With regard to Canadian policy concerning nuclear weapons: (a) has the government of Canada communicated or consulted with any other governments about the so-called Austrian Pledge on nuclear disarmament, that was issued following the 2014 Vienna Conference on the Humanitarian Impact of Nuclear Weapons, and, if so, which governments; (b) for each such communication or consultations, was it done by the Canadian government alone or in collaboration with other states, and, if the latter, which other states; (c) has the government encouraged other states to join the Austrian Pledge, and, if so, which states; (d) have other states encouraged Canada to join the Austrian Pledge, and, if so, which states; (e) what preparation has the government undertaken for the 2015 Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) Review Conference; (f) what steps has the government taken to implement the parliamentary motion adopted by unanimous consent on December 7, 2010, which “encourage[d] the Government of Canada to engage in negotiations for a nuclear weapons convention”; (g) does official Canadian policy concerning nuclear weapons refer explicitly to the motion cited in (f); (h) has the government explicitly referenced the motion cited in (f) in any formal démarches to other countries regarding its policy on nuclear weapons; (i) as a NATO member state who has attended all three international meetings on the humanitarian impact of nuclear weapons, has the government shared the findings of these meetings with other NATO members; (j) how has the government contributed to NATO efforts to reach its stated goal of a world without nuclear weapons; (k) for what reasons did the government refuse to endorse the Joint Statement on the Humanitarian Consequences of Nuclear Weapons, as delivered by New Zealand at the United Nations General Assembly on October 20, 2014; (l) does the government agree with the statement that “[i]t is in the interest of the very survival of humanity that nuclear weapons are never used again, under any circumstances”; (m) under what circumstances does the government consider that the use of nuclear weapons would be appropriate; (n) how does the government reconcile the role of nuclear weapons in Canada’s security policy with Canada’s commitments under international humanitarian law and the NPT; (o) what is the government assessment of the sustainability of deterrence as a pillar of Canada's security policy; and (p) what steps has the government taken to implement the agreement of all states party to the NPT at the 2010 Review Conference, under action 5^e of the Outcome Document, to reduce reliance on nuclear weapons for security?

Paul Dewar