Debates of Nov. 6th, 1995

Gilles Duceppe Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC

Mr. Speaker, we were all astonished and deeply saddened by the news of the assassination on Saturday of the Prime Minister of Israel, Mr. Yitzhak Rabin. Today, we want to pay tribute to a man who dedicated his life to the defence of his people and his ideals.

A joint recipient of the Nobel Peace prize, Yitzhak Rabin believed in the reconciliation of the Israeli and Palestinian people and struggled to find ways to bring them closer together. The peace accord signed by both nations shows that his efforts have borne fruit and brought hope to this part of the world. We are convinced that he did not sacrifice his life in vain and that the road to reconciliation now taken by his people and the people of Palestine will lead to a better future for all who believe in peace in the Middle East.

We earnestly hope that his violent death will not halt the diplomatic negotiations he initiated with Yasser Arafat to establish a plan for peace in the region. We firmly believe that the process started by these two leaders will prevail over radical movements that are oblivious to democratic values and condone violence.

On behalf of my colleagues in the Bloc Quebecois, I wish to express our condolences to the family and relatives of Mr. Rabin, the Jewish people, the international Jewish community including that in Quebec, and to show that we share the grief of losing a unique human being. Shalom Yitzhak Rabin!

Deborah Grey Beaver River, AB

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of my leader and our party I rise this afternoon to pay tribute to the late Prime Minister of Israel, Yitzahk Rabin.

Rabin earned his reputation with Israelis as a soldier and then as a politician. His first hand knowledge of the military and his deep commitment to preserving Israel's security, first through arms and later through peace, made him undeniably one of the world's greatest statesmen.

It is well known that Mr. Rabin earned his credibility on the battlefield. However, Rabin's greatest honour and truest victory came through his pursuit of a lasting peace with his former enemies.

He sought peace not through fear but through courage, seeing it as the only hope for the future. He understood that true peace is not the absence of all differences, but genuine goodwill and the putting aside of those differences for the common good. Of the necessity for peace, Rabin said: "We should not let the land flowing with milk and honey become the land flowing with blood and tears".

Yitzahk Rabin truly believed that "the majority of people want peace and are ready to take a chance for peace". He himself took that chance and paid recently with his life.

Just six weeks ago, King Hussein of Jordan, President Mubarak of Egypt, Chairman Arafat, and Prime Minister Rabin signed a peace agreement on the White House lawn. In words that seem almost prophetic today, Prime Minister Rabin said: "Only poets have dreamt of this moment, and to our great pain soldier and civilian went to their deaths to make this moment possible".

He was soldier and civilian both, as well as one of Israel's greatest leaders. We hope and pray that his death, although tragic and untimely, will leave a legacy for lasting Middle East peace, for which he sought so valiantly.

Our sympathy and prayers are with Mrs. Rabin and her family. Shalom, Prime Minister Rabin.

Herb Gray Leader of the Government in the House of Commons and Solicitor General of Canada

Mr. Speaker, like millions of people in Israel and around the world, I was shocked and saddened to learn of the tragic death of Yitzhak Rabin Saturday afternoon.

I was shocked because his death came just after he had spoken and sung for peace at a rally of 100,000 Israelis. I was shocked because his murder was completely inconsistent with the way of life in Israel, where this kind of violence has not been a means of dealing with political differences. It has not been a part of the life of that democratic country. I was shocked and also saddened that Prime Minister Rabin's own life, so filled with achievement and service, had been cruelly ended before his main work could be completed: the work of making peace between Israel and all its neighbours.

Yitzhak Rabin proved he could be successful as a leader in making war. He was proving he could be equally successful as a leader in achieving peace. He had made war to protect his country, but he wanted and preferred peace for Israel and all the peoples of the Middle East.

It has been said that Yitzhak Rabin was a martyr for peace. Therefore, the best way to honour his life and his memory is to make sure that his work for peace continues and is successfully concluded.

Just after this government took office, two years ago last week, its first official visitors were Yitzhak Rabin and his wife. I, together with my wife, had the honour of officially welcoming them to our country. At that time, in talking with him all too briefly, I was struck and impressed by his mixture of firmness, resolve, personal modesty, and his commitment to achieving his goal of peace for Israel with its neighbours.

