Mr. Speaker, like my colleague, the member for Rimouski-Neigette-et-la Mitis, I too believe it is right to want to have a say, as parliamentarians, on the involvement of this Government, of Canadians who might be called upon to augment military forces in the Middle East.
We have been elected and we have a responsibility. We have been given the mandate to get involved in debates, knowing what our values are, what we are voting on and what the bills we pass are all about. The current government does not seem to want to consult us, when this is precisely what is expected of it.
The significance of this debate has to do with the vote that would be given to every political party, every member of parliament. The appalling tragedy of September 11 hit home and made us reflect.
The generation I belong to has not lived through a war, but my father's generation remembers only too well the bitter fruits of armed conflicts.
The World Trade Center and the Pentagon tragedy robbed us of our innocence and made us aware of how vulnerable we truly are.
Once we get over the horror and bewilderment caused by the attacks, we must avoid rushing into the retaliative actions that are being considered .
Even if the terrorists responsible for this attack did it on behalf of a particular people or religion, they were condemned by every legitimate representative of the Arabic and Islamic communities of the world. Today, every peace loving human being is in mourning.
If, today, every one of us is a little bit a victim, it is equally true that, as human beings, we too bear the responsibility of the sin that was committed. Which people, which religion, which cause has not had its extremists?
Human stupidity is not the exclusive purview of one colour, one language, one gender or one religion. Extremism can be found anywhere. It is blind and it strikes indiscriminately. It does not care about justice and innocent people.
The victims in New York are the innocent victims of hatred. It could have been anyone else, in any country of the world. It could have been our brothers, our sisters, or a relative. This is why we must stand together with the American people through these difficult times, but also with every other people of the world who is a victim of injustice.
What should we do then to counter these unconscionable and unjustified attacks? Should we retaliate by firing on a crowd? Of course not. Vengeance for the sake of vengeance would only increase the level of hate and jeopardize peace in the Middle East and in Asia. Should we deal with the root causes of this evil, that is the racism and the intolerance that are often latent in all kinds of conflicts? Force is not always the best of guides.
Some conflicts are lingering throughout the world, and we should look into them to try to find long term solutions. If they are not settled, they will prevent us from concentrating on fundamental problems that undermine any lasting peace in the world.
At the beginning of a new century, with instant communications, we can no longer put our heads in the sand and act as if we are not concerned because all this is happening elsewhere. The attack on New York proves the opposite.
Take for example what happened at the world conference against racism which took place in South Africa last August under the aegis of the UN. The conference bogged down on semantic issues between the actors involved in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
It is evidence that as long as there is no peace in the Middle East, more people like bin Laden will be ready to die for their cause.
The American tragedy has had a much greater impact than all those forgotten conflicts occurring elsewhere in the world. Naturally, the immediate cause of last Tuesday's attacks is the escalation of violence in the Middle East. However the deeper cause is the despair and frustration which breed hatred.
If we are so directly affected by those attacks, it is because, for the first time, they happened on our continent. I say for the first time because it was in fact the first time such a tragedy happened after a long and well orchestrated preparation. The problem will never be solved with a simple show of power.
Yesterday, after a meeting with the president of the United States, the Prime Minister of Canada said that the president did not ask Canada for military support. However, he added: “If they need us, we will be there”. Yet, to resort to armed forces without trying to get to the root of this terrorism will only postpone the solution to this problem. Even worse, it could make things worse.
This morning, professor Albert Legault of Laval university wrote that the fight against terrorism is first and foremost a matter for the police and intelligence services. That is why we are asking the government to consult parliament before calling on the armed forces.
Thousands of Quebecers and Canadians have sent letters and e-mails to members of this House to let them know about their fears and concerns. Here are a few examples.
“With acts of pure vengeance, do we not run the risk of provoking an escalation of violence?”
“How can we be sure that this operation to which Canada could be associated will eradicate all terrorist groups?”
“If Canada totally aligns its policy on the American one, won't Canada also become a target for terrorists?”
“If we bring about a general mobilization of forces in Middle East countries, will we not create ideal conditions for a regional war elsewhere?”
On the morning of September 11, 2001, the west woke up to a brutal reality. The horrendous attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon have proven that a great terrorist threat hangs over the world, just as some people have been saying for many years, but we called them prophets of doom.
The government must be prudent and, for the time being, focus its efforts on the security of our citizens while preventing terrorists from using Canada to prepare attacks on the United States.
As to the roots of the present problem, it is time that we get out of our comfort and indifference. Let us try to achieve a lasting resolution to all the regional conflicts on the planet. Let us promote justice and solidarity among the nations. This is why we want the government to approach the problems differently in the House.
When we want a real dialogue, discussions have to be forced by the opposition. It should rather be up to the government to question all the members of the House, to consult with the leaders of the various opposition parties, raise the issues, including the negotiations underway with the United States and the other countries.
The open and democratic thing to do would be to let parliamentarians participate in this debate, a debate that can be described as urgent and life changing for many Quebecers and Canadians, should we be called up or called out on service.
I hope that we will see a change in the attitude of this government and that we, parliamentarians, will be able to vote on an eventual participation.