Debates of Nov. 17th, 1999

Petitions

[Rose-Marie Ur, Liberal, Lambton—Kent—Middlesex, ON]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36, I am honoured to present a petition signed by residents of Ottawa, Nepean, Kanata and Manotick.

They urge the government to support the auto industry in its clean fuel program and to implement new fuel standards for gasoline with zero MMT.

[John Duncan, Reform, Vancouver Island North, BC]

Mr. Speaker, in addition to earlier petitions I have delivered on this subject, I have a petition signed by 75 individuals from my riding.

The petitioners are asking parliament to enact immediate changes to Canada's immigration laws governing refugees to allow for the deportation without delay of obvious and blatant abuses of the system.

[Dick Proctor, NDP, Palliser, SK]

Mr. Speaker, several hundred petitioners have signed petitions in regard to the Snowbirds.

They come largely from Moose Jaw but I also note Caronport, Southey, Mossbank, Mortlach, as well as communities out of province like Winnipeg, Keswick and Barry, Ontario.

They are calling on parliament to take the action necessary to ensure that stable funding for the 431 air demonstration squadron continues for the foreseeable future.

[Peter Stoffer, NDP, Sackville—Eastern Shore, NS]

Mr. Speaker, again I stand in the House to present a petition, pursuant to Standing Order 36, on one of the finest pieces of legislation to hit the House, Bill C-233. It happens to be one of my own bills.

People from Prince Edward Island, Cape Breton, Toronto, the lovely city of Halifax et cetera, basically state what they would like to see government do.

They would like to have an income tax deduction for any people who are allergic or highly sensitive to prescription medical drugs. If a medical practitioner prescribes them an herbal alternative they should be able to claim that herbal alternative as a tax deduction as a proper medical expense in lieu of a prescription drug.

It is a great honour for me to rise in the House to present this valuable petition on such a worthy bill.

[Paul Forseth, Reform, New Westminster—Coquitlam—Burnaby, BC]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36, I am pleased to present three petitions today.

In the first one the petitioners oppose any amendments to the charter of rights and freedoms or any other federal legislation which would provide for the exclusion of reference to the supremacy of God.

[Paul Forseth, Reform, New Westminster—Coquitlam—Burnaby, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the second petition is a request for parliament to amend the Immigration Act, the justice system and the constitution so that individuals who have come to Canada as immigrants or refugees can have their temporary Canadian status revoked and be deported should they be convicted of terrorist acts or illegal drug taking.

[Paul Forseth, Reform, New Westminster—Coquitlam—Burnaby, BC]

Mr. Speaker, constituents of mine are calling for parliament to amend the federal tax code to ensure equitable treatment for all families and children.

[Inky Mark, Reform, Dauphin—Swan River, MB]

Mr. Speaker, I am honoured to present a petition on behalf of 15,794 Canadians. The petition calls for the government to scrap the tape tax.

As we already know Canadians are overtaxed. This tape tax will cost consumers an additional $65 million and will add between a 72% to 200% increase on the rental of a single video. The petitioners call on the government to remove this very unnecessary tape tax.

Questions On The Order Paper

[Derek Lee, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, I ask that all questions be allowed to stand.

[The Deputy Speaker]

Is that agreed?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

Motions For Papers

[Derek Lee, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, Notice of Motion for the Production of Papers No. P-3 in the name of the hon. member for Brandon—Souris is acceptable to the government with the reservations stated in the reply, and the documents are tabled immediately.

Motion No. P-3

That a humble Address be presented to Her Excellency praying that she will cause to be laid before this House copies of all documents, reports, minutes of meetings, notes, memos and correspondence between the Minister of Agriculture and the United States Agriculture Secretary during the period of October 1, 1997, to October 5, 1998.

[The Deputy Speaker]

Is that agreed?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

(Motion agreed to)

[Derek Lee, Liberal, Scarborough—Rouge River, ON]

Mr Speaker, I ask that all other Notices of Motions for the Production of Papers be allowed to stand.

[The Deputy Speaker]

Is that agreed?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

Youth Criminal Justice Act

[Don Boudria, Liberal, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order.

An agreement could not be reached under the provisions of Standing Order 78(1) or Standing Order 78(2) with respect to the second reading stage of Bill C-3, an act in respect of criminal justice for young persons and to amend and repeal other acts.

Under the provisions of Standing Order 78(3) I now give notice that a minister of the crown will propose at the next sitting a motion to allot a specific number of days or hours for the consideration and disposal of proceedings at the said stage.

The House resumed from November 3 consideration of the motion for an address to Her Excellency the Governor General of Canada in reply to her speech at the opening of the session.

