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development are pointing the finger at a lone Conservative MP for stalling a study on global sexual and reproductive health. The Liberals on the committee first made a call for the study on sexual and reproductive health around the world during a meeting on May 16, 2022. But, in the face of a filibuster, it took seven sessions of that meeting—over the course of May 16, 19, June 2, 6, 13, 16, and 20, with each many hours long—before the committee was able to agree on June 20, 2022, to launch the study. “At some point it is not democratic to allow one person to sideline a committee for something like 16 to 18 hours of committee work,” said Liberal MP Robert Oliphant (Don Valley West, Ont.), parliamentary secretary to the foreign affairs minister, pointing the blame at Conservative MP Garnett Genuis (Sherwood Park-Fort Saskatchewan, Alta.), his party’s international development critic. The vote to begin a study passed with the support of all MPs on the committee except for Genuis. In an emailed response to The Hill Times, Genuis said that Conservatives are supportive of the study, but that they are concerned that the committee has “struggled to set priorities.” “We believe that the committee should complete its existing work, especially on Ukraine, before taking on additional projects. Some members seem to think that we can have over a dozen studies underway at once. This doesn’t make much sense,” he said. “Sadly, Liberals and New Democrats seem to think that talking about abortion laws in the United States should displace the committee’s other work—such as work on Ukraine and Iran,” he added. The motion to start the study was tabled two weeks after a leaked opinion from the U.S. Supreme Court signalled that it would soon overturn abortion rights. Oliphant said the timing was “coincidental,” noting that the issue has long been a priority for Liberal MP Hedy Fry (Vancouver Centre, B.C.), who moved the original motion. He said there was concern about the U.S., but the focus is on the Global South and developing countries. Despite the study being agreed to, Genuis continued to filibuster during the committee's first dedicated meeting on Dec. 7, 2022. At the meeting, tensions between Genuis and other committee members were high, as the Alberta MP complained about being cut off amid a slew of points of order from his colleagues. “I haven't finished a sentence in the entire time I've been speaking,” Genuis said. “We all feel so terrible for you,” Liberal MP Rachel Bendayan (Outremont, Que.) responded. Liberal MP Robert Oliphant called the situation at the House Foreign Affairs Committee 'unbelievably frustrating.' The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade Later during the Dec. 7 meeting, Bendayan questioned how long Genuis would be able to “hijack the work of the committee.” The meeting was suspended until it reconvened on Jan. 18 to pass a series of motions. At the meeting, Genuis withdrew his motion to call on the Canadian government to revoke a sanctions waiver to Russia for the export of Gazprom turbines, which was behind his Dec. 7 filibuster. The Canadian government revoked the waiver on Dec. 14. The committee finally had non-filibustered meetings for its study on Feb. 16 and March 7, one of which Genuis was present for and one for which he was absent. Oliphant told The Hill Times that he is hopeful that the study will be able to proceed. “The evidence of the last few months would point towards it being a difficult study and my hope is that common sense will prevail,” he said, but noted there are “hundreds and hundreds” of motions in front of the committee that can be brought back up to interrupt the study. Oliphant said the situation at the committee is “unbelievably frustrating,” noting that its report on Ukraine was delayed due to the filibustering, as well as other work that can be done on Ethiopia, Haiti, and Venezuela, among other pressing issues. When the Ukraine report was finally tabled in mid-February, Bloc MP Stéphane Bergeron (Montarville, Que.), a vice-chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, told reporters that the committee had been taken “hostage” by “partisan issues.” To end the filibuster in the spring, Oliphant said there was an agreement to not start the study sooner than Oct. 1, 2022, to avoid conflicting with the Conservative leadership race, which was completed on Sept. 10, 2022. “We have no desire to make this an internal problem for the Conservative Party,” he said, remarking that it was the Conservatives that requested the study be pushed back, which was agreed to. Oliphant said that the filibuster continuing in December when government officials were appearing as witnesses was in “bad faith” after a deal was made to delay the study's start. He said the issue is a result of Genuis having an ideological view that is divergent from the rest of the committee. “This is an issue around the world, we hear about it,” he said. “It’s something that Canada has stepped up with, with a feminist international development policy. It relates to our goals to have full access to all aspects of reproductive health, including abortion for women around the world, and Canada working on that agenda.” NDP MP Heather McPherson (Edmonton Strathcona, Alta.), her party’s foreign affairs and international development critic, echoed Oliphant's remarks that Genuis is upending the work of the committee. “The frustrating part of this is Canadians expect their Parliamentarians to do our job and to get to work and there been a time in recent history that the Foreign Affairs Committee had more important work to do,” she said, noting that the “shenanigans” happening meant the committee couldn’t focus on crucial issues. NDP MP Heather McPherson says if the committee continue to be filibustered she would consider not attending further meetings. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade “It’s super frustrating. We should be able to work better together. If this was any other job and one member of your team was making it impossible to do your job, that member would be fired,” she said. She told The Hill Times in February that the Foreign Affairs Committee had become nearly dysfunctional. McPherson said if the filibustering is going to continue, she will consider not attending the committee. “If there’s work that can be done, I’m going to be in the committee room. If certain members prevent us from getting done, I’m not going to spend my time spending seven more meetings or eight more meetings listening to nonsense. I just won’t,” she said. “Frankly, it’s too much emotional luggage to have to carry around. It’s not good for anyone’s mental health to listen to someone deny women’s rights for that long, especially as a woman.” She remarked earlier this week that she is hopeful that committee members have built a better relationship with each other following their trip to Europe over the last two weeks. Genuis wasn’t on the trip. “I would hope we would be able to work more collaboratively,” she said. “We don’t have to agree to be able to be efficient and get things done. My hope is that we’re moving in the right direction. We’ll see.” McPherson, who spoke to The Hill Times prior to the March 7 meeting, said the Feb. 16 meeting that was able to go forward was “extremely important.” “It was really good testimony that the committee heard that made it more clear than ever that this is a study that we should be undertaking,” she said. Liberal MP Ali Ehsassi (Willowdale, Ont.), who chairs the House Foreign Affairs Committee, also placed the blame for the stalled committee work on Genuis. Liberal MP Ali Ehsassi chairs the House Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade “This was numerous and repeated attempts by one member to impede the committee,” he said, remarking that the committee itself isn’t dysfunctional. “One member was willing to twist and bend the agenda of the committee.” He said it has taken “quite some time” to start the study, noting there have been “many conversations” with Genuis to find a path forward and remarking that the process was “quite frustrating and annoying” for many on the committee. “He seemed to think that this issue is a bargaining chip for him,” he said. “All the members were somewhat frustrated as he was standing in the way of a motion that was signed off on by members of his own party as well. Essentially, all the members dug in and ultimately we were able to commence a study.” nmoss@hilltimes.com The Hill Times

MPs blame Tory Genuis for stalling House Foreign Affairs Committee reproductive health study

MPs say the work on the 12-member Foreign Affairs Committee has slowed to a crawl due to the filibustering of one lone member: Garnett Genuis.

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MPs blame Tory Genuis for stalling House Foreign Affairs Committee reproductive health study

MPs say the work on the 12-member Foreign Affairs Committee has slowed to a crawl due to the filibustering of one lone member: Garnett Genuis.

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