House of Commons photoWon his last election, in 2000, with 45% of the vote.
Young At Heart April 7th, 2000
Mr. Speaker, it is with great joy that I extend a warm welcome to a group of senior citizens from the Pontiac who are visiting parliament today.
The Young at Heart group from Chapeau wanted to see firsthand how parliament and the House of Commons works. They are accompanied on this occasion by Mr. Jerome Sallafranque, the organizer of this odyssey to Ottawa.
I hope they will have a lovely day filled with all sorts of new discoveries, and a pleasant trip back to the magnificent Pontiac region.
International Organizations April 6th, 2000
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to speak to the amendment proposed by the hon. member for Surrey Central. We on this side of the House look most favourably on this hon. member's amendment.
There is no doubt whatsoever that economic inequalities and crises lie behind the great majority of the conflicts taking place just about everywhere in the world at this time.
It is not mere happenstance that the Bretton Woods institutions—the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank—came into being in the wake of the war.
Their founders realized in 1944 that solid economic foundations were needed if there was to be any solid peace.
The International Monetary Fund was created in order to prevent balance of payment crises by encouraging the harmonious operation of the international monetary system and world trade and supporting high levels of sustainable economic growth.
Similarly, the World Bank was given the task of reducing poverty and inequality by raising standards of living and promoting sustainable development in developing countries.
While the architects of Bretton Woods could not foresee the changes that would come about, the institutions they designed have nevertheless proven surprisingly adaptable to a changing economic environment.
These changes continue today. The recent wave of financial crises in the emerging markets is forcing the two institutions to reassess their respective policies and roles in order to reduce the risk and the impact of future crises and to intensify the fight against poverty and inequality.
Through the G-7, the G-20 and its membership in the two institutions, Canada contributes to the achievement of these objectives along with like-minded nations.
For example, the G-20, chaired by Canada's Minister of Finance, was set up in the fall of 1999 to give countries whose size or strategic importance confers on them an especially crucial role in the world economy greater voice in discussion on international financial matters.
The G-20 comprises the ministers of finance and governors of the central banks of 19 industrialized countries and emerging economies, representatives of the European Union, the central European bank, the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank and their policy committees.
The objective of the G-20 is to promote co-operation in order to achieve stable and lasting international economic growth for everyone's benefit.
The IMF has taken a number of important steps to better foresee, prevent and respond to crises of the type that have recently affected a number of emerging market countries. For example, in its surveillance activities the IMF is paying greater attention to issues such as external debt and liquidity management and the appropriateness of exchange rate regimes. The IMF has a key role to play in encouraging best practices and monitoring compliance in these areas.
The IMF is also contributing to the development of international codes and standards, particularly in the financial sector, and developing frameworks for monitoring and encouraging compliance through financial sector stability assessments and reports on the observance of standards and codes. These will help identify and address vulnerabilities in a country's financial and economic systems.
The IMF has also developed two new financing facilities to help countries and the international community respond to large scale financial crises: the supplemental reserve facility, which would be available to countries in crisis situations that could spill over to other countries, and contingent credit lines, which would be a precautionary line of defence that would be available to countries which are pursuing sound policies but are nonetheless vulnerable to contagion.
IMF programs and the sorts of adjustments they call for can only succeed if the poor and the most vulnerable in society are protected. The IMF is therefore placing a higher priority on the social aspects of adjustments.
In conjunction with the enhanced debt reduction scheme for heavily indebted poor countries and as part of its contribution to the global anti-poverty effort, the IMF replaced its concessional facility, the enhanced structural adjustment facility, with the more focused poverty reduction and growth facility. As a consequence, direct anti-poverty measures will play a central role in programs supported by the IMF, the World Bank and other lenders.
The World Bank, which has recently intensified its fight against poverty, is also helping countries to eliminate some of the root causes of war and conflict. In this respect the bank has proposed that country-specific poverty frameworks should be developed by national authorities in broad consultation with the private sector, NGOs, academics and other civil society organizations.
