Le français suit.

On September 16th, 2023, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that MP Anita Vandenbeld has been re-appointed as the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Development, Hon. Ahmed Hussen.

Ms. Vandenbeld was first elected to Parliament in 2015 to represent Ottawa West–Nepean. Prior to becoming a Member of Parliament, she was an international expert on democracy and human rights. She has worked in over 20 countries on inclusive governance as well as women’s leadership and political participation. 

Her experience includes working with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Democratic Governance Group in New York, advising the UNDP in Bangladesh, and with the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Mission in Kosovo. In 2008, she was awarded the Canadian Peacekeeping Service Medal in recognition of her work in Kosovo.

In the House of Commons, she was the chair of the Special Committee on Pay Equity, the Subcommittee on International Human Rights (SDIR) as well as the Parliamentary Women’s Caucus. She also founded the all-party Democracy Caucus. She served as the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Defence from 2019-2021. 

Ms. Vandenbeld notes Canada is needed more than ever to take urgent action on key issues, including climate change, food insecurity, conflict, and inequality. In addition, she looks forward to advancing the Sustainable Development Goals; Canada’s Feminist International Assistance policy; Women, Peace & Security; democratic governance; human rights; and inclusive development.

Ms. Vandenbeld is honoured to return in this role and is determined to continue fighting for a better world for today and for future generations. 

Le 16 septembre 2023, le Premier ministre Justin Trudeau a annoncé que la députée Anita Vandenbeld voit son mandat renouvelé comme la secrétaire parlementaire du ministre du Développement international, L'hon Ahmed Hussen.

Mme Vandenbeld a été élue pour la première fois en 2015 pour représenter Ottawa Ouest-Nepean. Avant d'être élue comme députée, elle a été une experte internationale en matière de démocratie et de droits de la personne. Elle a œuvré dans plus de 20 pays sur des questions de gouvernance inclusive et de leadership des femmes.

Son expérience inclut travailler au sein du Groupe de gouvernance démocratique du Programme des Nations Unies pour le développement (PNUD) à New York, conseiller le PNUD au Bangladesh, ainsi que travailler avec la mission au Kosovo de l’Organisation pour la sécurité et la coopération en Europe (OSCE). En 2008, elle a été décorée de la Médaille canadienne du maintien de la paix pour son travail au Kosovo.

Dans la Chambre des Communes, elle a été présidente du Comité spécial sur l'équité salariale, du Sous-comité sur les droits internationaux de la personne (SDIR) ainsi que du Caucus parlementaire des femmes. Elle a également fondé le Caucus multipartite pour la démocratie. De 2019-2021, elle a été la secrétaire parlementaire du ministre de la Défense nationale.

Mme Vandenbeld remarque que le Canada est plus que jamais nécessaire pour contribuer à relever les défis importants, notamment le changement climatique, l’insécurité alimentaire, les conflits et les inégalités. De plus, elle se réjouit la chance d'avancer les Objectifs de Développement Durable; la politique canadienne d'aide internationale féministe; des femmes, de la paix et de la sécurité; de la gouvernance démocratique; des droits de la personne; et du développement inclusif.

Mme Vandenbeld est honorée de retourner à ce rôle et est déterminée à utiliser cette position pour lutter pour un meilleur monde pour aujourd'hui et pour les générations futures.

Le français suit

The Prime Minister announced MP Anita Vandenbeld will become the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Development.

Vandenbeld was first elected In 2015. She was the chair of the Special Committee on Pay Equity, the Subcommittee on International Human Rights (SDIR) as well as the Parliamentary Women’s Caucus. She also founded the all-party Democracy Caucus. Since 2019, she has been the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Defence.

Ms. Vandenbeld is an international expert on democracy and human rights. She has worked in over 20 countries on inclusive governance and women’s leadership, including with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Democratic Governance Group in New York. There, she managed a multi-partner international network that aimed to promote women's political participation.

Ms. Vandenbeld was also a senior advisor with the UNDP in Bangladesh, and with the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Mission in Kosovo. In 2008, she was awarded the Canadian Peacekeeping Service Medal in recognition of her work in Kosovo.

In addition, Ms. Vandenbeld served as resident director for the National Democratic Institute in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, worked with OSCE in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and worked with the Canadian Parliamentary Centre on post-conflict democratic development in the Balkans. She also conducted a study on women’s leadership for UNDP in Vietnam and trainings on women’s leadership in Haiti.

Born and raised in Alberta, Ms. Vandenbeld obtained her undergraduate degree at the University of Calgary before completing a Master of Arts in History at York University.

She is honoured to take on this new role and looks forward to advancing even bolder action on Canada’s Feminist International Assistance policy; Women, Peace & Security; democratic governance; human rights and inclusive development.

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Le Premier ministre a annoncé que la députée Anita Vandenbeld deviendra la secrétaire parlementaire du ministre du Développement international.

