Debates of Feb. 27th, 2003

Fred Rogers

[Tony Tirabassi, Liberal, Niagara Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, we are saddened today to hear about the death of a long time childhood icon, Mr. Rogers.

Fred Rogers, whose show Mister Rogers' Neighborhood aired from 1968 to 2000, was a part of so many of our neighbourhoods as we were growing up.

What many Canadians do not know is that his program got its start as a 15 minute show here in Canada on the CBC before he took the program back to his native Pittsburgh.

Mr. Rogers had a special way of soothing and entertaining. His love of children and his simple messages taught important life lessons, while leaving us feeling as though a friend had just come over to visit.

Fred Rogers was a Presbyterian minister who studied early childhood education and did most of the puppetry for the show himself.

Indeed, it is a sad day in the neighbourhood this morning. Many of us have lost a cherished figure from our childhoods. He will be remembered fondly.

Lieutenant Governor of Alberta

[Deborah Grey, Canadian Alliance, Edmonton North, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to send a big “get well soon” hug to our lieutenant governor in Alberta, Lois Hole. She was recently diagnosed with cancer and is undergoing aggressive treatment. The news came as a shock to us all and was met with a collective resolve to cheer her on, pray for her and to offer her as many hugs as it takes to see her through this.

Lois Hole, “the gardening lady”, has been nothing short of fabulous in her role as our lieutenant governor. Her presence brings delight to all, young or old, sick or well, military or civilian. Her warm nature, love for people and incredible sense of duty are appreciated by all Albertans.

Lois is known as the “queen of hugs”. Thousands of people have been the recipients of one of her hugs and they remember it always.

Lois needs our hugs now. We think fondly of Ted and her. All Albertans wrap their arms around her today and until she is back to full health.

God bless Lois. We love her.

The Environment

[Peter Adams, Liberal, Peterborough, ON]

Mr. Speaker, 300 people from 12 countries will meet in Ottawa at the northern contaminants program symposium on Arctic contaminants, a key environmental and public health issue for people in Nunavut, Nunavik, Labrador, the Northwest Territories and Yukon.

Established in 1991, but scheduled to sunset in 2003, the northern contaminants program is managed by four federal agencies, three territorial governments, Dene and Yukon first nations, and Inuit.

An acknowledged success, this program generated the data that made the case for international agreements to reduce polluting emissions globally, emissions that threaten the health of indigenous people, especially women and children.

Canada assumed important monitoring and assessment obligations of the program in 2001 when it signed and ratified the global Stockholm convention on persistent organic pollutants. This program exemplifies Canada's renewed commitment to Arctic research stressed in the recent budget.

I congratulate the Government of Canada for its support of this fine work and urge a renewal of the northern contaminants program.

Peace

[Gilles-A. Perron, Bloc, Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I wish to congratulate a student of Polyvalente Deux-Montagnes, Marie-France Phisel, who took it upon herself to circulate a petition for peace and has gathered 1,162 signatures of young people opposed to the prospect of war on Iraq and any potential participation by Canada in such a conflict.

The petition was handed over to me last Friday to be passed on to the Prime Minister, which I have done.

The wording of the petition is a reflection of the great wisdom of today's youth. It reads as follows:

Peace and freedom are fundamental values. If we are to have a better world, there must be peace and unity among the nations. The world we want to live in is one that promotes peace, freedom, justice and equality, and we wish to express our total disagreement with any armed and violent intervention in Iraq. We wish to express our support for peace between peoples.

This shows the great social conscience of our youth.

Landmines

[Mac Harb, Liberal, Ottawa Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, nearly every 22 seconds someone in the world steps on a landmine. Each year between 15,000 and 20,000 new victims are claimed by landmines and, of those, over 20% are children.

Today I am pleased that the youth mine action ambassador program and Mines Action Canada are organizing an event at Ottawa City Hall called the Save Our Soles Shoe Project. This important event is to symbolize Canada's role and our youth's effort in the international campaign to ban landmines.

I am proud of the fact that our youth are following up on the work of the former foreign affairs minister, Lloyd Axworthy, and others to eliminate the threat of landmines once and for all.

Canadian Forces

[Leon Benoit, Canadian Alliance, Lakeland, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the Canadian Alliance has long taken the position that lobby groups and special interest groups should look to their own membership for funding. Yet the government is all too willing to fund lobby groups which support its political positions while it completely cuts funding to other groups, like the Conference of Defence Associations.

Why is this? Could it be because the CDA is too effective in pointing out the government's slashing of our Canadian Forces and the neglect of our military personnel? Could it be because this organization, which has over 600,000 members, too effectively points out the underfunding of our military?

Does the government really believe it is okay to fund only groups that take the same positions as it does? I do not, and I say that most Canadians do not either.

Canada-U.S. Relations

[Steve Mahoney, Liberal, Mississauga West, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I remember the outpouring of sympathy and affection toward Americans by all Canadians following September 11. That relationship was not built because of the tragedy, it has existed for many years.

