Bill Graham

[Border Security, September 30th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, I would have to take this question regarding the specific reference to an alteration of a report of which I am personally not familiar under advisement on behalf of the Deputy Prime Minister.

However, I can assure the hon. member that the matter of arming public officers at the border has been much discussed. The police are clearly of the view that the defence and the proper safety of them and the safety of other citizens is best assured by only armed police officers at our border posts. We have examined this. We have invested enormous amounts of money in securing our border, making it one of the best and safest borders in the world. I can assure the House that we will continue to do so.

[National Defence, September 30th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, huffing and puffing is one thing, but whistling and sucking is another. The hon. member cannot accuse me of rushing through procurement to get the things we need for our troops and at the same time accuse me of sending the troops out without the equipment.

Of course I am trying to get them the best equipment. This is a multinational mission. There will be other nations there with the equipment. The Chief of the Defence Staff has said that when we go in February our troops on this mission will be one of the best equipped and best led missions of all the multinational forces in Afghanistan, and that will be so.

[National Defence, September 30th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, obviously, the hon. member knows more than Canadians know and more than I know because I have not yet brought any proposal forward for the acquisition of this equipment. I suggest he is rushing his fences a bit on this one. He should wait at least until we have a proposal to make before deciding to criticize us and on what basis.

[Housing, September 30th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the member's interest in this issue and his general interest in the welfare of the families of our troops. I will work with him and other members of the committee to ensure that.

This Zonolite issue is something we have attacked very proactively. We are inspecting houses. We are scientifically looking at how we can manage this. We are shutting in those areas where they should be shut in. We are demolishing those houses which have to be demolished.

I am not aware of the specific case the hon. member referred to me, but I assure him and members of the House that I will refer it to the agency. I will request immediate information about the disposition of this matter and I will report back.

[National Defence, September 30th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, absolutely. I appreciate the hon. member's question. I treat this issue very seriously.

Hon. members in the House should know that if we take prisoners in Afghanistan, some are released immediately because they are of no interest whatsoever. Any who are kept, because of suspicion of being involved in terrorist or other activity, are treated by Canada and by our Canadian troops in accordance with all standards of humanitarian and international law. When they are then turned over to either Afghan or American authorities, the Red Cross is notified in accordance with conventions so it can take the inspections. Members of the House have heard the assurances of the American government and others that prisoners will be properly treated in accordance with humanitarian standards.

[Newfoundland and Labrador, September 29th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, I can assure the hon. member that we have been in contact with the local authorities. Military assistance has been given to the region. We have emergency preparedness in our country that is unparalleled. We discussed that this morning in cabinet.

We are ready to help and we are willing to discuss with the province of Newfoundland and Labrador exactly what we can do, what assets of a federal nature we can put in, and they will be there when they are needed and as requested. The local authorities are in charge. They have it under charge, and we are there supporting them fully.

[Question No. 169, September 26th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, based on a thorough search of available information, Agent orange was neither tested nor used on the Tracadie Range, when it belonged to the government.

[Criminal Code, September 26th, 2005]

moved for leave to introduce Bill S-37, An Act to amend the Criminal Code and the Cultural Property Export and Import Act.

(Motion agreed to and bill read the first time)

[National Defence, September 26th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member has not been in the House long enough to remember that another hon. member in this House said fuddle duddle, not fiddle-faddle, but as you may recall, that called for some interference from the Chair so I hesitate to go in that direction.

I do want to say that I will go back to where I came from in the first place. I urge the hon. member to talk to the troops. They believe we are on the right track. Of course we have problems. Do we need to speed it up? We will speed it up. Can we do better? We will do better. We are on the right track. I am proud to be the defence minister and I am proud to lead our troops as we go ahead.

[National Defence, September 26th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, I wish the hon. member had spent the summer as I did, going around talking to the members of our armed forces, who are extremely grateful to the government for stepping forward and putting into place a defence policy they respect, a new chief who is inspiring them and money to get them in the budget. We are recruiting members and the morale is higher than it has ever been before.

I hate to disappoint the hon. member, but we are going in the right direction and he knows it, so I would not play politics with this one. This government is delivering for our armed forces in a way nobody has in this country for years.