Speech From The Throne

[Art Eggleton, Liberal, Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, I am delighted to participate in this debate and to express my pride in the contribution that the Canadian forces is making to the principles outlined in the Speech from the Throne.

The Canadian forces have an important role to play in that agenda. It contributes both to our prosperity and to our security. It plays a vital role in the lives of thousands of young Canadians and it spurs innovation in our economy.

Time and time again the Canadian forces have responded admirably to domestic emergencies from the ice storm to major floods and search and rescue missions. Canadians have been able to count on the men and women of the Canadian forces when disaster and suffering have struck closest to home.

The Speech from the Throne also reaffirms Canada's position in the world as a nation committed to enhancing human security, and no arm of government makes a greater contribution to advancing those goals than the Canadian forces.

The challenge for us is to have the means necessary to sustain our efforts, that is to ensure that our actions accurately reflect our commitments.

While the end of the cold war has reduced the threat of global war, the demand for assistance in building peace and human security has increased dramatically. There are more democracies, it is true, but many are fragile and require nurturing. The world is changing rapidly. It is changing fundamentally and profoundly. Power is more diffuse. Consensus is more difficult. Threats to human security are numerous.

In such an environment Canada has a responsibility and indeed a desire to play a part.

We will make the greatest contribution to peace and human rights abroad by making sure that we have a co-ordinated approach right here at home. For example, we need the efforts of organizations such as CIDA to build the foundations for stability and development around the world. We need the involvement of human rights organizations to ensure that basic values are recognized and basic standards are preserved. We need the diplomatic and trade efforts of the Departments of Foreign Affairs and International Trade to open markets, to extend the benefits of liberalized trade and to bring Canada's unique perspective of security, peace and human rights.

We need strong Canadian forces. History teaches us that we cannot hope to maintain peace and security without the ability to back up our commitments, if necessary with military strength. It is vital that we strike the right balance as a country between the soft power initiatives needed to advance human security and the hard military capabilities needed to back up this commitment, with action when necessary. It is not a question of either/or; Canada must have both.

We were reminded of this reality most recently in Kosovo. This was an important engagement, not only for the objectives that were realized, but also for the message that was sent. Our actions declared in no uncertain terms that mass murder and mass expulsion of citizens are acts of moral repugnance, not the prerogative of a sovereign state.

Our words condemn such action, but it is military force that puts a stop to it.

It was the Canadian forces, in partnership with our NATO allies, using the tools and training we have given them, who risked their lives to defend the values that we as Canadians espouse. It is the Canadian forces, along with many other countries and aid organizations, which are now working to restore stability and rebuild peace and a civil society in Kosovo.

Let me be clear. Those who would advance human security must be able to fight to protect the human rights and values we espouse, where necessary, keep the peace once it is attained, help rebuild societies on the ground, and lay the seeds of democracy and the rule of law on what are often very fragile democracies.

That is why we must renew the Canadian forces on two fronts: in our ability to fight when necessary and in our ability to build peace. Let me touch on both of these.

The nature of military operations has changed fundamentally in recent years, as we saw in the gulf war and more recently in Kosovo. Rapid technological change is having a dramatic impact on the kinds of weapons that are used, the equipment, the communications and the principles that guide our operations, our military doctrine as it is known. The instruments we employ are much more sophisticated and the training of our people is much more complex than ever before.

One of our greatest challenges is to improve our ability to get personnel and equipment to trouble spots more quickly and efficiently anywhere on the globe. Fighting alongside our allies now requires the highest level of training and sophistication. The military calls this being interoperable. It simply means that we must mesh our personnel and our equipment. We must work together seamlessly. This in turn is leading to more sharing of resources and more strategic partnerships among our allies, particularly in the NATO alliance.

These changes are having a dramatic effect on how we train, how we plan and what we procure in the way of equipment.

If we are to maintain our combat capability, we have to adapt to these new realities.

Our traditional military role in peacekeeping operations has changed dramatically. Peacekeeping no longer simply involves patrolling ceasefire zones. It means becoming involved in what are really combat zones, combat zones such as Bosnia, Kosovo and East Timor.

When our forces land in these kinds of situations they have to have the equipment and support they need to make a difference on the ground, unencumbered by concerns over the quality of the equipment they have. They must have the training they need to work not only with other armed forces, that interoperability, but they also have to work with local officials, civil police, the media, non-government organizations and a slew of organizations such as Doctors Without Borders.

Increasingly the men and women of the Canadian forces find themselves at the centre of a large network of players trying to co-ordinate peace enforcement, law and order, emergency relief and aid, and all this while seeking to build peace.

Lastly, our men and women in uniform must have the support they need back home for their families. They should not have to worry about their children or spouses or how they are coping while they are away. Put simply, they must operate in a more complex environment than has been the case in the past.

