Mr. Speaker, I find it very difficult to justify a purchase which has not been made.
House of Commons photoWon his last election, in 2000, with 67% of the vote.
Purchase Of Submarines October 31st, 1995
Mr. Speaker, I find it very difficult to justify a purchase which has not been made.
Purchase Of Submarines October 31st, 1995
Mr. Speaker, there has been no decision to date.
Canadian Forces October 30th, 1995
Mr. Speaker, as the Prime Minister has said, Canada would consider participating in any force set up to help keep the peace in Bosnia after the appropriate peace settlement is negotiated. That is an option we are keeping open and one that we will consider.
Canadians appreciate that we have worked very hard in that area for the last three or four years and that we have contributed much. That does not mean to say we would not be prepared to continue our co-operation with any new force.
Canadian Forces October 30th, 1995
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the hon. member for his question. I wish to commend all members of the Canadian Forces who worked in the former Yugoslavia during the past four years.
They served with great distinction, and we are proud of all members of the Canadian Forces.
It is not very well known that Canada now has joining among its citizens upon the return of members from the armed forces more veterans from armed conflict at any time since the Korean war. The men and women who have served in Bosnia and Croatia have seen terrible hostility. They have seen a society that has been ravaged.
They have brought the best principles of civility, tolerance and compassion of a united Canada to bear upon their service in that area.
Somalia Inquiry October 27th, 1995
Mr. Speaker, no one has ever accused me of being unduly subtle. Every member of the Canadian Armed Forces has an obligation to come forward to that commission. The government will not tolerate any intimidation toward any of those people.
I hope the hon. member understands the message. Certainly the members of the armed forces understand it.
Somalia Inquiry October 27th, 1995
Mr. Speaker, the hon. member knows full well there is no truth to that assertion.
The government has nothing to hide with respect to the engagement of Canadian forces personnel to Somalia. It was this government in opposition that had asked the former government to set up a board of inquiry. That was long before the election. We did that once the court martials were dealt with.
However, what happened this week is rather unfortunate since the tone of a letter sent by a Department of Justice official has given the wrong impression to the various counsel. The chairman of the commission has called for the various counsel to discuss this matter and to make sure the impression the hon. member has reached that somehow we want people not to come forward is dispelled.
The lawyers for the respective individuals before the commission and the commission lawyers themselves are working this matter out.
Quebec Referendum October 27th, 1995
Mr. Speaker, I welcome the question.
President Clinton clearly said that Monday's vote is a domestic issue. It is for Canadians to decide. However, the president also said that his country hopes to maintain relations with a strong and united Canada. I have no doubt that, after Monday's vote, Canada will remain united and strong.
As for the other part of the question, I fully agree with the opinion expressed by the hon. member.
The question of trading arrangements in the context of sovereignty will be the one described by the hon. member.
Route Canada October 26th, 1995
Tell us what happened.
Somalia Inquiry October 25th, 1995
Mr. Speaker, we do not have to salvage the inquiry. The inquiry is doing extremely well under the leadership of three very prominent commissioners.
I am informed by the Minister of Justice that his officials have been discussing this matter with all concerned, including the commission, and perhaps more will be said on this tomorrow when my colleague returns to the House.
Somalia Inquiry October 25th, 1995
Mr. Speaker, this is a matter under the purview of my colleague, the Minister of Justice, who was just called from the Chamber.
However, the letter to which the hon. member referred, written by a Department of Justice official, reflects the longstanding practice reflective of professional conduct with respect to lawyers in that they do not deal with other people's clients without counsel's being informed. That is a basic principle which the Minister of Justice will address.