Mr. Chairman, it is with great pleasure that I take part in this take note debate tonight at such a late time. I will point out that it is 11.10 p.m.
I arrived on Parliament Hill hardly an hour ago and I said to myself I could not refrain from taking part in this debate. Why? Every single one of us here has just spent a week or more in our riding, talking to our fellow citizens, our constituents, about an issue that has captivated the whole world, all of Quebec and Canada, in order to try to find out what our fellow citizens were thinking of this utterly incredible and as yet unexplained event.
There is one thing everybody agrees upon, namely that the events of September 11 are totally unacceptable, horrific and must assuredly be denounced.
They must be denounced because some groups in our society, terrorist groups, have decided to do grievous harm to our society and democratic societies as a whole, in directly attacking a democratic society which has fostered development throughout the world, a fact we should not forget. To a great extent the west has contributed to the development of a number of continents.
This is deplorable. We also heard a lot of reactions in our ridings regarding the military response.
We make no bones about it, they are justified, because they are based on a decision by the UN Security Council and because, once and for all, we had to send a message to the world saying that these atrocious crimes are totally unacceptable in our democratic societies. However, Quebecers are in favour of a civilized, humane and responsible response.
Public opinion polls show that in Quebec there is less support for military action that anywhere else in Canada. Yes, we want a military response, but many Quebecers do not want any future military response to be aimed directly at civil societies, civilians, men, women and even children who, as a number of parliamentarians told us, are first and foremost victims of poverty and despair.
Although right now we are in favour of a response and wish the best of luck to all the soldiers who will be taking part in the military action, we are not giving this government carte blanche to take action in future against countries other than Afghanistan.
We do not know where this war will take us. Where are we headed in this unprecedented fight? It is a non traditional war, one which citizens face as they go about their daily business. Caution is therefore required with respect to future military actions. Regular consultation of the House of Commons and of parliament is therefore now essential.
There are also diplomatic considerations. We must think about the future, which will be hard. We are already having to think about making the transition from a mechanism of war to a mechanism of peace. Diplomacy is still the best avenue. It is better than any weapon of war. We must leave the way clear for diplomacy and know when to make the transition from a mechanism of war to a mechanism of peace.
We must also remember that we must attack the very sources of terrorism. We must attack the terrorists themselves, not peaceful groups which, at a given moment in time, decide to defend a certain number of causes and, because they do not support certain views, certain responses, could be the targets of a witch hunt. The anti-terrorist strategy adopted by Canada in the coming months must be a prudent one.
There is also the whole issue of immigration. Better controls at the borders and greater control over immigration and the entry of refugees and immigrants should not lead to a form of exclusion. Canada and Quebec must continue to be a land of welcome with respect for freedoms and for those who wish to come to Quebec and to Canada to build a future for their family and their children.
Prudence is essential. The new immigration controls must not lead to exclusion and the creation of second class citizens.
There are also economic considerations. We would expect this government to put structures in place, so that those Quebecers and Canadians who lost their jobs following the September 11 events can regain hope. How many people working for companies such as Bombardier, Pratt & Whitney and in other sectors directly related to the aviation industry were affected by the September 11 events?
I want to mention another issue in this take note debate, namely social considerations. The September 11 events should not result in the government putting all citizens in the same basket. It is not true that the measures to be implemented by the Canadian government and the stands taken by some opposition parties directly target a specific community. I am thinking of the Arab or Muslim community.
It should be pointed out that our actions are taken in full consideration of these citizens. They do not target those members of our community who live responsibly, in all freedom, and who are not at all targeted by the actions of certain terrorists in the United States on September 11.
Yes, we support the current military action, but with respect for freedoms. I think this had to be said. This is the main thing I discovered during the past week in my riding. I met hundreds of citizens, who said they expected their political leaders and their government to act responsibly in future military action.
Civilians, men, women and children, must not be sacrificed to the events of September 11.
When we think of some legislation, we think of legislation against terrorism and of legislation on immigration. We also think about future military action. The public must not be forgotten in this. It is time to think of the days following the events of September 11. Canada must be committed to making peace, not war.