Sarkis Assadourian

[Organized Crime, October 26th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada.

Money laundering, corruption and other criminal activities pose a serious threat to the stability of the emerging democracy in the Soviet Union and contribute to organized criminal activities in Canada.

In light of the recent G-8 meeting in Russia, would the minister explain to the House what steps the government is taking to control the activities of multinational criminal organizations?

[Tobacco Act, October 18th, 1999]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-225, an act to amend the Tobacco Act (substances contained in a tobacco product).

Mr. Speaker, again this is the same bill that was introduced in the previous session of parliament.

I hope to have the support of members of parliament this time around so we can introduce the bill and label it as the tobacco act. It asks parliament to add each and every substance contained in a tobacco product so smokers can see and read what poisons they are inhaling as they smoke.

(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)

[Recognition Of Crimes Against Humanity Act, October 18th, 1999]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-224, an act to establish by the beginning of the 21st century an exhibit in the Canadian Museum of Civilization to recognize the crimes against humanity as defined by the United Nations that have been perpetrated during the 20th century.

Mr. Speaker, first I want to take this opportunity to join millions of Canadians to wish happy birthday to former Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau.

Second, this bill was previously introduced in the last session of parliament as Bill C-479. I am reintroducing it in this session of parliament.

I also take this opportunity to thank the millions of Canadian who supported the bill throughout the last 10 months. I hope to have their support again in the coming months while we pursue the bill all the way through to third reading.

(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)

[Business Of The House, October 14th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I was a few minutes late and I would ask for the unanimous consent of the House to present a private members' bill.

[Peacekeeping, October 13th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister for International Co-operation. She is a brand new minister and I congratulate her.

Will the minister inform the House of Canada's response to a call for humanitarian assistance as we commit resources and expertise to the UN peacekeeping efforts in East Timor?

[Foreign Affairs, June 10th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, in February, in answer to my question in the House on the Armenian issue, the Minister of Foreign Affairs indicated that he had held a consultation process which involved members of parliament, concerned Canadian communities, historians and others.

Could the Minister of Foreign Affairs please inform the House of any conclusions that have been reached as a result of this consultation?

[Supply, June 8th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member should know that when a man with more than one wife applies for immigration status in Canada, he is disqualified by this motion from being called a family. If a Muslim family from the Middle East or anywhere else applies to come to Canada with more than one wife, the hon. member is basically asking them to drop the other wives at home, break up the family and come back here.

The hon. member must address this issue before we vote on the subject. It is a very important issue.

[Supply, June 8th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, I too have no problem supporting the motion, but I have a question for the hon. member.

Many Canadians of the Muslim faith are allowed to marry more than one woman. The motion defines marriage as being the union between only one man and one woman. How would this affect a person of the Muslim faith if he is married to more than one woman? Would that be defined as a family by this motion or would there be a different category for them?

[Supply, April 27th, 1999]

Madam Speaker, I followed intensely the comments made by the hon. member, who sits on the the foreign affairs committee with me.

Almost a decade ago the Berlin wall collapsed and the Warsaw treaty was no longer in force. NATO is now the only military alliance in Europe.

Let us think forward and assume that the Kosovo issue is resolved. Because the Warsaw pact is no longer in force to counter NATO and the UN, what kind of changes does the hon. member envision for NATO that would prevent its members from acting differently than they would have 10 years ago when the Warsaw pact was in place? Does he have any suggestions to make with respect to revamping NATO and the UN so that we can go forward into the 21st century with new institutions and without the cold war?

[Armenia, April 26th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, I rise to commemorate the 84th anniversary of the horrible premeditated mass murder of 1.5 million Armenians at the hands of the Ottoman Empire that occurred in 1915.

Over 1,500 Canadian Armenians from across Canada gathered in Ottawa this weekend to honour their dead and to remind all Canadians to consider the horrible loss of life and terrible suffering that the ultimate crime of genocide has inflicted upon its victims.

In 1996 the House unanimously designated April 20 to 27 of each year as the week of remembrance of inhumanity of people toward one another. During this week, let us honour the victims of the Armenian genocide. Let us recognize its horrors and pledge to eliminate this evil act from our society.