Art Eggleton

[Kosovo, April 22nd, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, as I indicated yesterday, the costs so far for the deployment into Aviano and for the other involvements of the Canadian forces have been a total of $32.4 million to date. This started when the first six CF-18s were deployed into Aviano last June.

Since the air campaign began the total cost for the Canadian forces has been $11.9 million. We are in the throes of putting together the figures of other costs. As soon as we have those costs and projections we will be happy to make them available.

[Criminal Records Act, April 21st, 1999]

moved that Bill C-69, an act to amend the Criminal Records Act and to amend another act in consequence, be read for the second time and referred to a committee.

[Kosovo, April 21st, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, in view of the comment by the President of the United States about its $6 billion cost, I think it is fair to note what our costs are. Of course they are far more modest. Since June of last year when we first put our CF-18s into Aviano, Italy, the total cost to this date is $32.4 million. Since the air campaign began some 28 days ago, it is approximately $11.9 million.

The Government of Canada will of course meet those commitments. At the same time, it will also complete its obligation to improve the pay and benefits and quality of life for our fine Canadian forces.

[Kosovo, April 20th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, I think the people from the fifth party are hallucinating. I have the two articles that the defence critic cited from earlier in his question to me in terms of our involvement. Neither one of them mentions the Canadian forces at all.

[Kosovo, April 20th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, we have CF personnel in Aviano working as part of the air campaign. We do have people in Macedonia and Albania who are trying to help the refugees. Tens of thousands of refugees are pouring over the border every day because of the terrible atrocities being committed on them by the Milosevic government. That is why we are over there. We are over there to help those people, to return to them their human rights, their dignity and their right to live in peace and security in Kosovo. That is why we are over there.

Why can we not have the support of that party in doing what Canadians want us to do?

[Kosovo, April 20th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, we have to be careful of what we talk about in terms of our strategic involvement in the area of the Balkans now and in—

[Kosovo, April 20th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, this is unbelievable. I said yesterday that there have not been any troops on the ground in Kosovo or Yugoslavia. I am not prepared to go beyond that for the security of our personnel.

The hon. member received a letter, of which I have a copy, from a citizen who said “When CF personnel go in harm's way it is the responsibility of all Canadians to do everything possible to ensure they are supported and protected to the maximum possible extent. In most instances, that includes keeping your mouth shut”.

[Kosovo, April 20th, 1999]

Yes, Mr. Speaker, I believe that is a quote which originated with the member for Compton—Stanstead.

We are endeavouring to add to our pool of qualified pilots, both jet fighter pilots and pilots of other aircraft that we have.

We are bearing in mind that they need to be kept for other purposes, such as the commitments we have to NORAD, as well as other training obligations. We are bearing that in mind in terms of the deployment of our jet pilots into this theatre in Aviano.

[Kosovo, April 20th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, there are provisions for funds for special missions whether they be the kind of mission we are in now or other peacekeeping missions. However, when we run out of those funds then we have to seek additional funds for that purpose.

As I think I indicated in answer to the previous question, the costs are not of an unreasonable nature at this point in time—those are the incremental costs—but certainly if additional funds are needed then these matters will be discussed in cabinet.

[Kosovo, April 20th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, there will be additional funds that I will seek, but the cost to this point in time in terms of the Canadian forces is approximately $32 million in incremental costs going back to the first deployment of the CF-18s. However, there will be additional costs and there are efforts being put together now to get those numbers ready for members of the House.

I also want to indicate that I appreciate the comments of the hon. member with respect to the well-being of our troops. Interestingly enough, I received some additional comments from citizens, for example, of Calgary. This is addressed to the hon. member for Compton—Stanstead, the Conservative defence critic. He addresses the member by saying:

Your comments regarding soldiers in Kosovo are very dangerous and damaging to any ground troops that are undercover in that war.

He said:

Get real man. If those comments were made for political gain then you come up a big loser.