OTTAWA — Prime Minister Mark Carney's assertion that Canada lacks a "feminist foreign policy" has ignited a political debate, drawing both criticism and support from various lawmakers.

NDP MP Leah Gazan expressed her disapproval, stating, "Prime Minister Carney is making it very clear he is no friend to women and he is no friend to gender equality in this country."

During the question period, Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet questioned whether Carney's comments indicated that the federal government would continue to advocate for gender equality, which he referred to as a "Quebec value." He remarked, "I learned with shock that during his trip to the United Arab Emirates, the prime minister of Canada gave up on the idea that Canadian diplomacy and international relations are feminist."

In response, Liberal MP Mona Fortier, who serves as the parliamentary secretary for foreign affairs, reaffirmed Canada's commitment to gender equality and combating sexual violence, calling it "unshakable" and emphasizing that feminism is a "key portion of our foreign policy."

Carney clarified that while Canada no longer has an explicitly feminist foreign policy, it still aims to uphold values such as defending LGBTQ+ rights and addressing violence against women. He stated, "Yes, we have that aspect to our foreign policy, but I wouldn’t describe our foreign policy as feminist foreign policy," during a news conference at the G20 summit in Johannesburg, South Africa.

This statement marks a departure from the foreign policy approach of former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's administration. Karina Gould, chair of the House of Commons finance committee and a former cabinet member under Trudeau, acknowledged that Carney's remarks represent a shift. However, she maintained that the principles he discussed remain feminist.

"The ideals that he was talking about continue to be feminist, and I think that what it means is that as Canadians, we expect that we’re going to stand up for gender equality around the world and here in Canada," Gould said. She added, "There are a lot of people who worked on this policy who care very deeply about it, and I hope that he sees that what he talks about actually is feminist, and that is something that we should all be very proud of."

Former Conservative Party leader Erin O'Toole praised Carney's comments on social media, stating that the "virtue-signalling era in Canadian foreign policy is finally over." He emphasized the need to continue advocating for gender equality and human rights, criticizing the previous government for using policy announcements for public relations purposes, which he claimed led to Canada being perceived as unserious by its allies.

Trudeau's government had introduced a feminist foreign aid policy and claimed to have a feminist foreign policy, but it did not provide a detailed document outlining its implementation.

Liberal MP Marc Miller, who also served in Trudeau's cabinet, suggested that Carney was in a challenging position. He invited journalists to consider Carney's perspective, stating, "The plan in question was only put in his hands half-baked. The ministers that were in charge of making the plan in the first place never delivered a plan to the previous prime minister but to Mr. Carney. So, a difficult position for him to be in."