Debates of Feb. 8th, 1999

Justice

[Eleni Bakopanos, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, my answer to the question still stands. The case is before the Supreme Court of Canada and I will not comment on a case that is before the Supreme Court of Canada.

Fishing Quotas

[Yvan Bernier, Bloc, Bonaventure—Gaspé—Îles-De-La-Madeleine—Pabok, QC]

Mr. Speaker, during the summer of 1998, the attitude of the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans had the fishers of Gaspé on the brink of despair.

Can the minister indicate what steps he has taken since last August to deal with the backlash from fishers concerning his department's delay in releasing fishing plans, as well as the setting of quotas for the Gulf of St. Lawrence?

[David Anderson, Liberal, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans]

Mr. Speaker, the problem to which the hon. member refers is one that is of serious concern. There is no question. There are areas where timing is of critical importance and where decisions are made by the department and have been made by the department in the past which do not give adequate warning to fishermen of the upcoming seasons, the length, the openings, et cetera.

We have instituted a new policy in attempting to speed up the entire range of fishing decisions. We have done this in discussion with the fishing groups. I will be happy to consider any particular area, any particular fishery with any particular member who may have concerns in that regard.

Canada Post

[Pat Martin, NDP, Winnipeg Centre, MB]

Mr. Speaker, the mandate of Canada Post is to provide the best possible service at the least possible cost. Now postal rates are going up. Service is going down. Yet last year Canada Post paid the federal government $200 million plus $12 million more in dividends.

I ask the minister responsible for Canada Post, where in the act does it say that Canada Post has to be some cash cow for the government? By what authority does Canada Post pay dividends at the expense of service to Canadians?

[Alfonso Gagliano, Liberal, Minister of Public Works and Government Services]

Mr. Speaker, Canada Post's financial structure has to respond to the competitive world. Canada Post is not alone any more. It has competitors. Therefore it is appropriate that its financial structure responds to what the competition is doing.

Canada Post continues to invest in its retail service and its delivery service. Every year 170,000 new addresses are added. Canada Post just invested $100 million to address the millennium bug. Naturally it will continue to have universal service for Canadians.

Kosovo

[David Price, Progressive Conservative, Compton—Stanstead, QC]

Mr. Speaker, my question again is for the Minister of National Defence. Why is Canada's Prime Minister offering troops at a time when we are not capable of equipping, deploying or supporting in a situation like the one in Kosovo?

[Art Eggleton, Liberal, Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, our peacekeepers have served us quite proudly wherever they have served throughout the world.

In Kosovo we are facing a situation of enormous proportions in terms of human tragedy. If indeed there is a peacekeeping mission, if one is decided upon and agreed upon and deployed, then I would think Canadians would want us to be a part of it. We will go through a proper process to determine to do that. If it is a high enough priority, we will certainly find the resources to do so.

The Late King Hussein

[David Anderson, Liberal, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans]

Mr. Speaker, and fellow members, Canadians, the entire international community and the people of Jordan are grieving over the loss of His Majesty King Hussein.

Seldom in the years since the second world war have we seen in one person, one statesman, the qualities of true greatness possessed by Jordan's long serving leader.

The people of Jordan whatever their background owed much to King Hussein. He brought his country into the modern world. He encouraged the emergence of democratic institutions and made human rights a priority. He ruled with a gentle hand, granting successive waves of Palestinian refugees a home in Jordan where they built new lives and were extended the privileges of Jordanian nationality.

Most of all, King Hussein will be mourned and his memory honoured for the steps that he personally took over many years to find a just and equitable peace in the Middle East. He believed and understood that Israel and its Arab neighbours needed to find a way to live side by side in peace. This was never an easy task when distrust and suspicions were everywhere, wounds were deeply felt and old hatreds difficult to overcome. But King Hussein persisted despite opposition from many of his neighbours.

