MP Jenny Kwan To Initiate Private Members Bill Calling for End to Canadian Arms Loophole Fueling Global Human Rights Abuses « Canada’s NDP
Today at the National Press Gallery in Ottawa, Jenny Kwan, Member of Parliament for Vancouver East, was joined by civil society and human rights organizations announcing her intention to introduce a Private Member’s Bill in the upcoming Parliamentary session to finally close the loophole in Canada’s arms export laws. For years, Canadian governments have promised accountability, yet Canadian-made weapons, bullets, and military components continue to flow into the world’s bloodiest conflicts—often through the back door of the U.S., including for use by the Israeli government in Gaza and the West Bank.
“Canada signed onto the Arms Trade Treaty in 2019, but under the past and current Liberal government, loopholes and half-measures have left our commitments meaningless,” said Kwan. “While civilians are being bombed and starved, Canada is shipping bullets and weapons parts. This needs to stop now – we need transparency and accountability immediately.”
Recent revelations show the scale of the problem according to a recent report by Arms Embargo Now:
- At least 47 shipments of Canadian-made military components have gone to Israeli weapons companies between October 2023 and July 2025.
- 421,070 bullets have been exported to Israel since the Gaza assault began including 175,000 in April 2025 alone.
- Despite public promises, shipments of cartridges from General Dynamics in Quebec continued just days after former Minister Mélanie Joly pledged to block them.
- Data from the Israeli Tax Authority uncovered 391 shipments of weapons, components, and military technology from Canada to Israel in less than two years—only a fraction of the true number.
“These are not abstract numbers. These are weapons used against civilians in Gaza, and in conflicts around the world,” Kwan said. “Every bullet that leaves Canada and lands in the hands of human rights abusers needs to be stopped immediately.”
International bodies including the UN Human Rights Council and independent UN experts have already called for an immediate halt to arms transfers that risk fueling violations of international humanitarian law. Civil society in Canada has been ringing the alarm bells for years.
“Enough is enough,” Kwan declared. “Canadians don’t want their country complicit in war crimes. Closing this loophole is not optional—it’s a moral imperative. Protecting human rights is a non-partisan issue.”
The bill will be tabled for First Reading later in September when Parliament resumes.