Art Eggleton

[Immigration, November 29th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, the men and women of the Canadian forces are patrolling the shores and waters around our country daily. In fact, our country has more water around it than any other country in the world. We do have a very effective patrolling system using naval vessels and Aurora surveillance aircraft. All of these were used to assist the department of immigration with respect to this matter of the smuggling of immigrants.

Furthermore, we used our facilities in Esquimalt to house these people when they arrived in Canada.

[National Defence, November 25th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, as I said a moment ago, the matter is not sitting on my desk. The matter is in full process toward a decision that will be made.

Yes, we will replace it by 2005. We have been able to streamline the procedures for procurement over and above what the Conservatives had when they were in government. We will be able, in a shorter period of time, to purchase the right replacement for the Sea King.

[National Defence, November 25th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, it is my number one priority, as I have quite clearly indicated, but it is not solely a matter of this department. It is also a matter for other departments and consultations that need to go on with other departments.

As well, because of the major nature of this government expenditure, it involves the elected representatives of a fully accountable government. We are going through that process and as quickly as possible we are going to purchase a new helicopter.

[National Defence, November 24th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, I think the hon. member should stop making a laughing stock of the Canadian air force because our personnel performed very well in East Timor. Our personnel delivered over 2 million pounds of goods. They delivered over 2,000 people into East Timor to help the people of East Timor. They actually engaged in some 35% to 40% of all of the transport missions in that area of operation. That is a big achievement.

[National Defence, November 24th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member will be pleased to know that the replacement of the Sea King helicopter is our number one priority. We are in fact in the midst of a procurement strategy development so that we can replace them.

Meanwhile, we will make sure that those Sea Kings, as long as they have to fly, will be safe for our people to fly. We have a very high maintenance and inspection standard in this country with our Canadian military. As soon as we can, we will get those new helicopters.

[National Defence, November 18th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, I indicated the Canadian forces are financially stressed. I am seeking additional resources so that we can do what the Speech from the Throne said, and that is to make sure it has the capacity to be able to do its job.

One thing I do not understand is that in the last election campaign Reformers said they would put a freeze on all spending, including defence spending, for three years and dedicate all surpluses to tax and debt relief. Are they breaking their promise? Are they now changing their position? Who can believe them?

[National Defence, November 18th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, the Canadian forces are not on the verge of collapse. It is true that financially we are stressed but by the same token let us not exaggerate. That certainly is an exaggeration.

The government has invested money in new equipment. It has either bought new equipment or is modernizing and upgrading all the major equipment our forces use. We have invested money in salary increases and the quality of life of our personnel because it puts them first and foremost, and we will continue to do that.

[Speech From The Throne, November 17th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for that question. Of paramount importance to us is the quality of life of our men and women who serve this country. They put their lives on the line. They have what is called unlimited liability. They do get injured and they do lose their lives in many circumstances. We have had over 100 peacekeepers in the time that we have been involved in peacekeeping who have lost their lives.

We owe it to them to make sure we do the best we can to improve their quality of life and that we support them and their families. That is an absolute number one priority.

[Speech From The Throne, November 17th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, in talking about empty rhetoric, I think we just got a bit of that.

The member seems to have forgotten that the cuts first of all started back in the years of the Progressive Conservative government. We did take further amounts from all budgets. I understood what the hon. member's party wanted us to do and what we of course wanted to do and promised to do was to eliminate the deficit. We had to cut costs to do that, so yes, we did that.

We organized the budget in a way that makes it as efficient and as effective as it possibly can be. We have got great value for the taxpayers' dollars out of what we are doing. We are meeting our commitments. There is no doubt that we are squeezed for funds, that we need additional funds.

The Reform Party would not be giving us any additional funds if we followed what it suggested and promised in the last election. I take it the Reform Party stands by its promises from the last election. It said it would put a freeze on any additional expenditure for three years and that all of the money in surpluses would go for debt and tax reduction. On the formula that it promised in the last election campaign, not one penny would come from the Reform Party to help defence.

This year this government increased the defence budget. The Minister of Finance stood in the House in February, and he received a standing ovation, when he indicated that for the first time in a dozen years additional money was being provided for our troops.

Let me also give one other illustration of where we have improved and we have made it more efficient and more effective. We played a major front line role in the Kosovo air campaign. No one likes to talk about bombing and about the need to attack, but when it came to putting our resources and our people on the line, we were able to do that. We could not even do it to that extent in the gulf war because we did not have the equipment that was necessary to play that kind of a front line role. However, we did it in the Kosovo air campaign. I think that quite clearly indicates, as the chief of defence staff has clearly indicated, we are more combat capable. Our troops are more combat capable today than they were in the early nineties.

We have managed to get the deficit eliminated. We have managed to buy new equipment. We have managed to change many parts of the Canadian forces with over 300 changes and reforms. We have managed to make our troops more combat capable so that they can operate in defence of peace and in the building of peace. I think that is greatly to the credit of the government. It is certainly not a position we would be in if the Reform Party were managing the budget.

[Speech From The Throne, November 17th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, I agree with the hon. member that Rwanda was a terrible tragedy. I think the international community failed to come to the support of the people of that country at a time when it was necessary.

This country, Canada, did its utmost to help. General Dallaire was the commander who was there. He was putting forth the best effort he could with very little resources and very little support from the United Nations in New York. He cared a great deal about what was happening in Rwanda, so much so that it has affected him and his health very significantly. A fine officer, a man who is dedicated to this country has paid a fair price in terms of his health as a result of this.

It was he who decided not to attend this conference. He did consult the department. He did not consult me personally, but he did consult. He has gone in other cases for example, to the United Nations and to other tribunals of a more legal nature and has testified about Rwanda. This is not an easy thing to do for a man with the memories that he has of Rwanda. However, he has made every effort to be helpful.

I think his initial instinct when he was asked about this conference was to do it because he wants to be helpful. That is the nature of the man. However, on further reflection he decided that it perhaps was not advisable to do. That was a decision he had to make, but please remember that what happened and what he saw in Rwanda has had a very profound effect on him.

This country wants to do everything that is possible, whether it is Rwanda, or Kosovo, or East Timor to try to prevent that kind of human suffering, to try to help people get respect for their human rights, to make sure that their human security is looked after. Canada will continue to play a major role in doing that.