At each crucial stage in the peace process of recent years he played a key role. He was on the White House lawn beside Yitzhak Rabin in July 1994. Three months later he formally brought hostilities between Jordan and Israel to an end. Most recently, although gravely ill, he left his hospital bed to help forge the Wye accord between Israel and the PLO.

His compassion for the suffering and misfortunes of others was legendary. Who can forget his moving tribute at the funeral of Prime Minister Rabin, or the day he knelt to beg forgiveness of the Israeli mothers whose children had been killed by a Jordanian soldier in a fit of madness.

Canadians will recall King Hussein's various visits to Canada, the last of these in March 1995.

As a firm ally of his country, Canada was always prepared to provide moral and material support to his peace efforts.

Jordan's king will be sadly missed and not soon forgotten by his country, in the Middle East, in Canada and indeed throughout the international community.

On behalf of the Government of Canada, I wish to express our deepest sympathies to his wife, Queen Noor, his family and the Jordanian people as a whole.

To his successor, King Abdullah, I wish to pledge Canada's support as he takes up the difficult task of continuing to foster peace in this troubled region.

[Preston Manning, Reform, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, I also rise today to join with other hon. members in paying tribute to Jordan's King Hussein, a remarkable man who led a remarkable country for 47 years.

Today we also pay our respects and send our condolences to Queen Noor, and to King Abdullah, King Hussein's son who now takes up the heavy mantle of leadership, and to all the people of Jordan who today mourn the loss of a friend.

What is the difference between a politician and a statesman? I think King Hussein helps define that answer, for during his long tenure he demonstrated time and time again the courage and the wisdom that made him a legend in his own time.

As the funeral proceeded this morning, it was evident that the King's greatest skill, that of bringing together people who differ and differ profoundly, will be his greatest legacy, that even in death King Hussein was able to make the lion lie down with the lamb.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu paid his respects along with two former Israeli prime ministers and the widow of Yitzhak Rabin. They attended, just as did Yasser Arafat and Syria's President Assad. Four U.S. presidents were there, as were the president and prime minister of Russia. That was the kind of man King Hussein was, a man who believed in peace and brought together others who saw the possibility of peace.

It is difficult to be a modern, moderate, peace loving man in the Middle East but King Hussein excelled at that difficult task. He was a bridge between the Arab world and Israel. He was a bridge between the west and the east. He was among the first to invest in peace in the region, to take his place among the peacemakers, not the war makers. He did so at great personal risk but that risk paid off. It is not an exaggeration to say that much of the progress, what progress has been made with respect to Middle East peace, would not have been possible without his moral leadership and example.

On behalf of the official opposition and all Canadians, I pay tribute to a great king. May God sustain and guide his successor along the same path.

[Gilles Duceppe, Bloc, Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the death of King Hussein of Jordan was a great and unexpected sorrow to the world, and a crushing blow to his people. An unexpected sorrow to the world because, although he was known to be ill, this pilot-king had been at the controls of the plane when he recently returned to Jordan, so there was no indication that his death would come so soon.

During his reign, the friendly relationship between Canada and Jordan grew stronger and stronger. A number of Quebec businesses contributed to the development of trade links with Jordan. Many Quebeckers have been involved, in a spirit of generosity and openness, in international development projects funded by Canada. We can only hope that these ties will be continued under his successor.

I will take advantage of this opportunity to express my best wishes, and those of my party, to his son, the new King Abdullah. May his reign allow Jordan to continue to progress along the road to modernization and peace.

The death of King Hussein was also a crushing blow to his people. One need only watch the scenes on television to realize that the relationship between the king and his people was more than one of ruler and ruled.

King Hussein was obviously a great monarch, with the affection and trust of his people. In every way, his long reign was a totally remarkable one. With leadership skills that were the envy of many, he guided his people for nearly half a century.

