Mr. Speaker, today we have welcomed a true statesman among us. President Mandela is the very incarnation of the word statesman. with his great vision, integrity, and sense of what a state is all about.
The Progressive Conservative members are particularly delighted with the visit of President Mandela.
While they were in office, Prime Minister Mulroney and Minister of External Affairs Joe Clark fought hard within the G-7 countries and the Commonwealth to put an end to apartheid in South Africa.
They were strongly determined to put an end to human rights violations on the international level, and under their direction the Progressive Conservative government remained faithful to the reputation Canada has gained for standing up to oppressive regimes.
The visit by President Mandela bears witness to the strength of that tradition.