André Ouellet

[Burundi, March 15th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, unfortunately, the concerns expressed by the hon. member are well founded. It is sad that the ethnic conflicts which occurred in Rwanda and ended in terrible bloodbaths could now surface in a neighbouring country and trigger a similar tragedy.

This is why Canada has repeatedly asked the United Nations, and also the Organization of African Unity, to immediately get involved and try to find a solution to this increasingly menacing situation.

[Fisheries, March 15th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to inform the House that the team headed by the Canadian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs is now in Brussels to start negotiations with representatives of the European Union. We are ready and willing, and we want to settle this in a diplomatic way.

There are two things we want to accomplish. First, ensure that the conservation measures we support will be respected, and we therefore hope to reach an agreement with our friends in the European Union on setting up an effective mechanism for surveillance and monitoring. I also want to take this opportunity to say that in a spirit of co-operation, we are prepared to review with European Union representatives the quota share we obtained as a result of the last negotiations.

[Foreign Affairs, March 14th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, I welcome the suggestion of the hon. member to review the treatment offered to children of our people who are abroad.

I challenge her to verify the allegations she is making here which I think are totally unfounded. It is very nice to take her lead from a very biased report that does not take reality into account.

[Foreign Affairs, March 14th, 1995]

The answer, Mr. Speaker, is that we do exactly that. It is quite clear that the children of those serving abroad have to attend schools that follow a curriculum which will allow them to continue their classes when they come back to Canada.

Canadian diplomats are receiving nothing more than diplomats of other countries. If the children of Canadian business representatives abroad are going to school, they are going to exactly the same schools as the children of our diplomats.

[International Assistance, March 14th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, I would like the hon. member to come and read carefully two questions that were prepared by his research office. He does not have to listen to my reply, but I must remind him that he should read it; he would then have the answer to his second question.

[International Assistance, March 14th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member's question is about the same as that asked by one of his colleagues yesterday. In response to that question, I said that the Government of Canada had two ways of providing food aid: through its multilateral programs and through its bilateral programs.

The figures quoted by the hon. member refer to only one form of food aid. He does not have the total picture on government spending in this regard. If he combines expenditures in both bilateral and multilateral programs, he will see that our contribution remains the same.

[Fisheries, March 14th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, I am flattered by the hon. member's suggestion. Obviously, should my presence be required to achieve a negotiated settlement in this dispute, I will gladly do so. But for the time being, I think that the government officials responsible for that sort of thing are doing a fine job and will succeed in coming to an agreement with our European Union friends.

[Fisheries, March 14th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, we certainly intend to pursue as far as possible the diplomatic initiatives under way. The Canadian government's commitment to protect fishery resources threatened by overfishing could not be clearer. I can assure the hon. member that the Government of Canada will not go back on this commitment.

[Canadian International Developmentagency, March 13th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member has looked at the document that has been published. I do not quarrel with him. I think the document is incomplete.

We are looking at a substantial reduction over a three-year period. As this is completed, taking into account the human element, he will see that the reductions will be by 15 per cent and will apply to senior officials in CIDA.

[Canadian International Developmentagency, March 13th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, I want to assure the hon. member that the cuts in personnel will be around 15 per cent.