Debates of April 11th, 2003

Iraq

[John Manley, Liberal, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, I think that what needs to be clear here is this: that Canada throughout this has given no sympathy and no comfort to the regime of Saddam Hussein.

Speaking of clarity, when asked by Don Newman the other day about whether he believed that for both the United Nations and NATO as ongoing entities that kind of approach in foreign policy is passé, the leader of the Alliance Party said, “I do...”, the United Nations is passé--

[The Deputy Speaker]

The hon. member for Okanagan—Coquihalla.

[Stockwell Day, Canadian Alliance, Okanagan—Coquihalla, BC]

He is going to have to understand, Mr. Speaker, that if he wants to be prime minister one day he is going to have to start speaking for himself, not other people.

This question of legitimacy is important. Saddam's regime is being compared to the Nazi third reich, not only for its methods of torture, terror and death, but also for its fascination with recording its atrocities and its methods.

Knowing the importance of this type of information for prosecution of war crimes, what specific legal steps has the government taken to apprehend all documents in Iraq's embassy in Ottawa? Or are the Liberals applying the same policy of catch and release to documents--

[The Deputy Speaker]

The hon. Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

[Aileen Carroll, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, Canada is maintaining compliance of course as ever with the Vienna conventions. In keeping with diplomatic practices, Canada continues to diplomatically recognize a state and not the government. As such, we continue to have diplomatic relations with the state of Iraq. When a new Iraqi government is established, it will be up to it to determine if Iraqi diplomats serving abroad and the embassies in which they serve will be continued or withdrawn.

[Caroline St-Hilaire, Bloc, Longueuil, QC]

Mr. Speaker, according to international assistance organizations, by doing nothing, the American and British forces may well be contributing to making the current humanitarian crisis in Iraq worse.

Given that, under the Geneva conventions, occupation forces are required to provide the Iraqi population with food, water and adequate medical care, does the government intend to call on the United States and Great Britain to meet their international obligations?

[André Harvey, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Cooperation]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for her question. As hon. members know very well—and the Prime Minister has always stressed the importance of bolstering the credibility of the United Nations—we are cooperating with all donor countries around the world to provide assistance that will be effective, through United Nations organizations, and the World Food Program in particular, and the International Committee of the Red Cross. A lot of emphasis is put on the importance of organizations under the UN, which have a great deal of expertise in this area.

[Caroline St-Hilaire, Bloc, Longueuil, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the government has been saying repeatedly that it has written a cheque, but assistance has to reach the people in need. At present, the vast majority of humanitarian relief supplies and material are still in storage outside Iraq, far from the Iraqi population.

Will the government remind the United States and Great Britain that they are bound by the Geneva conventions and must therefore meet their international obligations? This is an emergency.

[André Harvey, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Cooperation]

Mr. Speaker, we are aware of the supply problems caused by the war. We hope that very soon, the United Nations will be able to have an effective involvement, in cooperation with all partners, including the United States, Great Britain and all coalition members.

[Benoît Sauvageau, Bloc, Repentigny, QC]

Mr. Speaker, this week, during a scrum, the Prime Minister justified Canada's non-participation in the war in Iraq by saying that it was a matter of principle, since this operation had not been approved by the UN.

Can the government assure us that it will also make this a matter of principle?

[André Harvey, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Cooperation]

Mr. Speaker, from the very beginning of a potential conflict, the Prime Minister of Canada was the first politician in the western world to insist that the UN should be in charge, and we will continue to apply this principle.

[Benoît Sauvageau, Bloc, Repentigny, QC]

Mr. Speaker, as regards the conflict in Iraq, Canada's position has characterized by a very convenient vagueness and principles have varied depending on the events that were taking place.

Can we now get the assurance that principles will prevail to preserve the UN's fundamental role in the reconstruction of Iraq?

[André Harvey, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Cooperation]

Mr. Speaker, as for having principles that vary depending on the events that take place, the Bloc Quebecois is an old hand at this, as we have seen a number of times with that party. The Canadian government, through the leadership of the Prime Minister, will ask the United Nations to assume leadership regarding this issue.

