Mr. Speaker, I want to ask the hon. member a question about his comments on Colombia to try to determine what the position of the Canadian Alliance is with respect to one of the most serious issues and concerns that has been raised. That is the quite misguided proposal called Plan Colombia, in particular the military component of that plan.
I know the member for Esquimalt—Juan de Fuca was in Colombia last month. I myself was in Colombia in January and had the opportunity to meet with elected representatives, senators, members of the house of representatives, as well as many human rights defenders and others. The very strong message that I received from them was strong opposition to the military component of Plan Colombia. They pleaded that instead there be a recognition that it is social and economic concerns that must be addressed and in particular land reform.
What is the position of the Canadian Alliance? Is it like the Liberal government, which refuses to condemn the military component of Plan Colombia, or is it prepared to very clearly speak out in opposition to the military component of that plan and call for an approach that recognizes the importance of tackling poverty, land reform and dealing with the massive human rights violations in Colombia?