Mark Assad

[Supply, April 23rd, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, could I please continue?

[Supply, April 23rd, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, this issue has tragic implications. I have been involved for six or seven years for the simple reason that one of my constituents, Mr. Saumure, is an innocent victim and is fighting over this issue. I think everyone in the House knows that.

I was deeply touched by Mr. Saumure's testimony. Two of his brothers died of that terrible disease.

We must vote on this motion and anyone who cares would want all those who were contaminated to be covered by a compensation agreement. After all, they are innocent victims in all this.

In my opinion, the initiative should come from the provincial health ministers. If the provincial health ministers—

[Official Languages, April 2nd, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the President of the Treasury Board.

What is the role of the task force on the effects of government changes on official languages?

[Questions On The Order Paper, March 26th, 1998]

With respect to the Canadian International Development Agency's microcredit programs, ( a ) do these distribute their more than $1.7 million among the world's poorest families ( b ) if so, how was this figure calculated ( c ) how is this figure broken down by country and by financial middleman ( d ) how is it determined that the families who benefit are among the poorest and ( e ) how much did the government spend on microcredit in 1996-97 and 1997-98?

[Foreign Affairs, March 13th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, tomorrow March 14, 1998 coincides with the 20th anniversary of the Israel invasion of Lebanon in 1978.

On March 14, 1978 Israel forces invaded Lebanon in what was called the “Litani Operation”, using 40,000 soldiers and highly sophisticated weapons of destruction including cluster and napalm bombs over eight consecutive days of systematic bombing.

On March 19, 1978, the United States permanent delegate to the UN Security Council passed resolution 425 on respect for the territorial integrity, sovereignty and political independence of Lebanon.

At that time, there was a glimmer of hope for Lebanon, but since then, the resolution has not been complied with—

[Questions Passed As Orders For Return, March 9th, 1998]

How much has the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) spent during each of the last five years in each of the following areas: (a) primary health care, (b) basic education, (c) drinking water and (d) sanitary services?

Return tabled.

[Canada's Asbestos Industry, February 13th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, last month the parliamentary assembly of the Council of Europe recommended that member states eliminate the use of asbestos products. That recommendation is very likely to result in the devastation of the asbestos industry in Canada.

Can the Minister of International Trade tell this House how the Government of Canada intends to protect Canada's asbestos industry?

[Middle East, February 9th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, I will be sharing my time with my colleague, the hon. member for Cambridge.

The purpose of the debate tonight is to determine if Canada should take part in yet another air strike against Iraq.

I remember a debate we had in this House seven years ago, at about the same time, in January. We then supported the UN, because the world community was behind the mission. Our actions were based on the UN resolution to defend Kuwait against an Iraqi invasion. We saw what the results of that mission and its aftermath were.

Today, the United States is asking Canada to join with Great Britain and Germany in an action against Iraq. The situation is not all that clear, because we know full well that several of the countries who took part in the 1991 mission have not given their support this time around. These countries would prefer a UN-led effort to a U.S. initiative supported by a few allies.

We are told that diplomatic measures have failed. I just want to point out what has been achieved in the past few years thanks to the diplomatic measures the United States is decrying.

First of all, the inspectors who travelled to Iraq detected more that 2,000 violations they were able to straighten out, twice as many as during the Gulf War with Iraq in 1991. One has to wonder why some people are so anxious to speed up the process when peaceful measures could be taken to avoid killing people as we did in 1991 and to avoid the consequences of that conflict, which have been so harmful to the children of that part of the world.

Mr. Richardson, the US ambassador to the UN, said that he was losing patience. What a strange statement coming from a man who is supposed to promote peaceful, diplomatic solutions. He said he was losing patience.

It seems to me that, when we are dealing with a conflict in which the lives of thousands of people are at stake, we should not lose patience. We should if possible look for diplomatic means to avoid another massacre like the 1991 attack against Iraq, and especially against its children.

