Bill Graham

[Foreign Affairs, February 20th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, I totally reject the premise of the question. As I said, the government's response is not weaker. We are continuing to monitor this. We are continuing to work through the UN system. We will continue to ensure not only that we have the support of the world community in what we do, but the support of our backbenchers while his backbenchers continue the internecine dispute which they are presently in.

[Foreign Affairs, February 20th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, the government is extremely concerned with the position of Iraq. As I said in the House on repeated occasions to the hon. member, we continue to do exactly what we did, as he referred to in the past, and that is work within the United Nations system and the sanctions regime of the UN to enforce them, to strengthen them and to apply them to the government of Iraq, and to avoid punishing innocent civilians.

That is what we continue to do and we will continue to ensure that weapons of mass destruction are not acquired by Saddam Hussein and used to disturb the peace of the world.

[Foreign Affairs, February 19th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, as I have already told the House in this regard, the Government of Canada acts in the interests of Canada and of Canadians, and we will act in the interests of Canadians in the future. We are not reacting in the interests of others, but in our own, and that is what we will continue to do.

[Foreign Affairs, February 19th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member will recall that he played a constructive role in the debates at the committee when we examined the application of sanctions against Iraq. An all party committee of the House sought to ensure that those sanctions would be effective in punishing the evil regime of Saddam Hussein and not punish innocent people in that country.

I can assure the member we will continue to work through the United Nations Security Council to make sure that does work. We will sharpen sanctions. We will make sure that they apply to the evildoers in the world and not the general population.

[Foreign Affairs, February 19th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, I am proud of the discussions we have in our cabinet about this issue. A free and democratic society likes to have an open debate about issues and we rejoice in it.

I want to say as well that we have the respect of our American allies precisely because we are a free and democratic society. We discuss these matters with them as equals and will continue to do so.

[Foreign Affairs, February 19th, 2002]

As I said, Mr. Speaker, the view of the government today is that we have been working through the international mechanisms to constrain Iraq. This is something that has constantly been going on, not only with our American allies but with all our allies who are equally concerned with the situation in Iraq and who do not wish to see the Middle East or all of the world peace destabilized by this man or by any action that might be taken against him either.

[Foreign Affairs, February 19th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, what the Prime Minister has made very clear, and what all members of the House are familiar with, is that he and the government will act in the interests of this country when called upon to do so in any situation.

We continue to take a strong stand against Saddam Hussein and will continue to do so, but any future action will be determined in the interests of Canada and what Canadians should do.

[Foreign Affairs, February 19th, 2002]

On the contrary, Mr. Speaker, I think it is clear from the comments of the Prime Minister and from this side of the House that is exactly what we are doing.

We are operating, within the international system, in a responsible way to make sure Saddam Hussein is not able to acquire weapons of mass destruction and threaten the peace of the world, and this is what we will continue to do.

[Foreign Affairs, February 19th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, the government's position on Iraq has always been totally clear. We have clearly supported the position at the United Nations of bringing sanctions to bear against a person or a regime which we find detestable. We will continue to support that and to support UN actions against Iraq. We will continue to make sure we are free to act to constrain Saddam Hussein.

[Foreign Affairs, February 18th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, as I have said to the House, the government has been very firm in its actions in respect of Iraq. We are not fooled by any suggestions of Saddam Hussein. We continue to work strongly throughout the United Nations framework to ensure that sanctions will be applied and to ensure that inspections will take place.

We will continue in the future to examine all options necessary to ensure that they do not acquire weapons of mass destruction. The Prime Minister has made that clear.