Lost her last election, in 2006, with 39% of the vote.
Supply February 10th, 2003
Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I think you will find that there is unanimous consent for the following motion:
That, at the conclusion of today's debate on the opposition motion, all questions necessary to dispose of the said motion be deemed put and a recorded division deemed requested and deferred until Tuesday, February 11, 2003, at 3 p.m.
Questions on the Order Paper February 10th, 2003
Mr. Speaker, I ask that all questions be allowed to stand.
Government Response to Petitions February 10th, 2003
Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36(8) I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the government's response to nine petitions.
Iraq February 7th, 2003
Mr. Speaker, as the minister said yesterday, the initiatives on the part of other countries, such as those of the British and the French, are theirs to make.
We have been very supportive of the Security Council. We are satisfied very much with the efforts it is making. Our perspective is that we are to represent Canada and are doing exactly that.
Supply February 6th, 2003
Mr. Speaker, I cannot agree with the contentions of the hon. member that the only way to solve a dilemma like Saddam Hussein and Iraq is to have him staring at the end of a gun. The incongruity is that the member quoted his leader and what his comments were initially with regard to war as an instrument of state craft.
My difficulty also extends to the comments that there has been no leadership on this side of the House. Support has been given by the government to bring the United States into the Security Council, to support the tenets and articles of resolution 1441. To stand firm in all regards on putting the pressure in a united, multilateral way on Saddam Hussein has been very much part and parcel of the initiatives taken by the government.
I am at a loss to determine just what leadership is according to the member's definition. Is it only to be at the end of a gun? Is it not to include all of the work that we have done with the United Nations for many decades?
Supply February 6th, 2003
Mr. Speaker, I listened very carefully and worked hard to follow the thread of the hon. member's thought. However I got lost along the way.
What does the hon. member intend to tell Mr. Pepper who was one of 90 peace demonstrators? Could she clarify for me her and her party's position that because their sense of the United Nations potential is not up to their bar, they are advocating war and going ahead with a war against Iraq outside of the United Nations with allies. Is that going to be the content of the hon. member's letter to Mr. Pepper?
Supply February 6th, 2003
Mr. Speaker, it is important to note the reasoning on the part of the foreign affairs minister in this morning's committee meeting. I want to query the member about his lack of understanding.
The minister made clear that his concern about providing a venue at this time for Iraqi officials would distract them from the onus that is heavily upon them to be working with the people in the country right now looking for weapons and that it is their job to be doing just that. Their venue is the United Nations. That is exactly where the Iraqis are to focus. To create a whole series of discussions in parliaments around the world, from our perspective, would do nothing to achieve peace and would provide further obfuscation.
I want to ask the hon. member: what is it about what has been said to date by the Iraqi officials and what happened regarding the way they have approached this, namely, failing to come forward and meeting the onus set by resolution 1441, does he not understand. What does he need to hear again in a committee room in the House of Commons?
Ontario Special Olympics February 5th, 2003
Mr. Speaker, this past weekend I had the pleasure of attending the closing ceremonies for the Ontario Special Olympics winter games held in my riding.
In all, 300 athletes participated in the games and 800 volunteers helped to ensure that the games ran smoothly. The medal winners will move on to the nationals in Prince Edward Island next year.
I would like to thank the many volunteers in the community who worked hard and gave so generously of their time.
I would like to repeat what I said to the athletes on Saturday night.
“I applaud your spirit and your dedication. Your efforts have set an extraordinary example. Our community is richer because you have participated in the winter games here with us”.
Human Rights December 10th, 2002
Mr. Speaker, today, on the occasion of Human Rights Day, I invite members of the House of Commons to reflect on the significance of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the United Nations General Assembly 54 years ago. The principles entrenched in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights provide the foundation for today's complex machinery for human rights protection.
The promotion of human rights has been a fundamental principle of Canadian foreign policy, related to the values of diversity, tolerance and respect for others.
We are proud of Canadian achievements in the area, which include the drafting of the original document by McGill professor John Peters Humphreys and, more recently, playing a leadership role in the establishment of the International Criminal Court.
The government reaffirms Canada's commitment to keeping human rights at the forefront of the international agenda.
Kyoto Protocol December 2nd, 2002
Mr. Speaker, I have addressed sufficiently the my scientist says, your scientist says comments. As my dear husband who is a lawyer says, “It is not the question he was supposed to answer to which I object, but the one he was about to”. Since he did not ask me the one I would like to have had asked, and I have heard many of his colleagues ask it, I would like to add that one of their greatest complaints is that in signing Kyoto, we will be put at a disadvantage with our neighbours to the south. I would have loved to have had another 40 minutes to address many points and that is one of them.
I point out some of the excellent research which shows that although the Bush administration has abandoned leadership on climate change, the American government still administers a much more substantial body of greenhouse gas reducing measures than even our government does. According to opponents of the Kyoto protocol, ratifying the protocol would damage Canada's economic competitiveness because the U.S. is not taking action to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions. The evidence assembled in this report shows that perhaps the biggest flaw in this argument is the erroneous assertion that they are not; they are collectively doing more than we and our provinces together are doing.