Canadians and Americans have much in common. They are not just our closest neighbour, they are our friends and even family. Even though most, if not all, Canadians do not want the United States to launch war against Iraq, we still respect and cherish our relationship with America and Americans.

These are very tense times in the world, but Americans need to know that even if Canadians disagree with going to war we will continue to live in harmony and peace with them. We share the values of freedom and democracy. We share the longest undefended border in the world. We share hopes for our families and our futures.

Canadians do not hate Americans. We pray for them, we care for them, and we respect them as a nation. May God bless America.

Radio-Canada

[Yvon Godin, NDP, Acadie—Bathurst, NB]

Mr. Speaker, on February 22, the Bathurst and Campbellton areas of New Brunswick welcomed the 2003 Canada Winter Games. Hundreds of athletes from all over Canada are focussed on giving the best of themselves and doing their province proud.

Since the games began, I have had a number of complaints from people in my riding. They are extremely surprised and disappointed that Radio-Canada is not giving this national event the same amount of coverage as the CBC's English network. Only RDS, TSN and CBC are covering the games.

If people want to watch RDS, they have to be subscribers to extra cable channels, and most people have only basic cable.

A public broadcaster like Radio-Canada has a duty to cover such a great national event. Radio-Canada is not just for Quebec, but for all Canada's francophones.

Ckrl Fm

[Christiane Gagnon, Bloc, Québec, QC]

Mr. Speaker, on February 15, 1973, the first francophone community radio station began broadcasting on 89.1 FM in Quebec City.

A young and determinedly different radio station, CKRL FM is noted for its diverse music and quality programming.

CKRL FM is a true training ground for all those working in culture and communication. More than a hundred people got their start there before pursuing their professional career in major electronic or print media, here and elsewhere.

On the occasion of this 30th anniversary, I would like to pay tribute to the many volunteers and others who, through their involvement and dedication, have contributed to making CKRL a dynamic and original radio station that continues to delight us today.

Iraq

[Charles Caccia, Liberal, Davenport, ON]

Mr. Speaker, Canada's ambassador to the United Nations, Paul Heinbecker, put it very well to the Security Council when he said:

History will judge the United Nations and this Security Council on how well you manage the Iraq crisis. Around the world, people are speaking out, asking that this crisis be resolved peacefully. No one wants a war. The government and people of Canada are fully prepared to accept the judgments of the inspectors and the decisions of this council.

It is therefore clear that Canada wants to prevent a war in Iraq, preserve the United Nations, avoid military action, and support a political solution. A war in the Middle East will only create newer and bigger problems, as repeatedly stated by Canada's foreign affairs minister.

Softwood Lumber

[Bill Casey, Progressive Conservative, Cumberland—Colchester, NS]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to reinforce my recent discussions over the past few days with the Minister for International Trade about the importance of securing fair treatment for Canada's independent lumber remanufacturers in current negotiations with the U.S. under the Canada-U.S. softwood lumber trade dispute.

Exports from these independent producers have dropped by half since the beginning of the dispute. Ironically, exports from Canada's primary sawmill industry have actually increased in most cases.

What makes the situation even worse is the fact that Canada's independent lumber producers are not part of the problem. They have no formal allegations of a subsidy against them and the WTO ruled that the U.S. was wrong to include this group in the duties. Even U.S. Under Secretary of Commerce Grant Aldonas has agreed to address the unique situation of Canada's independent remanners.

The government has an obligation to show leadership on behalf of Canada's value added lumber sector to continue for an exclusion from any interim measure against them, including an export or border tax. Without the exclusion for independent remanners, the minister cannot and should not go ahead to cancel legal challenges under NAFTA and the WTO.

Doris Saunders

[Lawrence O'Brien, Liberal, Labrador, NL]

Mr. Speaker, for three decades, Them Days magazine has recorded and preserved the oral and documentary history of Labrador. The driving force behind the magazine has been its founding editor, Doris Saunders, who recently announced her retirement.

The work of Doris Saunders is valued by people in Labrador, across the country, and around the world. In over 100 issues of Them Days, the good times and hard times in old Labrador have come to life in stories, photos, poems and songs. Her work has been recognized through the Order of Canada and an honourary degree, but especially by the loyal readers who treasure every page. More than anyone she has made us aware in Labrador that our own history is worth preserving and sharing with the world.

On behalf of my constituents I wish to extend to Doris Saunders our gratitude and appreciation for a job well done and to Them Days, best wishes for many more years of success, ensuring that Labrador's rich past will have a future.

Human Rights

[Betty Hinton, Canadian Alliance, Kamloops, Thompson And Highland Valleys, BC]

Mr. Speaker, next week we herald women by celebrating March 2 to 8 as International Women's Week.

Canada could do so much more than pay lip service to this very important week by demanding that Iran cease the human rights abuses and ruthless treatment of women in that country. It is not good enough for the foreign affairs minister to say Canada will work with the government of Iran to stop the senseless execution of women who are being stoned to death. Canada should threaten to isolate Iran from the rest of the world and should threaten the use of sanctions until these atrocities end.