The key principles of the underlying framework are that poverty reduction strategies should be country-driven, oriented to achieving concrete results in terms of poverty reduction, comprehensive in looking at cross-sectoral determinants of poverty outcomes, and provide the context for action by various developing partners.
The wider involvement of stakeholders may lead to more open discussions on the causes of poverty, such as socio-economic inequalities, corruption and poor governance. It is hoped that such discussions may help bridge the differences between various groups that are divided along ethnic, religious and political grounds.
The bank also has a long history in post-conflict assistance. Indeed, it was established to support the reconstruction of Europe after World War II. Since then the bank has assisted countries all over the world in their post-conflict reconstruction efforts. More recently the bank has played a key role in co-ordinating international aid to Kosovo, Bosnia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the West Bank and Gaza.
In recent years operations in countries emerging from war have become a considerable proportion of the bank's portfolio. Excluding India and China, nearly a quarter of the International Development Association's—the bank's concessional lending facility—support is going to countries which have undergone or are emerging from conflict.
In the past much of the bank's post-conflict reconstruction work was concentrated on rebuilding physical infrastructure. However, the bank has increasingly broadened its focus to address wider needs in rebuilding social infrastructure, reconstructing institutional capacity and putting in place key economic reforms. In general, the bank's support is designated to facilitate a country's transition from conflict to peace.
The bank has also been involved in unique post-conflict elements, including de-mining, demobilization and reintegration of ex-combatants, and reintegration of displaced populations. For instance, the bank has supported demobilization and reintegration of ex-combatants in countries such as Cambodia, Chad, Mozambique and Uganda, and reintegration of displaced populations in Azerbaijan, Liberia, Rwanda and Sierra Leone. It has been involved in post-conflict community development programs in Angola, Cambodia and Rwanda, and de-mining programs in Bosnia and Croatia.
I have much more to say, but I see that my time has expired.
Canadian Armed Forces Association April 4th, 2000
Mr. Speaker, on April 1, the Canadian armed forces association launched its first Internet site.
The site contains a host of information on military and civilian aviation with many links to museums, squadrons and organizations in the world of aerospace.
The launch date of April 1 was no chance matter. This date marks not only the 75th anniversary of the Royal Canadian Air Force but the 50th anniversary of civil aviation as well.
The world of communications has never been such a vital element in the context of openness to the world and exchanges of information between people and organizations from all corners of the planet.
Congratulations to the Canadian armed forces association on its initiative. I invite everyone to visit this site full of interesting discoveries and surprises.
Standing Naval Force Atlantic March 31st, 2000
Mr. Speaker, I am sure that everyone in the House will join me in welcoming one of NATO's key maritime reaction forces, the Standing Naval Force Atlantic, which recently sailed into Halifax Harbour.
Since April 1999, Rear Admiral David Morse had commanded this force which currently includes ships from seven nations.
Our destroyers, HMCS Iroquois and HMCS Athabaskan , each with one Sea King aboard, are alternately serving as Rear Admiral Morse's flagships during a busy year of operations.
In the summer of 1999, STANAVFORLANT was deployed to the Adriatic Sea at the height of the Kosovo crisis in support of NATO's operational allied force.
As the command of STANAVFORLANT rotates to the United States this Friday and our frigate, HMCS Fredericton , assumes its role as Canada's STANAVFORLANT representative, let us express our gratitude and thanks to our sailors and aircrew for their outstanding service.
Division No. 1257 March 29th, 2000
Madam Speaker, the Government of Canada met the provincial and territorial representatives and, in March 1998, the Minister of Health announced a plan to provide financial assistance of $1.1 billion to the thousands of victims.
By working collaboratively with the lawyers for the class action plaintiffs, we reached a settlement agreement which was approved by the Ontario, B.C. and Quebec courts in December 1999. This was only possible because the Government of Canada went to the provinces and to the claimants and proposed a solution to spare everyone the potential of even longer litigation.
Immediately following approval of the settlement, the Government of Canada transferred some $855 million into a trust fund in order to compensate the complainants. In doing so, the Government of Canada met all its obligations under the settlement.
