Art Eggleton

[Sea King Helicopters, March 2nd, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, we will not fly an aircraft that is not safe to fly. We have a very high maintenance level. We are not robbing it from some other accounts that deprive the military of proper training or anything of that sort.

We recognize that while we well maintain the Sea Kings, they are getting on in years and will need replacement soon. We are in the process of developing a strategy with respect to their replacement.

[National Defence, March 1st, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, I have said continuously in the House that we in fact will not fly any aircraft unless it is safe to fly. We have a very high maintenance standard. We ensure that we overhaul these aircraft on a very frequent basis. There are new engines that are being installed. Only when they are safe to fly will they fly.

[National Defence, February 19th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, Canada has the second highest participation of women of countries within NATO at 10.8%.

In this decade we have improved from a 1% participation of women in combat arms to a 3.1% participation. We are breaking down the barriers so that women can have the opportunity to serve according to their abilities in whatever part of the Canadian forces they want to serve.

Progress has been slow, but I am pleased to say that it is now accelerating. We have had more women come into our recruiting centres in the past year than ever before. With the appointment of our advisory committee on employment equity and gender integration we are moving the agenda forward faster.

[Kosovo, February 19th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member is mixing up two matters altogether. The debate the other evening was about sending ground troops into Kosovo on a peacekeeping mission, not a warlike condition, that would come about as a result of the parties coming to an agreement at Rambouillet.

He is also mixing this up with what we did last fall when we had a discussion about the provision of six CF-18s which would be made available as part of the possibility—and we hope it will not happen—of air strikes to get the Yugoslav government to the negotiating table.

[Kosovo, February 19th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, as I have said, we had the debate the other evening. In fact the House leader of the NDP agreed to having that debate that evening. It has been done.

The government must now make a final decision and must make one expeditiously as the matters unfold. We will do so and we will keep everybody fully informed.

[Kosovo, February 19th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member knows that we had a debate the other evening about this very matter. That was the purpose of it.

We clearly said that it would be between 500 and 800 troops. He has outlined the conditions under which NATO would request and then we would respond. That is the parameter of it.

Certainly we will divulge all the further information we get as it is finalized in Brussels or in the talks, should they succeed, in Rambouillet. All hon. members will be so informed.

[National Defence, February 19th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, they are not in a war zone, they are not in Kosovo. They are in the former Yugoslav republic of Macedonia. They are there with the French and with other countries that are part of a collective and team effort. Different roles are played by troops from different countries. The French are doing the protection while the Canadians are doing the engineering work. It is a team effort.

Furthermore, the hon. member needs to get his facts straight with respect to this question of axe handles. There is a problem in that country as there is a problem in many other countries in terms of stray dogs. That is the reason they were issued those handles, not for protection against enemies.

[National Defence, February 19th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, they are well protected. They are in the former Yugoslav republic of Macedonia. There are engineers there who are doing an effective job. They have just completed renovation on a hospital. We had some trouble with the food contract. We changed the contractor. But they are well protected. As part of the collective defence there are proper patrols of armed guards to ensure they are safe and secure. I remind the hon. member that they are not in Kosovo and they are not intended to go to Kosovo. They are in the former Yugoslav republic of Macedonia.

[National Defence, February 18th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, if our troops go to Kosovo they will be properly equipped.

One of the reasons for that is that in the last couple of years the Liberal government has invested a great deal in terms of new equipment for the Canadian forces. There are new search and rescue helicopters and submarines. We have upgraded many of the armoured personnel carriers. We bought new armoured personnel carriers. We are going through an upgrade of the CF-18s.

As I indicated a few moments ago, we are preparing the procurement strategy with respect to the replacement of the Sea Kings. This indicates the kind of commitment the government has.

[National Defence, February 18th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, the government will be responding fully to the recommendations made by the Standing Committee on National Defence and Veterans Affairs. There are some 89 recommendations that deal with the issues of housing, pay and benefits, care for the injured and support for families.

What has happened in the budget this week is additional money, the first additional money that has come to the Department of National Defence in over 10 years. It ensures that we can implement a full and comprehensive quality of life program for our troops, something they well deserve.