Mme Vandenbeld a été élue pour la première fois en 2015. Elle a été présidente du Comité spécial sur l'équité salariale, du Sous-comité sur les droits internationaux de la personne (SDIR) ainsi que du Caucus parlementaire des femmes. Elle a également fondé le Caucus multipartite pour la démocratie. Depuis 2019, elle a été la secrétaire parlementaire du ministre de la Défense nationale.

Elle est une experte internationale en matière de démocratie et de droits de la personne. Elle a œuvré dans plus de 20 pays sur des questions de gouvernance inclusive et de leadership des femmes, notamment au sein du Groupe de gouvernance démocratique du Programme des Nations Unies pour le développement (PNUD) à New York, où elle a dirigé un réseau international regroupant plusieurs partenaires faisant la promotion de la participation des femmes à la vie politique.

Mme Vandenbeld a également été conseillère principale auprès du PNUD au Bangladesh ainsi que de la mission au Kosovo de l’Organisation pour la sécurité et la coopération en Europe (OSCE). En 2008, elle a été décorée de la Médaille canadienne du maintien de la paix pour son travail au Kosovo.

Mme Vandenbeld a aussi été directrice résidente auprès du National Democratic Institute en République démocratique du Congo, elle a collaboré avec l’OSCE en Bosnie-Herzégovine et elle a collaboré avec le Centre parlementaire canadien à l’égard du développement démocratique post-conflit dans les Balkans. Elle a également mené une étude sur le leadership des femmes pour le compte du PNUD au Vietnam et des séances de formation sur le leadership des femmes en Haïti.

Mme Vandenbeld est née et a grandi en Alberta. Elle a obtenu un baccalauréat à la University of Calgary, puis une maîtrise ès arts en histoire à la York University.

Elle est honorée d'assumer ce nouveau rôle et se réjouit à l'idée de faire progresser des actions encore plus audacieuses dans le cadre de la politique canadienne d'aide internationale féministe, des femmes, de la paix et de la sécurité, de la gouvernance démocratique, des droits de la personne et du développement inclusif.

In 2016, Anita chaired the Special Committee on Pay Equity, which issued a final report whose key recommendations included the federal government enacting Pay Equity legislation for federally regulated workplaces and establishing a Commissioner for Pay Equity that would report annually to parliament.

The committee report led to the government passing legislation on pay equity, which received royal assent in December 2018, and will be coming into force on August 31, 2021.

As recommended by the special committee that Anita chaired, there is now the first-ever Pay Equity Commissioner in Canada, Karen Jensen, whose responsibilities include monitoring the Act's implementation, informing employees and employers of their rights and responsibilities under this Act, and developing tools to promote compliance with this Act.

Currently, women in Canada make only 89% of what men make over the course of their lifetime, which can be further reduced due to intersectional factors such as race and disability.

This historic legislation will make a significant impact on reducing the gender wage gap, and will create long-term sustainable change for generations to come. Greater inclusion and equality in Canadian workplaces will make our economy stronger and more resilient, and will help ensure that as we recover from the Covid-19 pandemic, we will build back better.

Anita would like to thank the members of the Special Committee for working across party lines to achieve a consensus report, which paved the way for this important legislation.

For more information and to read the regulations, click here:

https://www.ourcommons.ca/DocumentViewer/en/42-1/ESPE/report-1/page-ToC

June 21, 2021 – Ottawa

After some 26 meetings totalling 66 hours of testimony from some 25 witnesses, the Liberal Committee members of the Standing Committee on National Defence releases 24 recommendations to help create meaningful and lasting change in the Canadian Armed Forces. Unlike the Conservative Party of Canada, our focus is and has always been on those members in the Canadian Armed Forces who have experienced sexual harassment, assault, and abuse of power and we are committed to learning from them.
Given the impasse that the committee has faced, the Liberal Party of Canada members have released the following recommendations to the Minister of National Defence and to former Supreme Court Justice, Madame Louise Arbour, to inform her work as she undertakes an independent review of the Canadian Armed Forces.
Based on the Standing Committee on National Defence’s study of sexual misconduct in the Canadian Armed Forces, the following recommendations are crucial to ensuring a safe workspace for all servicewomen and men in the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF):

INFORMATION BUILDING & INFORMED STRATEGIES

• Recommendation 1: The Department of National Defense and Canadian Armed Forces must collect disaggregated data, including by sex and rank, and use this data to inform CAF decision-making.
• Recommendation 2: Any plan to combat sexual misconduct in the CAF must ensure the wants and needs of those impacted by sexual misconduct and other forms of non-inclusion are met. Meeting these needs and wants should be a guiding principle in decision-making, especially in terms of research, policy, programs, services and benefits.
• Recommendation 3: The Department of National Defense and Canadian Armed Forces must collaborate with Justice Louise Arbour to do a strategic and transparent review of the existing sexual misconduct-related processes, including oversight processes, from beginning to end through a trauma-informed, survivor-centric lens in collaboration with independent experts and MST survivors. This strategic review must include the roles and responsibilities of the Canadian Forces Health Services to prevent, identify and using the best evidence, treat and support those whose health and well-being is negatively impacted by sexual misconduct.
• Recommendation 4: The sexual misconduct reporting process must include a Quality Assurance process to ensure that trauma awareness and respect for the dignity of the individual impacted by sexual misconduct is always be reinforced and adopted as a guiding principle at all levels of work.
• Recommendation 5: The number of victims and survivors who voluntarily release and has been medically released should be tracked. The number should be made available in the annual reports on sexual
  misconduct.