That Iran continues to murder women for merely attending a birthday party is intolerable. Canada must take the lead and raise this as an issue at the Human Rights Commission in Geneva in March.

If we want to make this year's International Women's Week truly remarkable, we should be taking concrete action to stop the murder and torture of women in Iran. Anything less is tantamount to sanction.

Canada-U.S. Relations

[Stephen Harper, Canadian Alliance, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, today is a day of embarrassment for the Liberal government. The member for Mississauga Centre has continued a long Liberal pattern of insulting our most important neighbour and trading partner, a pattern established by the Prime Minister, his former communications advisor, the member for Oakville, the member for Durham, and I could on and on.

Can the Prime Minister explain how any of this does any good for Canada?

[David Collenette, Liberal, Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, the member for Mississauga Centre made very inappropriate and unfortunate comments about the United States and the American people, for which she has apologized. I understand she may have something more to say about this later this day.

The statements she made in no way reflect the position of the Government of Canada.

Iraq

[Stephen Harper, Canadian Alliance, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, I hope she will have more to say because that was an inadequate apology. But let us talk about another embarrassment.

After months of having no position on the Iraqi conflict, the government tried to pass itself off as an international mediator, but its attempts have apparently been dismissed out of hand by the White House and the Security Council.

What, if any, position does the government have now?

[Bill Graham, Liberal, Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, I totally reject the premise of the question. What the government was seeking to do was to bridge an important gap in the Security Council. This is a matter which is still under discussion at the Security Council and members from other countries, other than the ones which have been referred to by the hon. member, are discussing the issue.

We are seeking to play a positive and constructive role. I do not think it helps by saying that some people reject. Our point is that we want to bridge the gap. We want to bring the Security Council together. It is a valuable role which we will continue to play.

National Defence

[Stephen Harper, Canadian Alliance, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, they are discussing it all right, with as little understanding of the Canadian position as Canadians have.

Here is another embarrassment. We know that the government was trying to participate in the Iraqi conflict through back channels by sending the HMCS Iroquois to the Persian Gulf. Now the government's ancient helicopters are crashing, military personnel have been injured, and the ship is apparently returning home. What does the government have to contribute now?

[John McCallum, Liberal, Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, at about 10:30 this morning Atlantic time a Sea King helicopter on board the HMCS Iroquois carrying a crew of four crashed on takeoff. When I heard about this I was extremely relieved to learn that nobody had been killed and that there were two minor injuries. Some personnel had minor hand and leg injuries. The ship is now returning to Halifax and an investigation will be underway.

[Leon Benoit, Canadian Alliance, Lakeland, AB]

Mr. Speaker, 10 years is how long the government has been dragging its feet on replacing the Sea King helicopters. Thanks to the Prime Minister's political stalling tactics, two people are injured, a helicopter is badly damaged, and the HMCS Iroquois has had to abandon its mission in the Persian Gulf and return to port.

Will this latest international embarrassment be enough to force the government to replace the Sea King helicopters before 2005?

[John McCallum, Liberal, Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, as I have said in the House many times, the government is working to replace these helicopters as fast as possible. Indeed, recently we changed the nature of the contract, making it one contract instead of two contracts. There is a widely shared consensus that this will indeed result in the faster replacement of this helicopter.

In the meantime, as I said, the HMCS Iroquois is returning to Halifax and an investigation is ongoing. It is too early to draw conclusions on the implications for our mission.

[Leon Benoit, Canadian Alliance, Lakeland, AB]

Mr. Speaker, if the government had not cancelled the contract our people would be flying brand new helicopters right now.

I would like to be a fly on the wall when the Prime Minister phones Washington to explain that Canada cannot participate in the war on terrorism because one of the helicopters, one of the ones it did not replace, crashed and our warship is in the shop. This embarrassing foot-dragging, all to save political face, has gone on long enough.

I ask again, will the Liberal government replace the Sea Kings today and not wait another two, three, or five years?

[John McCallum, Liberal, Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, it is physically impossible to replace all of the Sea Kings today. We are living in the here and now, and in the practical world I cannot replace all of the Sea Kings right now, but we have taken action to make that replacement occur as fast as possible.

I would remind the hon. member, when he says that we are not in the region, that we are indeed in the region with ships and airplanes, and after the investigation it is hoped that the HMCS Iroquois will also return to the region.

Iraq

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

Mr. Speaker, in the situation with Iraq, even the tight timeframe proposed by Canada to please the United States is not radical enough for the American administration. President Bush, who wants war now, flatly rejected the deadline of March 28.

With only two options left on the table, namely a resolution authorizing military action in Iraq and the strengthening of the inspection program, the Canadian government is finding itself at a crossroads.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs must tell us whether Canada is headed for war or for peace, aligned with the Americans or with the French and the Germans and their peace plan?

[Bill Graham, Liberal, Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, we have always stated in this House, and it is still this government's policy, that Saddam Hussein must disarm under Security Council resolution 1441.

The proposal we have submitted to the Security Council will enable it to find a way to close the gap between the radical French position and that of the Americans. I think that is still a positive contribution. It is being considered by various states to stay on track, to continue supporting peace.