Debates of Feb. 12th, 2003

Firearms Registry

[Martin Cauchon, Liberal, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, one more time, this is a cheap political comment. Mr. Hession is a highly respected business person with 40 years of experience.

Second, if they would read Mr. Hession's report, they would discover a fantastic piece of work, with 16 recommendations. Those recommendations will help the government produce a good plan of action.

What they do not like is that the government is heading in the right direction. We will keep gun control on behalf of public safety and to protect Canadians

Iraq

[Gilles Duceppe, Bloc, Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, unlike the Bloc Quebecois, which is giving—

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh.

[The Speaker]

Order, please. I know this is Wednesday, but we still need to be able to hear the questions and answers, and that is impossible with all this noise. The hon. member for Laurier—Sainte-Marie has the floor and we are going to listen to his question.

[Gilles Duceppe, Bloc, Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I was saying that, unlike the Bloc Quebecois, which is giving peace every chance, the government is taking obvious steps in favour of military intervention against Iraq. In addition to dispatching Canadian officers to Qatar, the Prime Minister yesterday got two motions defeated in order to be able to send troops to the front without a second Security Council resolution or a vote in this House.

Will the Prime Minister admit that, if there is a conflict in Iraq, there will no longer anything hypothetical about Canada's participation, because his government is already preparing for war?

[Jean Chrétien, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, this is a totally gratuitous statement by the leader of the Bloc Quebecois.

We are very actively involved with the countries on the Security Council in order to ensure that the matter is dealt with in such a way as to ensure peace and not bring about war. This has always been the government's position.

[Gilles Duceppe, Bloc, Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, if it is true that the Prime Minister and Canada are working with the countries on the Security Council, might we know what the Prime Minister is telling them? Which camp is he in? Is he with France, Germany, Russia and China, who are in favour of peaceful means, or with Great Britain and the United States, who want war at any cost?

If he is talking to them, advising them, what advice is he giving?

[Jean Chrétien, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I am recommending that they wait, along with everyone else, for Mr. Blix's report, in order to find out whether Saddam Hussein has violated resolution 1441 in the past, or is doing so now.

The United Nations passed a resolution. They have given a very specific role to the inspectors, and Mr. Blix will be reporting to the entire world on Friday morning.

[Claude Bachand, Bloc, Saint-Jean, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the American Secretary of Defence, Donald Rumsfeld, has said that the American military plans to use banned chemical weapons in a possible war on Iraq. There is nothing hypothetical about Mr. Rumsfeld's statement.

Can the Prime Minister confirm that Canada will never ever agree to the use of banned chemical weapons, and can he also tell us what he thinks of such statements by the American Secretary of Defence.

[John McCallum, Liberal, Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, the answer to this question is clear. Canada is not using these things, which have been banned by the international community. That is clear.

[Claude Bachand, Bloc, Saint-Jean, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has said that he is convinced by the evidence presented by Colin Powell. While many observers considered this evidence rather weak, the Prime Minister has stated that he is convinced by it.

Mr. Rumsfeld's statements, on the other hand, are very direct. At the same time that the United States is condemning Iraq for having chemical weapons, it is threatening to use similar weapons in a possible attack on Iraq.

If the Prime Minister says that he does not wish to use these weapons, does he intend to publicly condemn the statements made by the American defence secretary?

[Bill Graham, Liberal, Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, it would surprise me greatly if Mr. Rumsfeld had said that the United States intends to use chemical weapons. This is totally out of character for our staunch ally, the United States. It is not the type of policy they espouse and it is not the direction they are headed in as a world leader. I am certain that the hon. member is mistaken. In a situation as delicate as this, one must choose one's words very carefully.

[Bill Blaikie, NDP, Winnipeg—Transcona, MB]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Prime Minister. I listened carefully to what he said in response to an earlier question. He talked about Dr. Blix reporting, and then he said that they would see what the Security Council did.

Am I to take from that answer that in the opinion of the Prime Minister it is up to the Security Council to decide what follows from Dr. Blix's report? Is it up to the Security Council and not to the independent or unilateral action of any other nation?

[Jean Chrétien, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, the Security Council has voted on resolution 1441. Dr. Blix will report on what he has observed in Iraq and if Saddam Hussein has obliged. After that, members of the Security Council will have to pass judgment on it. I do not know if there will be another resolution. I said that it would be highly desirable to have another one but there is no assurance that there will be one.

[Bill Blaikie, NDP, Winnipeg—Transcona, MB]

Mr. Speaker, my question is again for the Prime Minister. Whether that judgment on the part of the Security Council takes the form of another resolution or some other form, is it that judgment that the Prime Minister intends to live by?

[Jean Chrétien, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, we will have to wait to see what happens on Friday. I am surprised to receive questions from members of that party who say that they do not want to do anything. They do not want Canada to fulfill its obligation as a responsible citizen of the world.

Foreign Affairs

[Joe Clark, Progressive Conservative, Calgary Centre, AB]

Mr. Speaker, United States experts told their senate armed forces committee yesterday that North Korea has an untested ballistic missile capable of reaching the western United States. Such a missile then would also be capable of reaching western Canada.

Could the Prime Minister tell us if his intelligence officers agree that North Korea has a missile capable of reaching western North America?

[Jean Chrétien, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, it is a question of security. At this moment, I cannot confirm or deny. There is some debate about it. I am happy that the leader of the Conservative Party is talking about North Korea. We think there is a very serious problem there and it needs attention at this time. It is not only Iraq. This is another very important problem.

We cannot confirm or deny. We are not in a position to confirm at this time the debate that occurred in the United States yesterday.

[Joe Clark, Progressive Conservative, Calgary Centre, AB]

Mr. Speaker, it is curious that information is available freely to parliamentary committees in the United States and it is denied here to Parliament and the House of Commons.

Since shortly after September 11 Canadian security intelligence officers were part of the international search for Osama bin Laden.

I have two questions for the Prime Minister. First, do Canada's security agencies know where Osama bin Laden is? Second, do they believe--

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh.

[The Speaker]

Order, please. It is impossible to hear the question of the right hon. member. Could we have a bit of order, please. We have to be able to hear the right hon. member's question. The right hon. member for Calgary Centre has the floor. Perhaps some of these other conversations could take place behind the curtain.

[Joe Clark, Progressive Conservative, Calgary Centre, AB]

Mr. Speaker, my second question is this. Do Canada's security officials believe that the al-Qaeda network has regrouped and established itself in parts of Iran and Iraq?

[Jean Chrétien, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. leader of the Conservative Party for his brilliant question. After question period, I will try to reach Mr. bin Laden by phone.

Taxation

[Charlie Penson, Canadian Alliance, Peace River, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the former minister of finance created higher taxes for the resource sector than any other type of Canadian firm. This resource sector includes forestry, mining, oil and gas and fisheries. This discrimination must stop.

Will the current Minister of Finance pledge to put all corporate Canada on the same tax footing?

[Maurizio Bevilacqua, Liberal, Secretary of State (International Financial Institutions)]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member knows that we have worked very hard to build a very competitive economy. It has resulted in us leading the G-7 countries in the creation of 560,000 jobs.

We are determined, as we were on the corporate tax rate, to make sure that we have a globally competitive tax regime, including for the natural resources sector.