MILITARY SEXUAL TRAUMA AS AN OCCUPATIONAL / OPERATIONAL STRESS INJURY

• Recommendation 6: It must be defined that military sexual trauma (MST) is not a women’s issue; it is a human being issue, and military sexual trauma can be experienced by anyone and cover both the trauma arising from the sexual misconduct and the CAF response. MST should always be considered as a gender-specific issue.
• Recommendation 7: Most importantly, MST should be supported on par to other service-related injuries
  throughout the Government of Canada, including:
  • Enabling access by MST-impacted CAF members and Veterans, as well as their designated support person, to a tailor-made bilingual National MST Peer Support Network available to all genders.
  • Ensuring that the Government of Canada to officially recognize MST as a full Occupational and/or Operational Stress Injury and include it within the scope of the Federal Framework on PTSD.
• Recommendation 8: The mandate of the Sexual Misconduct Response Centre (SMRC) must be expanded. This includes making the SMRC the primary reporting resource for criminal and non-criminal sexual misconduct and outfitting the SMRC with additional resources to support their work. Additionally, the expansion of SMRC services to Veterans should be examined by the Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs.

SYSTEMIC CULTURE CHANGE

• Recommendation 9: Systemic cultural change is needed in the CAF. To achieve this end, the CAF will need to develop a comprehensive, prioritized, transparent and measurable plan with timeline. The plan must be informed by both independent and Defence Team expert advice including: knowledge of gender-based analyses (GBA+), trauma awareness, and lived experience of military culture from both from within the CAF dominant group and CAF members identifying as outside the normative culture.
• Recommendation 10: To achieve systemic culture change, the attributes of the ‘ideal soldier’ must be modernized to reflect the realities of the actual military needs of the 21st century. Specifically, a critical
  examination of the CAF’s present dominant heteronormative, assumed masculine, white/European culture is essential. To support this recommendation, we recommend that a Defence Advisory Committee or Secretariat on Women in the CAF is formed.
• Recommendation 11: The CAF must also examine promotion criteria and review career incentive structures to create a more supportive environment, based on the principle of ‘rewarding the behaviours you wish to encourage’. Attention and care must be paid to the use of gendered and racialized phrases in the CAF. Both positive and negative connotations of gender and race attributes presently in common usage must be considered when developing promotion and performance management criteria. All those in leadership role—both commissioned and non-commissioned officers—have to be fully engaged in this process.
• Recommendation 12: Efforts to achieve culture change must be informed by the principles of the Women, Peace and Security agenda. The Champions for Women, Peace and Security, the Ambassador for Women, Peace and Security, as well as civil society must be integrated into consultations.
• Recommendation 13: To equalize servicemembers irrespective of gender, sufficient affordable high-quality childcare and before and after school care nearby CAF workplace must be made available to the families of all CAF members in a timely manner. This childcare must be available at all hours (including up to 24/7) of operational demand in the official language of their choice.

ROBUST STRATEGIES TO COMBAT SEXUAL MISCONDUCT

• Recommendation 14: More robust strategies to combat sexual misconduct and foster an environment favorable to the retention of victims and survivors who wished to remain in service and facilitate a trauma-informed release process are needed. They must go beyond gender integration to fostering gender inclusion and belonging. Funding for full meaningful and accountable integration of women into traditional male environments must be purposefully dedicated and protected.
• Recommendation 15: Abuse of power must be addressed. Increased education, guidance, intervention, oversight and anonymized mandatory exit interviews with all CAF members will be key to better
  understanding and addressing abuse of power and authority. Building awareness of issues, including how power can be misused and abused and available recourses requires increased attention and consistent education throughout a CAF member’s career.
• Recommendation 16: Barriers to reporting sexual misconduct in DND/CAF must be alleviated. There should exist a single, independent body to deal with CAF/DND sexual misconduct. The CAF must establish a single, public, web-facing portal for information on sexual misconduct support, medical and mental care options, recourse and reporting processes which is easily accessible to survivors and their designated support.
• Recommendation 17: The CAF in collaboration with the Defence Team must consider the implementation of alternative to reporting sexual misconduct outside the chain of command, including through the Sexual Misconduct Response Centre (SMRC). Additional considerations should be given to possible response and interventions to anonymously flag and address systemic barriers and concerns arising from these official and non-official reports.
• Recommendation 18: Experts recommend the elimination of the current ‘Duty to Report’ requirement. Instead, to create a survivor-centric reporting process that encourages survivor agency, the CAF should: 
  • a. Consider ‘Duty to Respond’ as a possible replacement for ‘Duty to Report’;
  • b. Investigate the possibility of anonymous reporting of events/locations and perpetrators to identify
    problematic concentrations or trends.
• Recommendation 19: On the topic of military justice reform, the Committee eagerly welcomes the speedy adoption of the report of Justice Fish.

