House of Commons Hansard #117 of the 36th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was endangered.
Income Tax ActPrivate Members' Business
The Acting Speaker (Mr. McClelland)
The time provided for the consideration of private members' business is now expired. As the motion has not been designated as a votable item, the order is dropped from the order paper.
A motion to adjourn the House under Standing Order 38 deemed to have been moved.
Svend Robinson NDP Burnaby—Douglas, BC
Mr. Speaker, in April of this year I raised a question in the House of the Minister of Foreign Affairs concerning the impact of economic sanctions on the people of Iraq. I asked the minister to finally speak up for the security of the people of Iraq where over 500,000 children have died since 1990 as a result of inhumane UN sanctions.
Some time after that question the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade issued a strong, powerful and unanimous report on the issue of sanctions in Iraq.
In its report the standing committee, which again I emphasize is made up of members from all parties, strongly and unanimously urged the government to address on an urgent basis the ongoing humanitarian tragedy in Iraq.
It noted as well that notwithstanding the adoption of security council resolution 1284, the committee urgently pursue the delinking of economic from military sanctions with a view to rapidly lifting economic sanctions in order to significantly improve the humanitarian situation of the Iraqi people while maintaining those aspects of the multilateral embargo necessary to satisfy security requirements and contribute to the overall goal of regional disarmament.
As well the committee called for the establishment of a Canadian diplomatic presence in Iraq and the continuing pursuit of the broader issue of the reform of the use of sanctions in order to allow a clearer targeting of military forces and regimes instead of civilian populations.
It has now been some 10 years since the imposition of sanctions in Iraq in August 1990. They have had a devastating impact on the people of Iraq. The foreign affairs committee noted that a United Nations panel established by the president of the security council said this:
The country has experienced a shift from relative affluence to massive poverty. Infant mortality rates in Iraq today are among the highest in the world. Chronic malnutrition affects every fourth child. Only 41% of the population have regular access to clean water. The gravity of the humanitarian situation of the Iraqi people is indisputable and cannot be overstated.
I want to appeal again today to the government to finally respond positively to this plea from the foreign affairs committee, this unanimous call from the committee that includes members of the Liberal Party, such as the hon. member for Brampton West—Mississauga who has been particularly eloquent in speaking out on this issue.
“Ten years of cruel sanctions is enough”. This is what a group of Quebec NGOs that includes Églises du Québec, Artistes pour la paix, the Association québécoise de coopération internationale and many other well respected groups have said.
I want to appeal today once again to the parliamentary secretary to rise in his place and tell Canadians why we are prepared to co-operate in this genocidal policy, a policy described as genocidal by none other than the former humanitarian co-ordinator for the United Nations in Iraq, Denis Halliday, who indeed will be speaking in Vancouver this Saturday night.
The genocide must end. The death of children must end. The barbaric bombing killing innocent civilians must end. We must seek regional disarmament. We must certainly seek democracy and human rights. This is not support for Saddam Hussein, but there are many other dictatorial governments in that regime. I want to appeal to the government to adopt this report, end the sanctions in Iraq and do it now. Too many innocent human lives have been taken as a result of these sanctions.
Income Tax ActAdjournment Proceedings
September 19th, 2000 / 6:30 p.m.
Brome—Missisquoi Québec
Liberal
Denis Paradis LiberalParliamentary Secretary to Minister of Foreign Affairs
Mr. Speaker, first I want to congratulate all the members of the foreign affairs committee for their outstanding work, including on the Iraq file.
Canada worked diligently throughout 1999 to re-engage the UN security council on Iraq in order to bring about humanitarian improvements and the return of weapons inspectors to Iraq.
As you are aware, it was a Canadian idea to create three panels in January 1999 to examine the humanitarian, disarmament and Kuwaiti POW issues to review the status of these issues. The panel reports were instrumental in the development of a UN security council resolution to address the thorny Iraq problem.
On December 17th, 1999, the UN security council passed the omnibus resolution on Iraq. The resolution calls for the re-establishment of a disarmament agency, the UN Monitoring, Verification and Inspections Commission (UNMOVIC) to replace the Special Commission (UNSCOM) which left Iraq at the start of the bombing campaign in December 1998.
The resolution also invokes changes in the scope and delivery of humanitarian goods allowable under the current sanctions regime and sets clear disarmament conditions for the suspension of sanctions.
Passage of the resolution began the clock ticking on a number of key humanitarian provisions which can be implemented without requiring reciprocal Iraqi concessions.
