Mr. Speaker, I thank the government whip for his intervention.
I want to use this opportunity to express my thanks to members of the Chamber for the way in which the proceedings have taken place today.
If there has been anything which has characterized this movement on land mines, it has been a sense of partnership. No one has ownership of this. It has been a collective effort of NGOs and private citizens, members of the cabinet, the Prime Minister and my colleagues who have taken decisions. I think of my predecessor, Mr. Ouellet, who started the first movement with a moratorium, and decisions made by the former Minister of National Defence to eliminate land mines. I think of members of the opposition who earlier on valiantly presented private members' resolutions to move this House along on this matter.
There is a wide range of people who have been able to rise above many of the more immediate questions to something which has a larger horizon.
I have been in Parliament a long time as many people know and as someone said today, every once in a while we have a fine hour. This is one of our finest hours. I would like to thank all members for making this a day which Canadians will long remember.