OVERSIGHT

• Recommendation 20: The Canadian Armed Forces, Department and National Defense, and Government of Canada are encouraged to establish an independent, external oversight mechanism. It could be established primarily to deal with sexual misconduct but its mandate could evolve to include other serious issues.
• Recommendation 21: Further, Parliamentary oversight over the issue of culture change and sexual misconduct behaviours should be expanded. On a recurring basis, the Standing Committee on National
  Defense will invite the Minister of National Defense to testify on the progress being made on tackling sexual misconduct and culture change in the CAF and Department of National Defense.Where the opposition members have ignored the testimony of subject matter experts and victims, the Liberal members of the committee are committed to creating a safer and more welcoming Canadian Armed Forces.

Quote

“Unlike the members from the Conservative Party of Canada, we have been focused on listening to survivors and experts on how we can make a positive impact on the toxic culture of the Canadian Armed Forces. We have learned from their experiences and are committed to bringing about positive and lasting change in this institution. The opposition members should be ashamed of themselves for attempting to use this committee for cheap partisan attacks, rather than delivering real change for those in the Canadian Armed Forces.”

Yvan Baker, Liberal MP, Etobicoke Centre, and Member of the National Committee on National Defence

 

Quick facts

• The Standing Committee on National Defence (NDDN) began hearings on sexual harassment and misconduct in the CAF on 9 February 2021.
• The committee heard from expert witnesses such as Dr. Allan English, Dr. Alan Okros, Dr. Stefanie von Hlatky, former Supreme Court Justice Marie Deschamps and Dr. Denise Preston.
• NDDN is chaired by Karen McCrimmon, Liberal MP, and a 31-year veteran of the Canadian Armed Forces.
• Liberal MP Yvan Baker is a member of NDDN, former management consultant, and former MPP for Etobicoke Centre.
• Liberal MP Sven Spengemann is a member of NDDN, holds a doctorate from Harvard Law School, and Chair of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs.
• Liberal MP Anita Vandenbeld is a member of NDDN, former senior advisor to the OSCE, and current Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Defence.
• Liberal MP Larry Bagnell is a member of NDDN and current Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Economic Development and Official Languages (Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency).
• Liberal MP Yves Robillard is a member of NDDN and Member of Parliament for Marc-Aurèle-Fortin. On April 2021, Minister Sajjan announced the creation of a new internal organization to be led by Lieutenant-General Jennie Carignan as the Chief, Professional Conduct and Culture. She will head a unit specifically dedicated to hearing, receiving, and supporting anyone who comes forward with
  allegations of unacceptable conduct or harassment or assault.
• Minister Sajjan also announced that Madame Louise Arbour will lead an Independent External Comprehensive Review into DND/CAF policies and culture, including harassment and sexual misconduct.
• In early June 2021, Minister Sajjan tabled the third independent review of the National Defence Act (NDA) conducted by former Justice Morris J. Fish. This review will inform steps forward to strengthen the military justice system.
• Budget 2021 commits over $236M to eliminate sexual misconduct and gender-based violence in the Canadian Armed Forces, including expending the reach of the Sexual Misconduct Response Centre and providing online & in-person peer to peer support.

 *Photo: A 'Re-education' Centre in Xinjiang, China (credit to Ng Han Guan, Associated Press)

On October 21st, 2020, the House of Commons' Sub-committee on International Human Rights issued a news release, stating that the government of the People's Republic of China's mass detention, forced population control, and repression of its Uyghur population constitutes genocide, as laid out in the 1951 Genocide Convention. This decision was reached after an exhaustive study, which included tragic and profoundly disturbing eyewitness testimony. The subcommittee's statement was unanimous, with MP's from all parties supporting it.

Anita is a member and previous Chair of the International Human Rights Subcommittee. Speaking to The Globe and Mail, Anita said the “gripping testimony” from “survivors, scholars and renowned human-rights advocates like Irwin Cotler, was alarming and compelling” for MPs.

“This is not a partisan issue but a human issue. The testimony, especially of the women who survived the camps, would move anyone to action,” Ms. Vandenbeld said.

Read the full article here.