This king, a member of his country's Hashemite minority, did not have the benefit of the oil wealth of most Arab countries in advancing his country economically and socially. He was able to strike a wise balance between the internal demands of his country, which was not exempt from the tensions relating to the Arab-Israeli conflict, and the regional realities which dictated, after a number of conflicts, the normalization of relations with his neighbours, Israel in particular.

Despite the vicissitudes of international politics and of regional conflicts, King Hussein will be remembered as a peacemaker for his moderation in word and deed.

[Alexa McDonough, NDP, Halifax, NS]

Mr. Speaker, today we pay tribute to one of the most compelling figures to govern a middle eastern nation in this century.

King Hussein ruled Jordan for 47 years. Throughout this period he was at the very centre of Middle East politics carefully advancing the interests of his own people while mobilizing around the cause of peace in the region.

His achievements are all the more impressive when one considers the pressures and forces levelled against him. He governed with a mixture of vision, gritty determination and solid political judgment. He demonstrated that the hand of friendship is a more effective route to peace than the clenched fist.

His reign was characterized at times by turbulence and great upheaval. By virtue of his single minded determination to improve the welfare of his people and to modernize his country, he earned the enduring affection of his own people and the admiration of people around the world. This was evident a few short weeks ago when thousands of people lined the streets of Amman to welcome their beloved king home from his most recent medical treatment abroad.

King Hussein worked tirelessly for peace in the region.

His goal was to ensure that Jordan could peacefully exist in a new regional relationship with Israel and the newly constructed Palestinian territories. King Hussein's passing marks the loss of one of the most formidable campaigners for peace in our lifetime but his legacy will endure.

His contribution to the peace process in the Middle East will live on.

I would like to convey on behalf of my colleagues and my party heartfelt condolences to the family of King Hussein, to the people of Jordan and to Jordanian Canadians. May his successors draw strength from King Hussein's inspiration and achievements and may we Canadians rededicate ourselves to the cause of peace.

[Peter MacKay, Progressive Conservative, Pictou—Antigonish—Guysborough, NS]

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the Progressive Conservative Party, I would like to express our sympathy at the death of Jordan's King Hussein.

People the world over are mourning the loss of this great man. Not only was he recognized as one of the world's most respected leaders both in the Middle East and around the world, but it was just a few short months ago despite his illness that the king was called upon to help forge the Wye peace accord between Israel and the PLO. His reputation and stature throughout the world is obvious given the fact that all of the world's important leaders travelled to Amman today to pay their respects at the state funeral.

During his tenure as foreign affairs minister, our leader the Right Hon. Joe Clark had many occasions to meet the late King Hussein in Canada and in Jordan. He noted that he had always admired King Hussein's wisdom, foresight and calm strength during very tumultuous times.

King Hussein ruled Jordan through some very turbulent years but no matter what the obstacle, he always demonstrated a sense of fairness and compassion. His years of leadership guided his country toward democracy with human rights always at the forefront.

To his son and successor, King Abdullah, we wish him well as he works to continue the estimable legacy of his father. A king of peace seeking reconciliation will be that legacy.

With the flag over our Peace Tower flying appropriately at half-staff, the world has lost a great man. On behalf of our leader the Right Hon. Joe Clark and the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada, we would like to extend to Her Majesty Queen Noor and the entire family and the people of Jordan our deepest sympathies.

[The Speaker]

It is only in exceptional circumstances that we lower our flag on the Peace Tower to half-mast.

King Hussein was an exceptional world leader. Will you please stand and join me in one minute of silence on the death of King Hussein of Jordan.

Government Response To Petitions

[Peter Adams, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36(8), I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the government's response to 17 petitions.

Committees Of The House

[Peter Adams, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present the 56th report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs regarding the selection of votable items in accordance with Standing Order 92. This report is deemed adopted on presentation.

(Motion agreed to)

[Susan Whelan, Liberal, Essex, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the 13th report of the Standing Committee on Industry entitled “The Year 2000 Problem—Canada's State of Readiness”.

Pursuant to Standing Order 109 the committee requests that the government table a comprehensive response to this report.

