Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the motion de Bloc Quebecois has presented today. During this last month, we have had numerous debates on security, the economy and immigration.
However, we did not discuss international aid much. So, it is very important that we have this debate today.
I have always believed we must be a nation that measures our strength by the mouths we feed and the environment we protect. I have always believed that has been the value system of our country. It has been the value system of Prime Minister Pearson, Prime Minister Trudeau, Prime Minister Turner, the right hon. member for Calgary Centre and the present Prime Minister.
I am also excited today because the Parliamentary Secretary for the Minister for International Cooperation, who is here in the House, has stated that the government will be supporting the motion. This is more than a signal. It is a commitment to act immediately and deal not only with reviewing our international aid policy programs but to immediately inject some serious resources into the department if we are going to continue being a nation that measures our strength by the mouths we feed and the environment we protect.
On September 18, I believe it was, at the Canadian Club in Toronto, the United States ambassador to Canada gave his first public address after September 11. He opened his remarks by saying that on September 11 and 12 the United States had to reach out to leaders of many countries around the world in order to put together a coalition to deal with the terrorist actions that took place in the United States. He said that the United States did not have to reach out to Canada because the Prime Minister called him directly within minutes of the planes crashing into the World Trade Center. He said that the Prime Minister told him “We will be with you. Whatever you need we're there”.
I was sort of amazed because I never saw that statement of the ambassador of the United States reported in any of the print media. Obviously I saw that speech on television. I was amazed because I had seen so much media coverage saying that the government did not really get into the play right away, that it really did not step up to the plate and support our neighbours to the south yet here was the United States ambassador saying that the U.S. did not call Canada, that the Prime Minister called him within minutes.
From there the government went on to deal with many different issues, such as national defence, immigration, RCMP, CSIS, et cetera. While that was going on, an article appeared in the Globe and Mail about three weeks ago by Margaret Wente. She said that the security files, the border issues and the immigration problems were being dealt with but that we had better start dealing with the human deficit. She said that we had better start dealing in parallel with what must be done to deal with the human suffering going on in Afghanistan.
Today we have a motion from the Bloc that deals specifically with that and I celebrate it.
It is difficult for us who live with a very special standard of living in Canada and an almost cocoon-like existence in Ottawa to feel or imagine the pain of what is going on right now in Pakistan and Afghanistan. I have to believe that anyone who watched television last night and saw the children who were bombed inadvertently and the children out in the Afghanistan desert waiting for yellow bags to drop out of the clouds so they would have something to eat, would have to ask what we are doing as a nation.
I realize that within hours $500 million, which was development money to Pakistan, was forgiven. I realize that we have given approximately $160 million additional dollars to Afghanistan through various agencies, such as the United Nations, the Red Cross and other agencies working there, but I know every member in the House believes we must do more and we must do it immediately.
We are a nation that has been blessed with incredible amounts of resources in terms of food supplies. If there were ever a time for the great asset of agriculture and the food supply we have in Canada to be put into action and provide international aid, it was at this moment.
I appeal to my colleagues and officials that in the next few days we think outside the box. Let us figure out a way to take advantage of that strength. Let us work on making sure that Canada's history of being there and of reaching out to people in need continues. Let us use food and water as our instruments of peace, especially for the young people.
There is something else we can do. Last week a number of us had an opportunity to be present at a meeting that took place on the Senate side of this parliament. It was a meeting hosted by one of our senators for an organization called Olympic Aid. This organization was set up back in 1994 when Olympic Aid lent support to the war victims in the former olympic city of Sarajevo. Olympic Aid has gone on subsequently and worked in many different wartorn countries.
The guest speaker was the chairman of Olympic Aid, Johann Koss, a former gold medal olympic athlete himself, who donated his prize money from his olympic experience and challenged Norway and other countries. They have raised millions of dollars. For those who were not present at the meeting, coaches from all over the world go into wartorn countries, work with young kids and teach them how to play because they believe that every child has the right to play. While these young children are being distracted by war and every other difficulty, Olympic Aid coaches take a holistic approach through sport.
The coaches teach them lifestyle. They talk to the children about peace and working with each other. I would ask the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for International Cooperation to please appeal to the minister that we as a nation get behind Olympic Aid. There is no one in the House who would not support a child's right to play.
Where better to have Canada's presence, through sport and through coaches teaching and bringing hope to young people, than in a wartorn country like Afghanistan? So often we do not think of that type of action being really important but the record will show that from Sarajevo on, wherever Olympic Aid went and worked with young children in wartorn zones the reactions and the hopes of those young people has created a lasting impact.
I believe that as a country we can make a very special contribution in that area, on top of our food and water and on top of all the other infrastructure and support systems that CIDA brings to Afghanistan and Pakistan.
As we support the Bloc Quebecois motion today, I appeal to my colleagues in the executive of the government to ensure we have a very special presence in the lives of those young people who have a right to play and a right to a holistic development of their own beings. Let us make sure we support Olympic Aid.