*Photo taken pre-COVID-19

On September 24th, 2020,  Minister of Immigration Marco Mendicino announced action to speed up spousal application processing and help families build their lives together in Canada. Anita has heard from many constituents about the uncertainty and difficulty of having their spouses' arrival in Canada put on hold due to COVID-19, and spoke with the Minister about the need for additional resources so families can be united as soon as possible.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has increased the number of decision makers on spousal applications in Canada by 66%, to process spousal applications more quickly and reduce couples’ wait times.

IRCC is leveraging new technology in a pilot to digitize paper applications so they can be processed more efficiently by IRCC employees working remotely and at various worksites. In addition to implementing facilitative biometrics measures, IRCC will be piloting, in the upcoming weeks, technology to conduct interviews with applicants remotely, in adherence with public health protocols.

With these initiatives, IRCC aims to accelerate, prioritize and finalize approximately 6,000 spousal applications each month from October until December 2020. Combined with processing to date, this rate will lead to about 49,000 decisions by the end of this year.

COVID-19 has created uncertainty for Canadians who are sponsoring spouses for permanent residence. We will continue to search for innovative and compassionate ways to reunite families, while following the advice of our public health experts to protect the health and safety of Canadians.

Twenty years ago I was working for the OSCE Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina in Sarajevo on the 5th anniversary of the Srebrenica massacre. In the small plaza outside of our office, the Mothers of Srebrenica sat quietly, day after day, holding photos of their lost sons, husbands, brothers and fathers. 8,000 men and boys who were taken from what was supposed to be a UN safe haven, shot and buried in mass graves. It was my first direct encounter with victims of genocide. It shook me to the core. At the Sarajevo film festival that year, I saw a short film called ‘Red Rubber Boots’, about a mother who spent years searching for her lost son. He had been wearing red rubber boots the day he was taken, and each time a new mass grave was uncovered, she would go there to look to see if there were red rubber boots on any of the tiny corpses. As of the showing of the film she still had not found him.

Read Anita's Opinion Piece in the Hill Times this week about the Canadian Armed Forces response to COVID-19. This was written before the heartbreaking reports from our military about the conditions in Long Term Care homes in Ontario and Quebec. She wants to thank our brave Canadian Armed Forces members for putting themselves at risk to assist the most vulnerable seniors and for their professionalism in documenting the abuse that they witnessed. Also for their compassion, empathy and hard work around the clock seven days a week to save lives.

Version française suit / French version follows

December 12 2019

Today Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that Ottawa West-Nepean Member of Parliament Anita Vandenbeld will become the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Defence, Hon. Harjit Sajjan.

Vandenbeld was first elected in 2015 and has previously been chair of the Parliamentary women’s caucus, the Special Committee on Pay Equity and the Subcommittee on International Human Rights.

Prior to entering politics, Vandenbeld worked in over 20 countries around the world on democracy and human rights. She was a senior advisor with the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Mission in Kosovo. In 2008 She was awarded the Canadian Peacekeeping Service Medal for her work there.

Vandenbeld said she is honoured to have been asked to take on such an important portfolio, stating “I know first-hand the courage and commitment of our Canadian military personnel. None of my work in Bosnia or Kosovo would have been possible without the NATO presence that kept me safe every day.”

Between 2000 and 2015 Vandenbeld served in many other international posts, including with OSCE in Bosnia and Herzegovina; as a senior advisor with the United Nations Development Programme in Bangladesh;  Resident Director of the National Democratic Institute in the Democratic Republic of Congo; and with the United Nations Development Programme Democratic Governance Group in New York. 

The National Defence Headquarters Carling campus is in Vandenbeld’s west end Ottawa riding.

12 décembre 2019

Aujourd'hui, le Premier ministre Justin Trudeau a annoncé que la députée d'Ottawa-Ouest-Nepean Anita Vandenbeld deviendra le secrétaire parlementaire du ministre de la Défense nationale, l'honorable Harjit Sajjan.

Mme Vandenbeld a été élue pour la première fois en 2015 et a déjà présidé le caucus parlementaire des femmes, le Comité spécial sur l'équité salariale et le Sous-comité des droits internationaux de la personne.

Avant d'entrer en politique, Anita a travaillé dans plus de 20 pays du monde entier sur la démocratie et les droits de l'homme. Elle a été conseillère principale auprès de la mission de l'Organisation pour la sécurité et la coopération en Europe (OSCE) au Kosovo. En 2008, elle a reçu la Médaille canadienne du maintien de la paix pour son travail dans cette mission.

Mme Vandenbeld s'est dite honorée qu'on lui ait demandé d'assumer un portefeuille aussi important, déclarant : "Je connais de première main le courage et l'engagement de nos militaires canadiens. Aucun de mes travaux en Bosnie ou au Kosovo n'aurait été possible sans la présence de l'OTAN qui m'a protégée chaque jour".

Entre 2000 et 2015, elle a occupé de nombreux autres postes internationaux, notamment au sein de l'OSCE en Bosnie-Herzégovine, en tant que conseiller principal du Programme des Nations unies pour le développement au Bangladesh, en tant que directeur résident de l'Institut national démocratique en République démocratique du Congo et au sein du Groupe de gouvernance démocratique du Programme des Nations unies pour le développement à New York. 