Taxation

[Libby Davies, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Finance. He is the minister who for nine years has been one of cabinet's biggest cheerleaders for massive tax cuts, who brags to the Alliance that the Liberals spend $100 billion on tax cuts, in his words “the largest tax reduction package in history”, and who cut capital gains taxes in his budget while single mothers in poverty got their child tax benefits clawed back.

Yesterday he said that we must “galvanize the national will around ending child poverty”. How did he say that with a straight face?

[John Manley, Liberal, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, I think the hon. member is thinking of another budget. We were not able to cut capital gains taxes in the 2003 budget.

We were able to break through the welfare wall with the largest increases in the national child tax benefit in history. We were able to create a $900 million fund for early childhood development, which has enabled the Minister of Human Resources Development to obtain agreements with the provinces to support regulated child care across Canada. This was an important budget for advancing the--

[The Deputy Speaker]

The hon. member for Vancouver East.

[Libby Davies, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I have to say that is absolute rubbish. As a direct result of his policies, there are 1.139 million children living in poverty today.

Some 4,885 days ago, that minister voted in favour of eliminating poverty when he supported Ed Broadbent's motion, but for 3,443 of those days, while kids lived and died in poverty, he was in cabinet bragging and smirking about his tax cuts. On the 3,444th day, he said it is time to end poverty.

Here is the test. Will he delay his capital gains--

[The Deputy Speaker]

The hon. Minister of Finance.

[John Manley, Liberal, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, she keeps talking about capital gains tax reductions. We did not do any.

Maybe we can have a little briefing session for her on the budget so that she can get caught up to date. Instead, she sits over there grinning and smirking, thinking she knows something about the tax system.

What we need to do in Canada is we need to understand that the creation of wealth goes with the ability to distribute wealth. That is something that has always escaped the understanding of the New Democrats.

Iraq

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

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the acting prime minister.

Regarding reconstruction in Iraq, yesterday the foreign affairs minister said we have not yet exactly got a request yet.

Lester Pearson did not wait for a request in the Suez. We did not wait for a request on apartheid or in dealing with famine in Ethiopia. Leadership is about taking the initiative. That used to be Canada's trademark in the world. Now we are the country that ducks.

Our historic reputation is still strong enough that we can make a real contribution on the role of the United Nations in reconstruction.

What in the world is the Government of Canada sitting back and waiting for? Why not take a Canadian initiative--

[The Deputy Speaker]

The hon. Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

[Aileen Carroll, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, the government is not sitting back at all. Just this morning if the hon. member had an opportunity to listen to our Prime Minister, he would have heard him say once again how ready the government is to assist.

We have advised our allies of that. We are in close contact with the United Nations and the coalition, the United Kingdom and the United States. They know where we stand on this. They know what we will bring to the table.

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

Mr. Speaker, rebuilding a democratic state in Iraq without destabilizing the region will be a complex and difficult task. The chances of success will be better if the interim government is established under the aegis of the United Nations. Some have suggested holding a conference on the future of Iraq, as was done for Afghanistan.

Could the Acting Prime Minister tell us if Canada approves this concrete proposal? And would the government be prepared to propose a Canadian site for such a conference?

[Aileen Carroll, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, to be perfectly frank, I cannot speak on matters of which I am not cognizant, although it does not keep anyone else from doing that.

I would assure the House that all efforts are being made, that all openness that can be delivered on the question is being done.

We are open to assist, which is consistent with Canada's reputation to which the hon. member has referred.

Airline Industry

[Chuck Strahl, Canadian Alliance, Fraser Valley, BC]

Mr. Speaker, much of the Canadian airline industry is hanging on by a wing and a prayer.

Those in the industry are begging the government to change the policies that have driven them out of the skies. They are asking the government to eliminate the air security tax, to suspend the airport rental fees and reduce the excessive aviation fuel tax.

The Canadian Alliance has been asking for this for at least two years. Now apparently the transport committee is asking for the same thing.

Would the government finally do the right thing and move to help the airline industry by eliminating the security tax and the taxes and regulations that are driving this industry into the ground?