The nature of our role in peacekeeping and peacemaking is changing. We must prepare ourselves and the men and women of the forces to be able to meet these new challenges. Ironically, all of these changes have occurred during a period when defence spending has been declining, and yet since the end of the cold war the number of Canadian operations has increased dramatically.

In the 40 years, ending in 1989, of the cold war era our forces were involved in 25 missions. Since 1989, the last 10 years, we have been involved in 65 operations. Quite simply, our forces are being asked to do more with less and to do far different types of activities and far more complex activities than ever before. I can assure the House that the Canadian forces will continue to change to meet the new demands of a new time.

As a government we have already taken action to reinvest in their quality of life. The good work of the Standing Committee of National Defence and Veterans Affairs has led to a series of recommendations to help ensure that. The government is committed to that kind of reinvestment in our people, our greatest resource.

In addition to that, more than 300 institutional reforms are being implemented to strengthen leadership, recruitment, accountability and openness, and to change the military justice system. These reforms represent the most sweeping program of change ever undertaken by the Canadian military. Defence is making these changes while meeting its commitments to protect Canada, to contribute to the defence of North America and to support international peace and security. That is a lot to do.

Meeting these commitments day in and day out at home and abroad should never be underestimated. These people should never be underestimated for the good work they do. It is a significant undertaking.

It is important to recognize that we have begun the process of upgrading our equipment in recent years. Every piece of equipment is being replaced, modernized or upgraded. We have a plan. The government has a plan to do that. We recently purchased new submarines. We have new frigates and new coastal defence vessels. Our new search and rescue helicopters are on order, and we have new light armoured vehicles. The addition of this state of the art equipment and the upgrading of other equipment will serve us well as we move forward.

We are looking ahead to the decisions we need to make to continue to strengthen the Canadian forces for the future. To prepare for the 21st century, defence has developed a long term strategy called “Strategy 2020”. Its intent is to position, as our vision statement says, the Canadian forces as a modern, combat capable, task tailored and rapidly deployable force that can respond to emergencies either at home or abroad.

As we saw in Kosovo and after the earthquake in Turkey last August, when human suffering is at issue, time is of the essence. We must be able to get the Canadian forces to where they are needed and get them there fast.

The world is evolving and DND must adjust accordingly.

We must find ways to strengthen our ability to rapidly deploy the Canadian forces to where they are needed. We must make the investments in the equipment needed to ensure that the Canadian forces will continue to be interoperable with our allies, and we must continue to reinvest in the men and women who are the lifeblood of the Canadian forces.

Simply put, no credible Canadian contribution to the human security agenda, as it is described in the Speech from the Throne, can be made without forces that are able to meet the challenges of the next century.

The bottom line, and the government has recognized this in the Speech from the Throne, is that we will continue to ensure that the Canadian forces have the capacity to support Canada's role in building a more secure world.

As we enter the next century the Canadian forces will continue to play a vital role as an instrument of our resolve, the resolve of Canadians and of our values. They will continue to work for peace around the world. They will continue to make a vital contribution to the national life of Canada.

This will take resources. This will take commitment. It will take leadership based on a clear vision of the future. That is the commitment that comes from the Speech from the Throne. That is the commitment of the government, and that is the commitment that I will honour as the Minister of National Defence.

[Gordon Earle, NDP, Halifax West, NS]

Mr. Speaker, I was very pleased to hear the minister's comments this afternoon, in particular his comments concerning human security and the role of the Canadian forces in ensuring human security right across the globe.

The minister mentioned, in particular, that acts of mass murder are morally repugnant. They are things that we should all be concerned about and our Canadian forces play a very important role in dealing with them.

One of the worst instances I can think of involving mass murder was the recent slaughter of 800,000 people in Rwanda. This was certainly of moral repugnance to all of us. When we find that kind of situation taking place, certainly we want to do what we can to prevent it from taking place in the future.

I want to ask the minister whether what was recently reported—and he can comment as to whether the report is correct—would support our troops as they attempt to combat these morally repugnant deeds.

It seems that there was a conference being held, which finished yesterday, to deal with the genocide in Rwanda and to look at means of trying to prevent this from happening in the future. It has been reported that Lieutenant General Roméo Dallaire was due to speak at this conference. However, according to the report, he was called out or not allowed to speak, reportedly on instructions from the minister and/or the justice department.

I want to ask the minister how that kind of action, if it did take place, is supporting our troops, because the minister said that our troops must have the support of people back home and their families. I would say that the troops also need the support of the political leaders of our country if they are going to make a meaningful impact in dealing with these issues. We need to have the truth come out in instances such as this. We need to have those instances examined in the fullest so that we can prevent those kinds of disasters in the future.