Le campus Carling du quartier général de la Défense nationale se trouve dans la circonscription de Vandenbeld, à l'ouest d'Ottawa.

Version française suit /French version follows

Doug Ford continues to mislead Ontarians

Anita Vandenbeld, Member of Parliament for Ottawa West-Nepean, issued the following statement:

Ottawa, Ontario, March 14 2019 – Today, Minister Rod Phillips will continue to mislead Ontarians on the seriousness of climate change. We saw it yesterday when Premier Ford spoke about our government’s plan to put a price on pollution, and we will see it again this morning at Algonquin College. These are the kinds of dishonest statements that we are coming to expect from both Premier Ford and Andrew Scheer. They continue to mislead small and medium sized businesses in order to hide their real plan: to make pollution free again.


Putting a price on pollution works and is the right decision for families and businesses. We know that investing in clean growth creates economic opportunity, and we built our plan to encourage companies to innovate, which creates more good middle class jobs for Canadians. We also lowered taxes for small businesses down to 9%, making it the lowest rate among G7 countries.

Here are just a few of the things Doug Ford has been misleading Ontarians about:

Doug Ford claims our plan will make businesses uncompetitive. This is NOT TRUE

FACT: We are supporting small and medium sized businesses to cut pollution by becoming more energy efficient. This will lower their energy costs and help them remain competitive. In Ontario, that means $975 million over five years.

Doug Ford claims pricing pollution will make no difference to the environment. This is NOT TRUE

FACT: A price on pollution across Canada will cut more pollution in 2022 than closing 30 coal units for an entire year.

Doug Ford claims our plan will hurt family budgets. This is NOT TRUE

FACT: Most Ontario families will have more money in their pockets at the end of the day under our plan for pricing pollution. A family of four in Ontario will get $307 this year.

Doug Ford claims pricing pollution will cause a recession. This is NOT TRUE

FACT: Economists from across Canada have said this claim is not only wrong, but is downright irresponsible. British Columbia has had a price on pollution for over a decade, and had the strongest economic growth in Canada for the last several years. When Ontario had a cap and trade system, their economic growth was among the strongest in Canada. Doug Ford dismantled this system, and his mismanagement of the province has already led to the downgrading of Ontario’s credit rating. Doug Ford should know better.

By stepping back from climate action, Doug Ford’s lack of leadership would add 30 million more tonnes of carbon pollution, risking a dirty future for our children and grandchildren.

We can’t let Conservative politicians try to take us back in time, and take money out of the pockets of Ontarians. When provinces fail to lead, we will step up.

Doug Ford continue d'induire les Ontariens en erreur

Anita Vandenbeld, députée d'Ottawa-Ouest-Nepean, a fait la déclaration suivante :

Ottawa, Ontario, 14 mars 2019 - Aujourd'hui, le ministre Rod Phillips continuera d'induire les Ontariens en erreur sur la gravité du changement climatique. Nous l'avons vu hier lorsque le premier ministre Ford a parlé du plan de notre gouvernement visant à mettre un prix sur la pollution, et nous le verrons encore ce matin au Collège Algonquin. C'est le genre de déclarations malhonnêtes que nous attendons de la part du premier ministre Ford et d'Andrew Scheer. Ils continuent à tromper les petites et moyennes entreprises afin de cacher leur véritable plan : rendre la pollution à nouveau gratuite.

Mettre un prix sur la pollution fonctionne et c'est la bonne décision pour les familles et les entreprises. Nous savons qu'investir dans une croissance propre crée des opportunités économiques, et nous avons élaboré notre plan pour encourager les entreprises à innover, ce qui crée davantage de bons emplois de classe moyenne pour les Canadiens. Nous avons également réduit les impôts des petites entreprises à 9 %, ce qui en fait le taux le plus bas des pays du G7.

Voici quelques-unes des choses sur lesquelles Doug Ford a induit les ontariens en erreur :

Doug Ford affirme que notre plan rendra les entreprises non compétitives. Ce n'est pas vrai

FAIT : Nous aidons les petites et moyennes entreprises à réduire la pollution en devenant plus efficaces sur le plan énergétique. Cela réduira leurs coûts énergétiques et les aidera à rester compétitives. En Ontario, cela signifie 975 millions de dollars sur cinq ans.

Doug Ford affirme que la tarification de la pollution ne fera aucune différence pour l'environnement. Ce n'est pas vrai

FAIT : Un prix sur la pollution au Canada réduira davantage la pollution en 2022 que la fermeture de 30 unités de charbon pendant une année entière.

Doug Ford affirme que notre plan va nuire aux budgets des familles. Ce n'est pas vrai.

FAIT : La plupart des familles ontariennes auront plus d'argent dans leurs poches à la fin de la journée grâce à notre plan de tarification de la pollution. Une famille de quatre personnes en Ontario recevra 307 dollars cette année.