These provisions include the lifting of the ceiling on oil exports, the addition of a cash component to humanitarian contracts to help with local implementation, and a streamlined approval process for humanitarian goods.
The humanitarian provisions of Resolution 1284 provide practical measures aimed at addressing the situation facing the people of Iraq. The resolution also provides a road map for the suspension and lift of sanctions as well as for increased investment in the Iraqi oil industry.
This is a step in the right direction.
Greg Thompson Progressive Conservative Charlotte, NB
Mr. Speaker, I am on my feet tonight on a question on EI changes which I asked the minister before the House rose for the summer. As you know, Mr. Speaker, our party has led the cause and the fight on that.
Basically the government changed the EI eligibility rules in the western part of New Brunswick and other parts of Canada. The government changed the rules where people would have to work 595 hours instead of 420 hours. In other words they would have to work an extra month to qualify for benefits. Many people would not qualify for benefits because in my part of the country there has been a downturn in the fisheries, in tourism and even in agriculture this year. If they did qualify, they would have received benefits for 18 weeks and not 28 weeks, which would mean that come winter, most people would have no benefits at all.
Our caucus fought it and about a week ago the minister admitted that the government had made a mistake and changed it back to the old rules. The only reason the government did that was that we fought it right here on the floor of the House of Commons. The government took a position it could not sustain. It could not live with the decision it made to go to a new set of rules.
The fight is not over. The government wants to gradually implement changes within a four year period and go back to the draconian changes which we were successful in overturning.
A number of things could happen between now and that time. One would hopefully be a change in government. If that does not happen, there is no question we are going to have a change in the ministry. The minister proved on the floor of the House of Commons that she does not understand the rest of Canada. Let us assume she does understand industrialized Ontario but she certainly does not understand Atlantic Canada and resource based economies and seasonal workers.
The government was punishing seasonal workers. Where were the members of the reform party, the Canadian Alliance Party, on this? They could not be heard. They never showed up in southern New Brunswick or in any other part of the country to defend seasonal workers, the poorest of all workers.
We fought this with reason and well argued positions. I called a public meeting in my riding. We were successful in bringing all the politicians, regardless of political stripe, into the same room. All the provincial MLAs who represented the people in my riding of New Brunswick Southwest came. We brought employers and employees into that public meeting. All of us were in the same room with officials from the department. Believe it or not, the minister herself did not show, but the message was clear that neither she nor her department understands seasonal workers and the importance of a seasonal workforce.
I want to publicly thank everyone who came out to help me on that issue. I want to thank the MLAs, the mayors, the councillors, the employers and the employees. It shows what people can do when they all sing from the same song book. It shows what governments are forced to do when they make a mistake.
We will continue to raise these types of issues and debates here on the floor of the House of Commons where they should be raised.
Raymonde Folco LiberalParliamentary Secretary to Minister of Human Resources Development
Mr. Speaker, the new EI economic regions reflect the growth in our economy, and an improved labour market.
But we can understand that seasonal workers in certain communities are worried about these new boundaries and we are sensitive to their concerns. That is why we have been flexible before taking action.
On September 13, the government announced measures to gradually phase in changes to the boundaries in the Lower St. Lawrence region of Quebec and in northwestern New Brunswick.
The reactions to these changes have been favourable. Normand Carrier, the spokesman for the Comité d'étude sur le travail saisonnier au Madawaska, had this to say in the September 15 edition of L'Acadie Nouvelle :
—the federal government's announcement was what was expected. Another good thing is that the federal government has let us know what its policy will be on this issue for the next three years.
But the challenges facing seasonal workers call for more than EI benefits. Governments, employers, communities, unions and individuals will have to join forces in order to improve work opportunities.
That is why we are working at the local level and with our provincial and territorial counterparts to develop lasting solutions. A number of directions are open to us, the first being improved access to training for seasonal workers; the second being—and I urge the hon. member for New Brunswick Southwest to encourage his constituents to discuss this—greater economic diversity in the region; and the third being to develop communities.
We must work together in order to come up with effective, long-term solutions.
Income Tax ActAdjournment Proceedings
The Acting Speaker (Mr. McClelland)
The motion to adjourn the House is now deemed to have been adopted. Accordingly, this House stands adjourned until tomorrow at 2 p.m., pursuant to Standing Order 24(1).
(The House adjourned at 6.42 p.m.)