Grant Hill

[Member for LaSalle—Émard, April 2nd, 2003]

Mr. Speaker, in the 1994 budget the former finance minister closed the tax loophole to Liberia but left the Barbados loophole wide open.

The minister had big holdings in Barbados through Canada Steamship Lines which brings profits into Canada tax free.

If that is not a conflict of interest, what is?

[Health, April 1st, 2003]

Mr. Speaker, that is not exactly what I was getting at.

The WHO asked us to screen passengers as they depart. It did not ask us to put posters on the wall. It did not ask them to self-diagnose.

My question for the health minister is straightforward. The WHO has asked us to screen passengers as they depart Toronto, just like we screen for our baggage contents. Why can Canada not do that, with this minister at the helm?

[Health, April 1st, 2003]

Mr. Speaker, SARS is a health issue that is significantly important to Canadians. The Ontario government has taken preventive steps. However, when the federal government was asked by the World Health Organization to screen all outgoing passengers, the minister said no.

I would like her to explain that.

[Canadian Forces, March 28th, 2003]

Mr. Speaker, support them but will not even say that they were there at the start.

Canadian air force personnel are also involved in this war in AWACS radar planes in Iraqi airspace. Here is what one wife said about her husband. She said “He is extremely proud to serve his country”. She had one simple message for the Liberals across the way. She said “Let's be proud. Let's stand up. Let's cheer them. Let's say 'come home safely'”.

The Canadian Alliance is proud. The Canadian Alliance is standing up. We have cheered them. We say “Come home safely”. Why will the Liberal government not say the same?

[Canadian Forces, March 28th, 2003]

Mr. Speaker, Canadian soldiers paid a huge price for democracy and freedom. In fact, it is said that our nation was born at Vimy Ridge.

Thanks to the Liberal government, the fight for freedom and democracy in Iraq is being undertaken underneath the Union Jack.

These brave Canadian soldiers are doing this country proud. Why has the Liberal government abandoned them?

[Canadian Forces, March 28th, 2003]

Mr. Speaker, contrary to what the Prime Minister has told the Canadian people, a British military spokesman confirmed that Canadian soldiers are in fact on the front line facing the same dangers as British troops in Iraq. The only difference is that our soldiers are fighting without the full support of the Liberal government.

It is bad enough that the Liberals are not supporting our friends but why will they not support our soldiers?

[Iraq, March 27th, 2003]

Mr. Speaker, let us talk about multilateral. On March 24, 1999, the Prime Minister stated in the House:

--the time has come to tell the leader of the Republic of Yugoslavia that we cannot tolerate the activities that he is imposing on the people of [Yugoslavia]...

Then, without a UN resolution, we entered a just war against tyranny.

With exactly the same logic, why are we tolerating the same activities that Saddam Hussein is perpetrating on the people of Iraq? Why are we not supporting our allies?

[Iraq, March 27th, 2003]

Mr. Speaker, Saddam Hussein's terror tactics include beheading women of families suspected of disloyalty. This terror tactic is done in public to maximize fear. Since this behaviour of Saddam Hussein is well known, why did the Liberal government not support our historic allies to stop Saddam Hussein dead in his tracks?

[Supply, March 25th, 2003]

Mr. Speaker, that final comment gives me the opportunity to tell my other horror story about the gun registry.

I have a pistol and it was registered in my name. I could only take it from my home to the shooting club. Along came the registry and of course I registered that pistol. It came back that it was not registered as I thought it was even though I had gone through all the process. It looks like the pistol registry has somehow been lost.

As my colleague said, the registry of pistols has had no impact on the criminal misuse in Canada, but what would? Severe penalties for those who use a pistol inappropriately.

[Supply, March 25th, 2003]

Mr. Speaker, I actually do think there is a benefit in the firearms registry. The benefit is that the public has paid more attention to this issue since the funding has become evident.

Prediction is troublesome in this place but once again I predict that the Canadian public will ask for a review of this program. When will that occur? It will probably not occur from this debate nor the vote that will be taken tonight, but at the next election. That review, I believe, will be very interesting to behold.