Bill Graham

[Zimbabwe, February 27th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, as the hon. member knows, the Prime Minister will be attending the CHOGM meeting Australia. We have taken very positive steps to ensure that Commonwealth inspectors are present in Zimbabwe. We are working as much as we can with our African partners to try to ensure as much integrity as is possible in that election process.

I am confident that the Prime Minister, when he leads our delegation in Australia, will be able to work with our Commonwealth partners to find a solution to this terrible problem and guarantee the integrity of the Commonwealth in the process.

[National Defence, February 27th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the right hon. member for his question because, as the Minister of National Defence stated very clearly, Canada's position has always been against the weaponization of space and we will maintain that position.

Surely the hon. member does not wish to suggest that we should not have conversations with our American allies. It is exactly in conversations that we can bring Canadian policies to bear. We will continue to insist with the Americans that we are against the weaponization of space. We will bring forward Canadian interests and Canadian values in our conversations with our American allies.

[Foreign Affairs, February 26th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, it is obviously the American authorities, who have the prisoners on their territory, who determine this.

[Foreign Affairs, February 26th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, we have already pointed out in the House that the government of the United States has assured us, and the rest of the world, that it respects the Geneva conventions, that the treatment of the Guantanamo detainees conforms to international standards for humanitarian rights and that the Red Cross is in a position to inform the world if this is not the case. To date, we are satisfied that the American government is keeping its word.

[Foreign Affairs, February 26th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, obviously the member opposite knows a lot more about the coalition than anybody on this side of the House. So far our colleagues seem to be better at coalition dividing than coalition building.

In any event, the importance is that the United States has taken no decision in the matter. No country has taken any decision in the matter. We remain firm in working within the United Nations context. There is nothing new in the CSIS report that we are not aware of and has not been forming government policy for many years.

[Foreign Affairs, February 26th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, Canada has been in the forefront with its allies in seeking a stop to development of nuclear arms by Iraq. We have acted through the United Nations. We continue to do so. We continue to back our allies in this very important matter. We will continue to operate within the confines of international law and international relations in a way that is in the best interests of Canada, and not necessarily following the lead of anybody else.

[Foreign Affairs, February 25th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the hon. member for his question, which interests hundreds of thousands of Canadians. We welcome the peace initiative in Sri Lanka and we welcome the initiative of the government of Norway.

I want to tell the House that we will do everything we can in this country to ensure that there is a lasting peace in Sri Lanka which will respond to the legitimate concerns of all citizens of that country.

I am proud of the fact that CIDA has engaged in a program in Sri Lanka over the last couple of years searching to find solutions to conflict resolution, solutions to federalism. In fact, the Secretary of State for Western Economic Diversification was made a part of that team. We are proud of our efforts to date and we will continue those efforts.

[Zimbabwe, February 22nd, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, as I responded to the member when he last asked this question, we are working through the Commonwealth to ensure that we have observers present in Zimbabwe. We are interested in the Zimbabwean people and in giving them the best opportunity they have for elections.

We have Commonwealth observers there. I spoke to the foreign minister of Botswana the other day. I spoke to the secretary general at the Commonwealth. We continue to urge our observers to be there to guarantee free and fair elections in Zimbabwe. When the process is over we will examine what actions we should take against Mugabe and his regime, but let us give the--

[Middle East, February 21st, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, I am confident that all members of this House share the hon. member's wish for a return to peace in the Middle East.

This year, we have the opportunity to chair the G-8, and I can promise hon. members that the Prime Minister and myself will do our best to convince our G-8 colleagues to take part in a peace process in the Middle East.

[Middle East, February 21st, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, I agree with the premise of the question.

It goes without saying that a broader process is desirable. However, the hon. member, who is very knowledgeable about foreign affairs, also knows that the agreement of the parties involved in the conflict is necessary before that conflict can be resolved.

Canada's policy is to take a calming approach and convince the parties involved in the conflict to put an end to violence and allow the international community to work with them to restore peace in that very troubled region.