Mr. Speaker, the Reform Party and I welcome to Canada today Vaclav Klaus, Prime Minister of the Czech Republic.
Vaclav Klaus deserves the highest praise for three outstanding achievements in his life. First, when his native country was ruled with an iron fist by a communist regime, he had the courage to advocate a democratic free society and economy for his country. Second, he persuaded the people of his country of the merit of his ideological vision and to elect him prime minister. Third, against strong opposition from special interests he enacted free market reforms, set free the creative energies of the Czech people and made his country the most prosperous of the former Soviet Bloc.
Welcome to Canada and three cheers for Vaclav Klaus and the Czech people he represents.