House of Commons Hansard #17 of the 40th Parliament, 3rd Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was documents.
Michael Ignatieff LiberalLeader of the Opposition
Mr. Speaker, we learned in the press today that the government's officials have discussed with the Americans the possibility of keeping Canadian troops in Afghanistan post 2011. This government made no mention of this in any of its quarterly reports to Parliament or in any of its submissions to parliamentary committees. This is no way to run the foreign policy of a serious government.
Will someone in the government tell us what in heaven's name is going on?
Lawrence Cannon ConservativeMinister of Foreign Affairs
Mr. Speaker, time and time again and once again reiterated in the Speech from the Throne, we have been clear in stating that Canada's military mission will end in 2011.
Michael Ignatieff LiberalLeader of the Opposition
Mr. Speaker, then the government will have to explain why this obvious trial balloon entered the press.
The United States is asking Canada to keep as many as 600 soldiers in Afghanistan after 2011. The government did not bring this before the Canadian people. This is no way to conduct foreign policy.
Will the government commit to putting any deployment in Afghanistan past 2011 to a vote in Parliament?
Lawrence Cannon ConservativeMinister of Foreign Affairs
Mr. Speaker, on this supposed U.S. request, I want to reassure the Leader of the Opposition that we have not received a request of this nature.
Michael Ignatieff LiberalLeader of the Opposition
Mr. Speaker, he did not answer my question.
The question is as follows: there are well-founded rumours about extending the military mission in Afghanistan past 2011.
Can the government assure Canadians that any extension of our mission in Afghanistan will be subject to a vote in Parliament?
Lawrence Cannon ConservativeMinister of Foreign Affairs
Mr. Speaker, I will reassure the Leader of the Opposition once again: our military mission will end in 2011, as we indicated in the throne speech.
After that, Canada will continue to maintain diplomatic relations and monitor development through its embassy in Kabul, as we do in other countries.
Ujjal Dosanjh Liberal Vancouver South, BC
Mr. Speaker, the government appointed Mr. Iacobucci at the last minute on a Friday morning, then took two weeks to release his terms of reference, and this morning dumped some torture documents in the House without Mr. Iacobucci reviewing them.
What was the government's objective in hiring him? Was it just a stalling tactic? Why is Mr. Iacobucci being circumvented? Does he have a real job, or is this just more cover for the government?
Rob Nicholson ConservativeMinister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada
Mr. Speaker, it is quite the opposite. Mr. Justice Iacobucci is going to undertake an independent comprehensive review of all the documents. The government has said that officials will make all relevant documents available and the tabling today is part of that process.
Ujjal Dosanjh Liberal Vancouver South, BC
Mr. Speaker, as I said, the government dumped some torture documents in this House. They have been ready since January to be released to the House, yet there was no translation, no copies. They were in no particular order. The government has had three and a half months to provide these documents, yet its response today has been totally incoherent and totally disorderly, like chickens with their heads cut off.
When will the government provide a coherent answer to this torture scandal?
Rob Nicholson ConservativeMinister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada
Mr. Speaker, at least we know how to vote.
Again, we have indicated that officials will provide all legally available documents. There is a process in place with Mr. Justice Iacobucci. I would suggest that the hon. member let Mr. Justice Iacobucci do his work.
Gilles Duceppe Bloc Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC
Mr. Speaker, Djemila Benhabib, the Algerian-born Quebec author who wrote Ma vie à contre-Coran, happened to learn that CSIS ran a credit check on her. When she asked CSIS why, it sent her a heavily censored document with, for information, paragraph and page numbers.
What is the Prime Minister waiting for to reform monitoring agencies like CSIS, as he promised he would some time ago?
Perhaps the Prime Minister does not really want to proceed with a reform since he shares the same philosophy as CSIS, in other words, a culture of censorship and secrecy at the expense of human rights.
Vic Toews ConservativeMinister of Public Safety
Mr. Speaker, as has been indicated many times in this House, when the redaction of documents is done, it is done at an arm's length from the government by senior public servants, in the same way that the previous Liberal government did it. I will look into this particular matter, but I can assure the member that any redaction that was done was done by senior public servants at an arm's length from the government.
Gilles Duceppe Bloc Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC
Mr. Speaker, the security intelligence review committee website is available in English, French and Arabic.