The federal government is very anxious that the administrator begin processing claims and make payments as soon as possible.
Rest assured that our government is committed to helping all Canadians infected by the hepatitis C virus.
Division No. 1257 March 29th, 2000
Madam Speaker, the Department of National Defence and the Canadian forces remain very determined to maintain a multipurpose combat ready force. They are, however, obliged to run the defence program as efficiently and cost-effectively as possible.
The department remains firmly in favour of ASD, alternative service delivery, which is an important tool in improving the efficiency of the organization by freeing up resources and putting them to work where the need is greatest, that is operational readiness.
In simple terms, the department and the Canadian forces must devote their limited resources to the functions that they alone can perform. To date, annual savings from ASD initiatives are estimated at around $62 million. However, the department expects these annual savings to increase to approximately $175 million in the years to come.
Given the complexity of managing the supply chain for an organization as broad as DND and the Canadian forces, the department believes that the only feasible option is to pursue a commercial approach through a competitive process. These savings resulting from the supply chain project are expected to be between 20% and 30%. Its aim is to improve the efficiency of supply activities by introducing a competitive process and using private sector expertise. The supply chain project will allow DND and the Canadian forces to get access to critical logistics expertise, innovation and leading edge technologies.
I can assure the House that the Department of National Defence continues to make progress on various ASD initiatives. It will continue to consult closely with all stakeholders, including unions and employees.
The department is committed to proceeding in a way that is as fair and as—
National Defence March 27th, 2000
Mr. Speaker, before answering my colleague's question, I would like to point out the excellent work done by our reservists, whether in Bosnia, Kosovo or other hot spots.
Returning to the specific question of my colleague, I can tell you that no specific decision has been reached. The document to which hon. member refers is only a reference document. It is one of several on the minister's desk for consideration in due course.
Highway Accident In Saint-Jean-Baptiste-De-Nicolet March 17th, 2000
Mr. Speaker, it is with great sadness that I pay tribute to the seven young children who died yesterday morning in a tragic traffic accident, in Saint-Jean-Baptiste-de-Nicolet, a small town on the south shore of the St. Lawrence River, across from Trois-Rivières.
Two other children are still at the Centre hospitalier in Trois-Rivières, and one of them is in critical condition. We wish to offer our sincere condolences to the families struck by that terrible tragedy. Our prayers are with them in this time of great suffering.
I now ask the members of this House to observe one minute of silence, out of respect for these seven young victims.
Liberal Party Of Canada March 16th, 2000
Mr. Speaker, today, the Liberal Party begins its biennial convention, bringing together delegates from all regions of our country.
Men and women will come to discuss Canada's economic and social future. They will determine the choices and options to meet the challenges of 2000s.
In short, we will debate matters that are of public interest, the facts of life and, most importantly, we will propose and adopt ways to improve the quality of people's lives.
I therefore wish good luck to the organizers of this major political event for our political party, and there is no doubt our government will draw on the proposals made this weekend to enrich its work.
The Budget February 29th, 2000
Mr. Speaker, I am sure that everyone in this House will join me in expressing our gratitude and admiration to the more than 650 Canadian Forces personnel who have participated in the international force in East Timor.
As the UN assumes the peacekeeping duties from INTERFET, our aviators, our sailors on HMCS Protecteur returning to Esquimault this week, and members from the light infantry group from the 3rd Battalion, Royal 22nd Regiment of Valcartier still in theatre can reflect on a job well done.
These women and men have made a vital contribution to improving the desperate conditions of the East Timorese and enhancing the security of South East Asia.
Though they had one of the furthest distances to travel, they responded in good time and our Hercules aircraft were among the first of the multinational force contributors to arrive in theatre.
During their deployment, CF members provided armed security and helped to re-establish civilian institutions, including schools, churches and a police academy, in often extremely demanding conditions. They also touched the lives of thousands of displaced persons and returning refugees.
Ensuring the safety and well-being of our CF personnel is one of the highest priorities of the government and DND.