Doug Ford affirme que la tarification de la pollution va provoquer une récession. Ce n'est pas vrai

FAIT : Des économistes de tout le Canada ont déclaré que cette affirmation est non seulement fausse, mais qu'elle est carrément irresponsable. La Colombie-Britannique a un prix à payer pour la pollution depuis plus de dix ans, et a connu la plus forte croissance économique au Canada ces dernières années. Lorsque l'Ontario avait un système de plafonnement et d'échange, sa croissance économique était parmi les plus fortes au Canada. Doug Ford a démantelé ce système, et sa mauvaise gestion de la province a déjà conduit à la dégradation de la cote de crédit de l'Ontario. Doug Ford devrait en savoir plus.

En prenant du recul par rapport à l'action climatique, le manque de leadership de Doug Ford ajouterait 30 millions de tonnes supplémentaires de pollution au carbone, risquant ainsi de compromettre l'avenir de nos enfants et petits-enfants.

Nous ne pouvons pas laisser les politiciens conservateurs essayer de nous faire remonter le temps et de prendre de l'argent dans les poches des ontariens. Lorsque les provinces ne parviendront pas à prendre la tête du mouvement, nous prendrons les devants.

Version française suit /French version follows

December 6, 2018 - Ottawa - Anita Vandenbeld, MP for Ottawa West–Nepean, and the Honourable Filomena Tassi, Minister of Seniors, invited organizations to apply for funding for projects that will help increase social inclusion among seniors through collaborative and innovative approaches. Organizations can apply under the Call for Concepts (CFC) for the New Horizons for Seniors Program (NHSP) 2018-2019 for Pan-Canadian projects.

Version française suit /French version follows

May 3, 2018 - Ottawa - Anita Vandenbeld spoke at the inauguration of Algonquin College's new Discovery, Applied Research and Entrepreneurship (DARE) building. Almost half the funding for this project - $22.9 million - came from the federal government's Post-Secondary Institutions Strategic Investment Fund. The new multipurpose building will be home to a new library and learning centre, an Indigenous Commons, a space for students to access the newest technology, a cybersecurity centre and more. MP Vandenbeld was very proud to have been involved since the very first concept stage of this project.

Version française suit/French version follows

March 12, 2018 - Ottawa - MP Anita Vandenbeld was thrilled to announce the joint funding of 42 new housing units for low-income seniors, to be built at the Carlington Community Health Centre. The joint federal and provincial funding will go toward Ottawa Community Housing, and will provide affordable housing to seniors in the same facility as a health clinic and other social services. This cooperation between all three levels of government will have a very positive impact on the lives of those who need housing assistance.

Version française suit/French version follows 

June 12, 2017 - Ottawa – Anita Vandenbeld, Member of Parliament for Ottawa West-Nepean, announced an investment of $2.3 million to Algonquin College as part of NSERC's (the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada) College and Community Innovation program. Over the course of five years NSERC will fund a new, cutting edge Data Analytics Centre.

Read the News Release here

Anita joined Minister for Status of Women, Maryam Monsef, to announce $285,000 for Planned Parenthood Ottawa for programs to end reproductive coercion. Anita stated: "We welcome the opportunity to partner with the Government of Canada to improve support for those experiencing violence, including coercion, around sexual and reproductive health and rights. We will be collaborating with local stakeholders to better recognize this form of gender-based violence, and to make sure there is a full range of options available to reduce its lifelong impact on survivors." 

Anita s'est jointe à la ministre de la Condition féminine, Maryam Monsef, pour annoncer l'octroi de 285 000 dollars à Planned Parenthood Ottawa pour des programmes visant à mettre fin à la coercition en matière de reproduction. Anita a déclaré : "Nous sommes heureux de pouvoir nous associer au gouvernement du Canada pour améliorer le soutien aux personnes victimes de violence, y compris la coercition, en matière de santé et de droits sexuels et génésiques. Nous collaborerons avec les acteurs locaux pour mieux reconnaître cette forme de violence sexiste et pour nous assurer qu'il existe une gamme complète d'options pour réduire son impact sur les survivants tout au long de leur vie". 

Read the article here

Anita joined Minister of Health Jane Philpott at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute to announce $2.9 Million in funding to heart research. This investment will allow researchers to advance diagnostic tools and treatment for heart disease. Anita Stated: “Everybody in our community, in our city, our country knows the University of Ottawa Heart Institute is world class and the cutting edge research that is done here impacts so many people”

Lire l'article ici

Anita s'est jointe à la ministre de la Santé Jane Philpott à l'Institut de cardiologie de l'Université d'Ottawa pour annoncer un financement de 2,9 millions de dollars en faveur de la recherche sur le cœur. Cet investissement permettra aux chercheurs de faire progresser les outils de diagnostic et le traitement des maladies cardiaques. a déclaré Anita : "Tout le monde dans notre communauté, dans notre ville, dans notre pays sait que l'Institut de cardiologie de l'Université d'Ottawa est de classe mondiale et que la recherche de pointe qui y est menée a un impact sur de nombreuses personnes."