How does the minister explain that? Is this not proof that CSIS engages in racial profiling? If not, what interest does it have in posting information in Arabic?
Vic Toews ConservativeMinister of Public Safety
Mr. Speaker, I am certainly pleased that the CSIS information and website are in English and French. As to why the information is also in Arabic, I cannot say at this point, but I will certainly get back to the member with an answer.
Claude Bachand Bloc Saint-Jean, QC
Mr. Speaker, we learned that the U.S. government is about to ask, through NATO, that 500 to 600 Canadian troops be maintained in Afghanistan after July 2011. However, the Conservative government has said repeatedly that no Canadian troops would remain in Afghanistan after that date.
Can the Conservative government assure us that it will not follow up on this request and that it will respect the July 2011 date for the withdrawal of Canadian troops from Afghanistan?
Lawrence Cannon ConservativeMinister of Foreign Affairs
Mr. Speaker, I wish to point out again that our military mission will end in 2011, as agreed, as mentioned in the Speech from the Throne, and as has been repeated time and again in this House and elsewhere. It is clear: in 2011, we will no longer be there.
Claude Bachand Bloc Saint-Jean, QC
Mr. Speaker, the government refuses to give us the facts regarding the extension of the Afghan mission. It is the same thing with the heavily censored documents that it released this morning. The government pretends to be cooperating, but in fact it is hiding the truth.
Why does the government refuse to comply with the order of the House, which requires that all documents on the torture of Afghan detainees be made available to it in their full version?
Rob Nicholson ConservativeMinister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada
Mr. Speaker, the government has been very clear. The government has said that it will provide all legally available documents. With respect to the redactions, these are done by non-partisan public servants whose only interest is the protection of national security in this country. That should have the support of the hon. member.
Thomas Mulcair NDP Outremont, QC
Mr. Speaker, this morning the government tabled a pile of documents that are supposed to be its response to a question of privilege that is hanging over its head.
This is an old lawyer's trick: flood the interested party with documents—in this case heavily censored—to buy time.
This is contempt for the House, for elected members and, more importantly, for Canadians.
When will the government stop playing games and comply with the House order?
Rob Nicholson ConservativeMinister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada
Mr. Speaker, it is with respect for the House that the documents were in fact tabled. The hon. member, his party, and others have been asking for these documents. Again, this is what was done this morning. I am surprised that the hon. member now seems to be miserable about that.
Thomas Mulcair NDP Outremont, QC
Mr. Speaker, this House ordered the government to give elected members protected access to uncensored documents. Instead, we got two boxes of contempt for Parliament, for its Speaker and especially for Canadians, who have a right to know the truth about their government's behaviour.
Behind the lie that this is about national security, it is the same old story. The Conservatives are just trying to buy time to protect themselves. Tell the whole truth, respect Parliament, and allow secure access to all the documents.
Rob Nicholson ConservativeMinister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada
Mr. Speaker, I would encourage the hon. member to have a look at the documents. There are 2,500 pages. He should not jump to any conclusions until he actually has them. This is not like the budget. He should read it and have a look at it before he comes to any conclusions. That is my advice to the hon. member.
Thomas Mulcair NDP Outremont, QC
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Foreign Affairs has just given two very different answers in French and in English. In his English answer he said, “Canada's military mission will be over in 2011”. In his French version he says,
“It is clear: in 2011, we will no longer be there.”
Two very different answers. One refers to the military mission, the other is a very general statement that we are gone. Yes or no, all troops gone from Afghanistan in 2011. Yes or no?
Lawrence Cannon ConservativeMinister of Foreign Affairs
Mr. Speaker, if instead the hon. member would listen to the answers, he would know that I said “military”. So, I will repeat it again. Allow me to point out to the hon. member that Canada's military mission will end in 2011.
Alexandra Mendes Liberal Brossard—La Prairie, QC
Mr. Speaker, in last year's budget, the Conservatives confirmed that the retiree issue was so important that they would hold consultations with Canadians within 90 days.
They did not respect their own deadline. More than a year later, these consultations had still not produced a concrete proposal for the provinces at the meeting in December and had produced even less for Canadians. And what did the government announce yet again? Consultations. Enough with the empty promises. The provinces want measures and Canadians are demanding answers.
When will we get a definitive answer?