There is a word in Hebrew that is used as a greeting. It is also used to say goodbye and at the same time it signifies peace, that most sublime of human conditions. Unfortunately we cannot extend a greeting to Yitzhak Rabin on this earth again, but we can say goodbye by using that word which had come to mean more to him than almost anything else. We can say shalom. Shalom Yitzhak.

The Kaddish prayer said by Jewish mourners concludes with these words: "He who maketh peace in his high places, may he make peace for us and for all Israel".

I want to express my since condolences to Mrs. Rabin and the family of Yitzhak Rabin.

To Mrs. Rabin, to her family, to the people of Israel and to all people of goodwill everywhere, I conclude with the traditional Hebrew words of sympathy and condolence:

Hamakom y'nahaim etkhem b'tokh sh'ar availai tziyon veeyerushalayim.

May the Lord comfort you with all the mourners of Zion and Jerusalem.

Bob Mills Red Deer, AB

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to send our deepest condolences to the family of Yitzhak Rabin and the people of Israel.

Although Mr. Rabin has fallen, he leaves behind a tremendous legacy of peace and a lifetime of work for the people of Israel.

As a soldier, Mr. Rabin learned to meet adversity with courage and determination, and as a statesman this courage continued as he dared to make peace with the Palestinians and with Jordan, even in the face of bitter criticism from the opponents of peace.

In a world filled with conflict and strife, Mr. Rabin did not despair or allow anger to move him. He chose instead to dedicate his life to laying the groundwork for a peace that will be enjoyed by his children and grandchildren and by all the children of the Middle East.

On this sad day, though the torch must be passed, Mr. Rabin is gone but the need for hard work in the name of peace endures. As Mr. Rabin said, we will continue the peace process. There is no alternative to that regardless of what the enemies of peace might do.

We must remember these words. In so doing I join with all Canadians in hoping that others will step forward to finish the peaceful battle so well fought by Mr. Yitzhak Rabin, an example for us all.

Peter Milliken Parliamentary Secretary to Leader of the Government in the House of Commons

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36(8), I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the government's response to three petitions.

Charles Caccia Davenport, ON

Mr. Speaker, the Standing Committee on the Environment and Sustainable Environment has completed its consideration of Bill C-83 and is now ready to table its report. Bill C-83, an act to amend the Auditor General Act, establishes the position of Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development. I have the honour to table this report.

Ray Speaker Lethbridge

Mr. Speaker, I have three petitions to present.

The petitioners on the first, out of respect and concern for the sanctity of human life, pray and request that Parliament continue to prohibit euthanasia and assisted suicide. The petition bears 135 signatures.

Ray Speaker Lethbridge

Mr. Speaker, the second petition, which bears 56 signatures, prays and requests that Parliament act immediately to extend protection to the unborn child by amending the Criminal Code to extend the same protection enjoyed by born human beings to unborn human beings.

Ray Speaker Lethbridge

Mr. Speaker, the third petition, which bears 208 signatures, requests that Parliament not amend the human rights code, the Canadian Human Rights Act or the charter of rights and freedoms in any way which would tend to indicate societal approval of same sex relationships or homosexuality.

Val Meredith Surrey—White Rock—South Langley, BC

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to present 209 signatures of my constituents asking that Parliament urge the government to review the Young Offenders Act in an open and accountable process which addresses the following principles: deterrence of the offender, the accountability of the offender, and the rights of the victim.

Paul Szabo Mississauga South, ON

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36, I present a petition which has been circulating all across Canada. This petition has been signed by a number of Canadians from Ancaster, Ontario.

The petitioners draw to the attention of the House that managing the family home and caring for preschool children is an honourable profession which has not been recognized for its value to our society. They also state the Income Tax Act discriminates against families that make the choice to provide care in the home to preschool children, the disabled, the chronically ill or the aged.

The petitioners therefore pray and call on Parliament to pursue initiatives to eliminate tax discrimination against families that decide to provide care in the home for preschool children, the disabled, the chronically ill or the aged.

Peter Milliken Parliamentary Secretary to Leader of the Government in the House of Commons

Mr. Speaker, Question No. 195 will be answered today.

Question No.195-