Debates of June 6th, 2003

Herb Dhaliwal Minister of Natural Resources

Mr. Speaker, as the hon. member knows, we have a program to support our workers. Let me remind the hon. member of the government program on the softwood lumber dispute: $110 million for research and development; $29.7 million for Canada's offshore markets; $71 million to assist workers; $110 million for the national softwood industry community adjustment; $20 million for the advocacy program; $15 million for the softwood lumber association.

The hon. member should recognize that these announcements are helping the softwood lumber industry across the country.

Herb Dhaliwal Minister of Natural Resources

Mr. Speaker, as I indicated earlier, part of the softwood lumber package includes $71 million to assist displaced workers. We want to make sure that the workers who are laid off can benefit. We understand the difficulty the workers are facing in the softwood lumber industry and we are doing everything we can.

However, we do have a program in place and it is working. As we have said, if we need more, that is something we are monitoring very closely.

Stockwell Day Okanagan—Coquihalla, BC

Mr. Speaker, the terrorist group Hamas has announced that it has cut off ceasefire talks with the Palestinian authority. The declared goal of Hamas is to trash the road map process and to eliminate the state of Israel through a murderous campaign of terror.

Hamas could not exist without support from regimes in the region, such as Iran and Syria, yet our government has publicly said and done nothing to pressure these states to end all sponsorship of terror.

Will the Prime Minister today finally take a public stand and demand specifically that Syria, Iran and others in the region cut off all support for Hamas?

Bill Graham Minister of Foreign Affairs

Mr. Speaker, as usual the hon. member phrases his question in a way that suggests the government does nothing on these issues. Nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, it is exactly opposite.

Every time I have met with the foreign minister of Iran and every time the Prime Minister has spoken with the Iranian authorities we have insisted that they stop their support of terror. We do that publicly and we do it privately. We use the contacts that we have with all governments in the world to stop terror.

It is a totally false indication to the House and to the Canadian public to suggest that we do anything else. We will continue to pursue those in a positive way.

Rahim Jaffer Edmonton—Strathcona, AB

Mr. Speaker, the Canadian government has been absent on the issue of peace in the Middle East. The foreign minister says that it is a good thing but when it is time for action and to put meaning behind those words, the Liberals run for cover.

Now that Prime Ministers Abbas and Sharon have agreed to President Bush's road map, what steps is the Canadian government taking to ensure that both sides live up to the agreement?

Bill Graham Minister of Foreign Affairs

Mr. Speaker, as the hon. member knows, as the spokesperson for this area in the House, the government has representation both in Tel Aviv and in Ramallah. We work closely with the authorities. We have constantly urged upon the Palestinian Authority to engage in a positive dialogue with Israel to ensure its security. We have worked closely with our Israeli compatriots to say that they should go for the road map and accept the obligations under it.

The government is active. Canadians want us to be active in this. I can assure him and the House that the Prime Minister, myself and all of us with responsibilities in that area will be pursuing the possibility of peace. We congratulate, strongly, President Bush on his--

Madeleine Dalphond-Guiral Laval Centre, QC

Mr. Speaker, according to Amnesty International, Mr. Albert Duterville, jailed for murder in Port-Cartier since 1990, has been subject to physical and psychological abuse.

Does the Solicitor General plan on denouncing this situation?

Wayne Easter Solicitor General of Canada

Mr. Speaker, we, within the Department of the Solicitor General, on all these issues relating to any individual, want to ensure that due process has been followed and that all the laws of the land are being followed.

Madeleine Dalphond-Guiral Laval Centre, QC

Mr. Speaker, until that time, does the minister plan on transferring Mr. Duterville to another penitentiary so that he can enjoy the fundamental rights that are entrenched in the charter for all citizens of this country?

Wayne Easter Solicitor General of Canada

Mr. Speaker, within Correctional Service Canada we have a system, basically, of checks and balances and review to ensure that people who are incarcerated within those prisons are not put in a position of harm. There are criteria that we follow within the correctional service system to ensure that the individuals are incarcerated where there is less potential of harm happening to them, and that the penalties that they were charged for--