Petitions

[Paul Szabo, Liberal, Mississauga South, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to present a petition on behalf of a number of Canadians including from my own riding of Mississauga South.

The petitioners would like to draw to the attention of the House that the violation of human rights continues to be rampant around the world in many countries such as Indonesia.

The petitioners also point out that Canada continues to be the champion of human rights around the world. Therefore they call upon parliament to continue to express its outrage at human rights violations around the world and to continue to seek to bring to justice those responsible for such violations.

[Ken Epp, Reform, Elk Island, AB]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36 I present a petition on behalf of people in my riding.

Whereas Canadian families who choose to have one parent stay at home with their children pay a substantial tax penalty for that decision, the petitioners request that parliament eliminate this discrimination against one income families and provide them with the same benefits received by families who have others care for their children.

[Judy Wasylycia-Leis, NDP, Winnipeg North Centre, MB]

Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased and privileged to be able to present a petition on behalf of hundreds of thousands of Canadians representing every corner of this land. They express their concern about the state of our health care system.

The petitioners express their worry about the quality of our health care system today and whether or not the principles of the Canada Health Act are being upheld.

They call upon the government to stand firmly in support of the five principles of medicare being universal coverage, accessibility, portability, comprehensive coverage and federal funding. They express the view that these principles are the basic rights of Canadians everywhere in the country.

This petition was organized by members of the save medicare committee of the Durham region coalition for social justice. They are doing their part to work with Canadians right across the country to send a message to the federal government on this important matter.

[Paul Devillers, Liberal, Simcoe North, ON]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36 of the House I present a petition on behalf of 47 constituents.

The petition requests that parliament enact legislation to define its statute that a marriage can only be entered into between a single man and a single female.

[Nelson Riis, NDP, Kamloops, BC]

Mr. Speaker, it is a privilege to present a petition pursuant to Standing Order 36 on behalf of a number of constituents from the constituency of Kamloops, Thompson and Highland Valleys.

The petitioners are deeply troubled about what they perceive to be the government's intention not to proceed with legislation to protect the fresh water of Canada. They want to see a moratorium and the introduction of legislation and they keep hearing promises and promises.

They are asking parliament to take whatever steps are necessary to ensure that a moratorium is called and that appropriate legislation to protect water for future generations of Canadians is introduced as soon as possible.

[Gerry Ritz, Reform, Battlefords—Lloydminster, SK]

Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to present a petition on behalf of a number of the independent insurance brokers in my riding and people who support them.

They are calling on the government to reject the MacKay task force recommendations to allow banks into the selling of casualty and property insurance.

[Myron Thompson, Reform, Wild Rose, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to present a petition today on behalf of a number of residents from my home town of beautiful Sundre, Alberta.

The petitioners are calling on parliament to enact legislation such as Bill C-225 so as to define in statue that a marriage can only be entered into between a single male and a single female.

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

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36 I am honoured to present two petitions signed by residents of London, St. Thomas and the Brantford area.

They urge parliament to ban the gas additive MMT, noting it is not used in Europe and most American states as it clogs emission control devices in vehicles.

[John Solomon, NDP, Regina—Lumsden—Lake Centre, SK]

Mr. Speaker, it my honour, pleasure and privilege to stand in the House today pursuant to Standing Order 36 to present a petition on behalf of many Canadians who are very concerned about the export of water to the United States from Canada.

They are also very concerned about the multilateral agreement on investment which the Liberals, and in particular the chief Liberal Don Johnston in Paris, are pushing under the instructions of the Prime Minister and the Government of Canada to continue to make sure that corporations have more and more power and authority over our economy without any independence from any country with respect to making their own decisions.

These citizens are from many locations across the country. They are concerned the MAI will make it very easy for corporations to take all of our fresh water and send it south so that the Canadian population will be at the mercy of the Americans and the large corporations.

I join with these individuals in presenting the petition on their behalf.