See the news release here

Anita Vandenbeld was pleased to announce a federal government contribution of $22 million for a new Centre for Innovation, Learning and Entrepreneurship and Institute for Indigenous Entrepreneurship.  The federal contribution is part of a $43 renovation of the Algonquin College library to establish a 21st century "collaborator" where ideas intersect, where students, community members and business can come together to create the jobs of the future.

Voir le communiqué de presse ici

Anita Vandenbeld a eu le plaisir d'annoncer une contribution du gouvernement fédéral de 22 millions de dollars pour un nouveau Centre pour l'innovation, l'apprentissage et l'entreprenariat et un Institut pour l'entreprenariat indigène.  La contribution fédérale fait partie d'une rénovation de 43 dollars de la bibliothèque du Collège Algonquin pour établir un "collaborateur" du 21e siècle où les idées se croisent, où les étudiants, les membres de la communauté et les entreprises peuvent se réunir pour créer les emplois de l'avenir.

Following a visit to the Ottawa Mosque with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, in which she was criticized for attending the mosque, Anita responded with an Op Ed in the Ottawa Citizen: Why MPs should visit mosques, and other places of worship too

Après une visite à la mosquée d'Ottawa en compagnie du Premier ministre Justin Trudeau, au cours de laquelle elle a été critiquée pour sa présence à la mosquée, Anita a répondu par un article dans l'Ottawa Citizen : Pourquoi les députés devraient visiter les mosquées, et d'autres lieux de culte.

Anita Vandenbeld, who grew up in Bowness, was recently featured by The Bowest'ner in a "where are they now" article, which details her path from Bowness to Parliament, with all her great achievements in between. 

These accomplishments include studying History at the University of Calgary, working as a senior advisor with the United Nations, and co-ordinating an anti-corruption campaign in Bosnia and Herzegovina. 

She was elected in 2015 as the member of parliament for Ottawa West-Nepean.

Susan Delacourt: MP Anita Vandenbeld Takes Tips from the Tim Hortons Caucus

'Liberal MP, a human rights expert who holds John Baird’s former Ottawa-area riding, convenes “mini-town halls” each week with constituents.'

Susan Delacourt : La députée Anita Vandenbeld reçoit des conseils du caucus Tim Hortons

Un député libéral, expert en droits de l'homme, qui représente l'ancienne circonscription de John Baird dans la région d'Ottawa, organise chaque semaine des "mini-halls" avec ses électeurs.

Read Anita's Opinion Piece in the Ottawa Citizen on How to Attract More Women to Politics

With the election of more women to Parliament than ever, and the appointment of a gender-equal cabinet, there has been a lot of discussion about why women are still under-represented in Canadian electoral politics. Despite the gains, women still comprise only 26 per cent of MPs.  We went from 50th in the world to 48th.  Canada still ranks behind such countries as Sudan, Iraq and Rwanda.

Lisez l'article d'Anita dans le Ottawa Citizen : How to Attract More Women to Politics

Avec l'élection de plus de femmes que jamais au Parlement et la nomination d'un cabinet égalitaire, on a beaucoup discuté des raisons pour lesquelles les femmes sont encore sous-représentées dans la politique électorale canadienne. Malgré les progrès réalisés, les femmes ne représentent toujours que 26 % des députés.  Nous sommes passés du 50e au 48e rang mondial.  Le Canada se classe toujours derrière des pays comme le Soudan, l'Irak et le Rwanda.

Christine Spencer interviews Anita Vandenbeld for a Q&A on Making Parliament More Representative

Anita Vandenbeld, rookie MP for Ottawa West-Nepean, is an expert on democracy and human rights with extensive United Nations experience, a former chief of staff to a Liberal senator, and a former director of parliamentary affairs for a government House leader. She spoke to the Citizen’s Christina Spencer.

Christine Spencer interviewe Anita Vandenbeld pour un Q&A on Making Parliament More Representative

Anita Vandenbeld, députée de la circonscription d'Ottawa-Ouest-Nepean, est une experte en matière de démocratie et de droits de l'homme qui possède une vaste expérience des Nations unies. Elle a été chef de cabinet d'un sénateur libéral et directrice des affaires parlementaires d'un leader du gouvernement à la Chambre des représentants. Elle s'est entretenue avec Christina Spencer, du Citizen's.

Anita celebrated her birthday on the first sitting day of the new Parliament after being elected. CBC followed her on her first day as a rookie MP. Watch the video here.

Anita a fêté son anniversaire le premier jour de séance du nouveau Parlement après son élection. La CBC l'a suivie lors de son premier jour en tant que députée débutante. Regardez la vidéo ici.