I could practice my French here, but I don't want to offend the interpreters.
In 1991, Mohammed Al-Mashat, a former Iraqi ambassador to Washington during the Gulf War....
That's the first Gulf War. I know there are people here who weren't even alive in the second Gulf War, but the first Gulf War was in 1991 when Iraq invaded Kuwait.
In 1991, Mohammed Al-Mashat, a former Iraqi ambassador to Washington during the Gulf War—
This says “discreetly”, but I will explain that it wasn't that discreet.
—discreetly requested and received highly expedited permission to enter Canada as a landed immigrant.
The Iraqi ambassador to the United States was granted, during the war with Iraq, permission to be a landed immigrant in Canada.
When this occurrence became known, controversy erupted and the then Secretary of State for External Affairs, Joe Clark—
They get it wrong here, but I will explain that in a minute.
—said he could not be held responsible for this extremely sensitive decision, because he had not been made aware of Al-Mashat's application.
That is true, but I will add a bit of colour to that.
After an internal inquiry, the government placed blame on the associate undersecretary of state for External Affairs—
I'm sure some of you will be shocked to learn who that was at the time. His name is Raymond Chrétien. He is the nephew of future prime minister Jean Chrétien.
—and on Mr. Clark's chief of staff for not doing enough to bring the matter to the attention....
There was actually a parliamentary inquiry where ministers, shockingly, appeared before committee to answer questions.
Here's how the Al-Mashat affair, as it was referred to, happened. This is an important case in ministerial accountability.
In the Al-Mashat affair, you have to understand the diplomatic world. The longest-serving Canadian ambassador to Washington at that time was Pierre Trudeau's finance minister, Donald Macdonald. Now, Donald Macdonald and his wife...no. I'm sorry. It was Allan Gotlieb.
Allan Gotlieb and his wife were known to throw quite lavish parties at the Canadian embassy. They were a tour de force in Washington, but by 1991, Allan Gotlieb was no longer the ambassador in Washington. He was in private practice in Toronto.
Allan Gotlieb's protege was a fellow coming up through the diplomatic ranks named Raymond Chrétien. His role in 1991 was in the department that was then called external affairs. That was when I was executive assistant to the foreign minister, Barbara McDougall.
This gets a little complicated, so try to follow me.