[Art Eggleton, Liberal, York Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I agree with the hon. member that Rwanda was a terrible tragedy. I think the international community failed to come to the support of the people of that country at a time when it was necessary.

This country, Canada, did its utmost to help. General Dallaire was the commander who was there. He was putting forth the best effort he could with very little resources and very little support from the United Nations in New York. He cared a great deal about what was happening in Rwanda, so much so that it has affected him and his health very significantly. A fine officer, a man who is dedicated to this country has paid a fair price in terms of his health as a result of this.

It was he who decided not to attend this conference. He did consult the department. He did not consult me personally, but he did consult. He has gone in other cases for example, to the United Nations and to other tribunals of a more legal nature and has testified about Rwanda. This is not an easy thing to do for a man with the memories that he has of Rwanda. However, he has made every effort to be helpful.

I think his initial instinct when he was asked about this conference was to do it because he wants to be helpful. That is the nature of the man. However, on further reflection he decided that it perhaps was not advisable to do. That was a decision he had to make, but please remember that what happened and what he saw in Rwanda has had a very profound effect on him.

This country wants to do everything that is possible, whether it is Rwanda, or Kosovo, or East Timor to try to prevent that kind of human suffering, to try to help people get respect for their human rights, to make sure that their human security is looked after. Canada will continue to play a major role in doing that.

[Jim Abbott, Reform, Kootenay—Columbia, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I think it is a lot of bravado that the defence minister is bringing to this debate. It is quite astounding because it has been consecutive Liberal governments that have cut and cut and cut the national defence budget. Now he tells us that everything is fine. Now he tells us that we have his personal commitment that everything is going to be fine, that there are going to be the resources for our very brave men and women.

It is his Prime Minister who said that Canadians really like getting involved in different peace operations because as Canadians we see ourselves as Boy Scouts. Our armed forces need a whole lot more than the equipment of Boy Scouts. In fact, if we look at the shameful way in which this government and its cutbacks have robbed our proud, sincere, dedicated men and women of the resources to get the job done, it is an absolute shame.

I would suggest with as much respect as I can possibly muster to the defence minister that indeed his promises and the promises of his government are exceptionally shallow. His government should be ashamed of itself for the way in which it continues to underfund and under-resource the brave people in the armed forces.

[Art Eggleton, Liberal, York Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, in talking about empty rhetoric, I think we just got a bit of that.

The member seems to have forgotten that the cuts first of all started back in the years of the Progressive Conservative government. We did take further amounts from all budgets. I understood what the hon. member's party wanted us to do and what we of course wanted to do and promised to do was to eliminate the deficit. We had to cut costs to do that, so yes, we did that.

We organized the budget in a way that makes it as efficient and as effective as it possibly can be. We have got great value for the taxpayers' dollars out of what we are doing. We are meeting our commitments. There is no doubt that we are squeezed for funds, that we need additional funds.

The Reform Party would not be giving us any additional funds if we followed what it suggested and promised in the last election. I take it the Reform Party stands by its promises from the last election. It said it would put a freeze on any additional expenditure for three years and that all of the money in surpluses would go for debt and tax reduction. On the formula that it promised in the last election campaign, not one penny would come from the Reform Party to help defence.

This year this government increased the defence budget. The Minister of Finance stood in the House in February, and he received a standing ovation, when he indicated that for the first time in a dozen years additional money was being provided for our troops.

Let me also give one other illustration of where we have improved and we have made it more efficient and more effective. We played a major front line role in the Kosovo air campaign. No one likes to talk about bombing and about the need to attack, but when it came to putting our resources and our people on the line, we were able to do that. We could not even do it to that extent in the gulf war because we did not have the equipment that was necessary to play that kind of a front line role. However, we did it in the Kosovo air campaign. I think that quite clearly indicates, as the chief of defence staff has clearly indicated, we are more combat capable. Our troops are more combat capable today than they were in the early nineties.

We have managed to get the deficit eliminated. We have managed to buy new equipment. We have managed to change many parts of the Canadian forces with over 300 changes and reforms. We have managed to make our troops more combat capable so that they can operate in defence of peace and in the building of peace. I think that is greatly to the credit of the government. It is certainly not a position we would be in if the Reform Party were managing the budget.

[Janko Peric, Liberal, Cambridge, ON]

Mr. Speaker, contrary to the rhetoric that has been coming from the Reform Party for the last six years the United Nations has declared Canada as the best country in the world in which to live.

The Speech from the Throne outlined the government's commitment to achieve an even better quality of life for all Canadians. This includes increased resources for early childhood development and targeted assistance for low income families with children.

Can the minister outline and expand a little on what is being done to improve the quality of life of members of Canada's armed forces?