The point I want to make, not only to members of this House, but to those who are watching, is: where is the consistency in our policy? Canada is recognized throughout the world as a peaceful country that tries to find solutions. Even at home, we show a great deal of tolerance, we negotiate and we come up with solutions.

One wonders which UN resolutions are the most important ones. They should all have the same importance; all resolutions are important. A large number of other resolutions were also adopted by the Security Council and the General Assembly. Take, for example, Resolution 242 dealing with the Middle East, and Resolutions 338 and 425, on Lebanon's integrity and independence. These resolutions provide that foreign forces in Lebanon, such as the Syrian and the Israeli forces, should leave. These UN resolutions were adopted years ago. Yet, neither the United Nations nor Great Britain seem in a hurry to tell the aggressors in Lebanon that a resolution is in effect and that they must leave. So, one wonders.

I can also think of the resolutions concerning Cyprus, southern Lebanon, the west coast and the Gaza Strip, where facilities are not supposed to be there. Yet, even now, these resolutions are not being implemented. One wonders. If all resolutions are equally important, why was the situation in the Middle East allowed to deteriorate for more than ten years? Do you think that countries in the Middle East are not closely watching the United States, Great Britain and other European countries wondering if they will deploy their huge forces to bomb them? There are other resolutions that are completely ignored.

Canada is recognized around the world as a peaceful country, which sends out troops to maintain peace. That is our role. We should be involved in a diplomatic mission, not a mission to bring more destruction to this part of the world that has known nothing else in the past 30 years. The fact that the role played by Canada is one that is admired by countries around the world and that solutions should always be sought through diplomacy must be taken into consideration. Solutions should not be decided on the basis of what suits certain countries.

For far too long in the Middle East, people have had little confidence that Western democracies really wanted to help resolve their problems. Is it any wonder that they question our intentions? Which the countries around the world supplied Iraq with massive destruction weapons in the past, when they were at war with Iran? Which countries sold these weapons? Iraq and other countries in the Middle East certainly could not afford to produce such weapons. Arms suppliers to the Middle East were Western countries, including Great Britain and the United States.

Now, in an about-face, they decide to act on a number of UN resolutions and bring destruction again to their country. In light of the destruction that has taken place in the past seven or eight years, of the children that have suffered, of the embargo against Iraq, there is a limit.

It is very difficult to convince the people of the Middle East that the West wants peace, when they see the opposite. That is a point of view that must be re-examined. We ought to say that all United Nations resolutions must be implemented in the Middle East, not selected ones.

In closing, all that the United States would like from Canada is the use of our reputation. We are respected throughout the world, we have people's trust. Why would we want to lose that trust? The United States knows very well that a country of 29 million does not have the arms of destruction it does. We know very well that the U.S. is not counting on our weapons to settle the problems in the Middle East, Iraq in particular.

I am convinced that, with time, with diplomatic means, we will see that guys like Saddam Hussein, tyrants and monsters who have been created by the West, will be done away with by their own societies.

Let Canada keep its reputation as a country of peace, and let it not be a party to missions of destruction.

[Questions On The Order Paper, February 9th, 1998]

With respect to the Canadian International Development Agency's immunization program. ( a ) did CIDA terminate the program in September 1997? ( b ) if so, is Canada monitoring developments in rates of vaccination coverage in countries no longer served by the program? ( c ) how many children is it estimated will not receive vaccination coverage next year because the program has been terminated? and ( d ) what statistically, is the mortality rate among children from diseases that can be prevented by vaccination?

[Ice Storm, February 3rd, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, here in the Outaouais region, while the devastation of the ice storm was no doubt less severe than in some parts of Quebec, some people still went several weeks without power.

My colleagues in the region and I would like to thank the personnel of the Canadian Armed Forces, who worked unceasingly to help all those who were hit hard by the disaster, supplying them with the equipment needed for their safety and well-being.

We would also like to draw attention to the contribution of large numbers of volunteers, who helped the municipal authorities in my riding and the neighbouring ones. Their concerted efforts are evidence of their good citizenship and generosity.

Finally, a very special thank you to all those who helped, each in his or her own way.