Up to 16 Liberals considering support for NDP’s arms-control legislation

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When the NDP’s arms-control bill that seeks to end largely permit-free Canadian military exports to the U.S. is put to a vote on Wednesday, it could garner the support of more than a dozen Liberal MPs.

That would be the first time some in the Liberal caucus split from the government’s position on legislation under Prime Minister Mark Carney.

“By my count, so far, I think there may be somewhere between … nine to 16 Liberal members who may support the bill,” said the NDP’s Jenny Kwan, the bill’s main sponsor, at a news conference on Tuesday.

Two Liberal MPs who spoke to CBC News on condition they not be named, citing the  confidentiality of caucus discussions, confirm that range is accurate. 

Up to now, four Liberals have publicly supported Bill C-233, which the NDP calls the No More Loopholes Act.

The legislation would impose export controls on arms and munitions that are sent to the U.S., similarly to mechanisms that exist for most other countries. 

The NDP says that Canadian weaponry sent south of the border ends up diverted to other countries, even if the Canadian government does not directly export to them, naming Sudan and Israel as examples.

Liberal MP for Scarborough Centre Salma Zahid is one of four Liberal MPs publicly supporting Kwan’s bill. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press)

Speaking during a parliamentary debate on Monday, Liberal MP Salma Zahid said the bill “is about ensuring that Canada lives up to its international obligations and that our industries act responsibly within the global defence trade.

“The bill is not anti-industry and it is not anti-Canada’s defence sector, but it is anti-complicity in violence against civilians.” 

Other Liberals who have publicly affirmed their support are Nathaniel Erskine-Smith, Fares Al Soud and Aslam Rana. 

Last month, CBC News reported Canada’s Crown corporation which oversees international arms sales had flagged then international trade minister Dominic LeBlanc about U.S.-bound artillery propellants, which were then destined in part for Israel, in March 2025.

That was more than a year after the Canadian government  had declared it was no longer issuing permits for exports to Israel, citing concerns over the conflict in Gaza. 

Activist groups have also published a report alleging hundreds of shipments have made their way from the U.S. to Israel. CBC News has independently tracked a couple of those shipments, which originated from Canada. 

Kwan says she is open to amendments

Kwan said she is still open to amendments on the private member’s bill, but has not received any concrete suggestions from Liberal MPs beyond she remove language around the U.S.

The government has said the existing exemption to the U.S. is no loophole, but part of a deliberate calculation to allow for better defence integration with a key ally. 

If more than a dozen Liberal MPs side with the NDP as expected, it would mark the first time members of Prime Minister Mark Carney’s caucus have broken ranks with the government’s position on legislation since he came to power. (Spencer Colby/The Canadian Press)

At Monday’s debate, Karim Bardeesy, the parliamentary secretary to Industry Minister Mélanie Joly, said the bill would “limit Canadian sovereignty at a time of great conflict, while playing no meaningful difference on the conflicts that are of such justifiable concern to those who support the bill.”

He added the bill would not be closing a loophole, but “blowing up a critical defence and trade relationship with a NATO ally.”

Speaking for the Conservative Party, MP Ziad Aboultaif said the “bill is an attempt to impose Canadian foreign policy on our closest ally, with those working for our defence industry paying the price.”

He said the bill would create problems in the Canada-U.S. relationship, and put Canadian jobs in jeopardy. 

The Bloc Québécois expressed reservations as well. Bloc MP Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe said the bill is well intentioned but too broad, arguing it would end up hurting industries already suffering due to American tariffs.

He also said the U.S. may simply choose not to play ball.

“The idea that the United States would start asking for Canada’s approval to ship small arms and light weapons is wishful thinking,” he said.

Asked by CBC News about whether the government intends to let members freely vote on Wednesday, House leader Steven MacKinnon’s office offered no comment.