Svend Robinson

[Petitions, March 30th, 2001]

Madam Speaker, more than 18,000 people across Canada, particularly in Quebec, have signed petitions that I have the honour to present today. These petitions deal with secret negotiations for a future free trade area of the Americas, or FTAA, including 34 countries.

The petitioners are asking that all documents pertaining to the FTAA be made public on or before March 20.

They also say that, if this fair and reasonable request were not honoured, they would support legitimate and strictly non-violent means to obtain these documents.

These petitions were written by the alternative group Opération SalAMI, the Fédération des infirmières du Québec and the group Rights and Democracy. They were submitted to me, as member of parliament, as well as to the member for Lac-Saint-Jean.

[Trade, March 30th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister for International Trade. The minister's trade policy is coming under increasing attack with the Council of Canadians and CUPW this week launching a constitutional challenge of chapter 11 of NAFTA and the respected group, Rights and Democracy, urging that any free trade of the Americas agreement must clearly give primacy to international human rights treaties.

Will the minister tell his colleagues in Buenos Aires next week that Canada will not sign any FTAA treaty that does not put universal human rights, workers rights and the environment ahead—

[Privilege, March 28th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, the fundamental question is: Talisman Energy paid the national council to—

[Privilege, March 28th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, earlier today, at a press conference held by the hon. member for Sarnia—Lambton and the hon. member from Mississauga, the vice-chair of the foreign affairs committee, those two members confirmed that the travel within Sudan by the delegation that included the hon. member for Esquimalt—Juan de Fuca was paid for by an oil consortium which included Talisman Energy. That was confirmed directly by those members.

Furthermore, with respect to the travel and the cost of travel of the three members from Canada to Sudan, the fact is that Talisman Energy contributed significant funds to the National Council on Canada Arab Relations, which in turn were used to fund the travel of the three members who went to Sudan.

Talisman Energy funded the National Council on Canada Arab Relations with respect to this matter. Talisman Energy funded the travel within Sudan. Frankly, it is appalling that hon. members of this place would accept a trip funded by Talisman Energy, which has been complicit in some of the most egregious human rights violations in Sudan.

[Privilege, March 28th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, I trust I will be given the same courtesy as the hon. member for Esquimalt—Juan de Fuca.

[Privilege, March 28th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, I am not sure what the point was of the point of privilege. I am pleased to have the opportunity to be very clear on precisely what has taken place in this very sad affair.

The fact of the matter is—

[Foreign Affairs, March 28th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker my supplementary question is for the Secretary of State for Latin America and Africa. Earlier today two Liberal MPs, including the vice-chair of the foreign affairs committee, called for the resignation of the minister because he courageously condemned the operations of Talisman in Sudan in fuelling that bloody civil war. The member for Esquimalt—Juan de Fuca was earlier singing the praises of Talisman.

Does the minister stand by his call to Canadians to sell their shares in Talisman? Does he stand by his call for a tougher sanctions law? How does he respond to this call by his own colleagues for his resignation?

[Summit Of The Americas, March 27th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, I want to ask the hon. member a question about his comments on Colombia to try to determine what the position of the Canadian Alliance is with respect to one of the most serious issues and concerns that has been raised. That is the quite misguided proposal called Plan Colombia, in particular the military component of that plan.

I know the member for Esquimalt—Juan de Fuca was in Colombia last month. I myself was in Colombia in January and had the opportunity to meet with elected representatives, senators, members of the house of representatives, as well as many human rights defenders and others. The very strong message that I received from them was strong opposition to the military component of Plan Colombia. They pleaded that instead there be a recognition that it is social and economic concerns that must be addressed and in particular land reform.

What is the position of the Canadian Alliance? Is it like the Liberal government, which refuses to condemn the military component of Plan Colombia, or is it prepared to very clearly speak out in opposition to the military component of that plan and call for an approach that recognizes the importance of tackling poverty, land reform and dealing with the massive human rights violations in Colombia?

[Summit Of The Americas, March 27th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, I too want to thank the hon. member for his comments with respect to the issue of child poverty.

However, to bring this debate back to the question of the upcoming summit of the Americas and in particular the proposed free trade of the Americas agreement, I wonder if the hon. member is aware of the fact that the hemisphere which is the site of the FTAA in fact has the most unequal distribution of wealth on the entire planet.

There is nothing whatsoever in the proposed FTAA that would in any way reduce the gap between rich and poor. On January 1, 1994, the date that NAFTA came into force, the indigenous people of Chiapas rose up because of their concern that this would lead to greater poverty as they were pushed off their subsistence farming lands so that cash export crops could be grown by giant corporate agribusinesses.

We know as well that as a result of social dumping the number of Canadian families who are unemployed, who are now eligible for employment insurance, has risen dramatically. It is now about 35%, which means more children living in poverty.

I would like to ask the hon. member how he can defend a proposed agreement, the FTAA, that would lead to greater poverty and even more attacks on families throughout the hemisphere.

[Summit Of The Americas, March 27th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I hesitate to interrupt the hon. member and am listening with rapt attention to his speech, but I wonder if he might in some way relate it to the subject of the FTAA, which is currently being debated.