Lost his last election, in 2008, with 16% of the vote.
Transfer Payments To Provinces November 3rd, 1999
Mr. Speaker, yesterday we learned that within three to five years, $25 to $35 billion dollars would be spent, or invested, in existing or new programs.
My question is for the Minister of Finance. Is he open to the idea of reinvesting these billions of dollars into transfer payments to the provinces, or is he shutting the door permanently on any new possibility of transfer payments to the provinces?
Air Transportation November 2nd, 1999
Mr. Speaker, in the documents on the Onex strategy, we realize that Onex was to meet a number of people, including Mel Cappe, the Clerk of the Privy Council of the Government of Canada. The strategy was to convince Mr. Cappe to make the right choice of Deputy Minister of Transport.
Can the Minister of Transport tell this House whether the people from Onex actually met Mr. Cappe, the Clerk of the Privy Council? And, if so, when?
Air Transportation October 21st, 1999
Mr. Speaker, the minister will probably wait until next Tuesday before announcing, probably with great fanfare, something extraordinary.
However, in the meantime, and out of respect for parliament, can the minister assure all parliamentarians that his department and his government will not go against any ruling made by the Canadian Competition Bureau in the air transportation issue, yes or no?
Air Transportation October 21st, 1999
Mr. Speaker, in the air transportation issue, is it true that the Minister of Transport wants to appropriate more power, at the expense of the Competition Bureau, to ensure that he is the one and the only one to decide whether to accept or reject any proposal?
Air Transportation October 20th, 1999
Mr. Speaker, one has to wonder if there has not been preferential treatment in this affair. What we are asking for is that consumer protection come first. It is time this government put individual citizens back at the centre of the decision-making process in all its undertakings.
Will November 9 mark the end of the suspension, at which time the Competition Bureau can resume its function and study the matter fully?
Air Transportation October 20th, 1999
Mr. Speaker, now that all the players in the airline industry affair have put their cards on the table, and so that consumers in this country do not become the real victims of this war for the skies, will the Minister of Industry promise not to extend the suspension deadline so that the Competition Bureau can do its work and protect the interests of Canadians?
Intergovernmental Affairs October 15th, 1999
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs did not really answer my question.
What we want to know is how open the government would be to any change that might come from the regions or provinces, specifically from Quebec.
What plan A or plan B would it introduce if a region, or a province or provinces, held a referendum on major changes within the federation?
Intergovernmental Affairs October 15th, 1999
Mr. Speaker, with things as they are in Quebec at this time, the scenario of a third referendum seems rather vague, despite the continuity of the Liberal government' s hard line.
Now a number of people are contemplating a new type of scenario, which could comprise a referendum on the new offers Quebec might make to Canada.
My question is for the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs. Is the minister going to prepare a plan A and/or plan B for this new scenario, and is he open to such an exercise originating with Quebec?
Kosovo June 10th, 1999
Mr. Speaker, first of all, I want to sincerely thank the Prime Minister for taking the time today to make a statement in the House. That is greatly appreciated. We also greatly appreciate him taking the time to hear all of the speeches by the leaders of each party.
I would also like to congratulate the men and women of the Canadian forces who will be called into action. While we in parliament are about to begin our break, the men and women of the Canadian forces assigned to the KFOR will not be getting any break.
I should however point out a number of elements that merit consideration and solution as well, I hope. There have been some slip-ups in the way this House was involved right from the start of this conflict. Parliament ought to have taken a vote and held a real debate. Unfortunately, it did not.
That did not keep us from supporting the government's position, but I believe the government needs to learn some lessons from this. I hope that the situation will never be repeated, but should another armed conflict arise, I hope that the government will realize, as I said in the first debate when this conflict started, that the parliamentarians here are the best tool of the government. The best allies of the government are here in this House. I trust that the government will bear this in mind next time.
Nevertheless, parliament could have got involved much earlier and gradually more as the conflict unfolded.
Canada, as a member of NATO, may have won the war, as it were, but this is the first time Canada has been at war without a UN mandate since the second world war.
The Korean war was fought under a clear mandate by the United Nations. The Gulf war was fought under a United Nations mandate. Ever since that organization was created, all engagements by this country's peace forces since the end of the second world war have been by UN mandate. This is the first time Canada has ever been at war without any UN mandate.
Canada's credibility since the second world war needs rebuilding. Its credibility as a peacekeeper, as a vehicle of conciliation, and as one of the best channels for diplomacy and political solutions, has taken two beatings.
Canada's credibility as a peacekeeper needs to be restored, as does the credibility of the UN, which failed to foresee the strikes and to provide solutions.
This is not the first time there is war in the Balkans. Never was the UN involved, until afterwards. The international community was not involved in Slovenia or Croatia. There was also Bosnia, where 250,000 people died before the international community decided to get involved.
Unfortunately the history of the Balkans is riddled with serious problems. Did we take specific action in this country to try to find solutions ahead of time? Reports of both governments—Conservative and Liberal—said, when the Dayton treaty was signed, that the next problem in the Balkans would be Kosovo. They knew it.
The Department of National Defence knew it. It had specific reports. Canadian soldiers and observers have been in Kosovo for a long time. They knew what was happening, but nothing was done about it.
Montenegro is another place in the Balkans where problems may arise. It is clear in the agreement that was signed—we hope it was clear—that the Serbian army cannot leave Kosovo and move into Montenegro in order to topple the government there, which has NATO's support. The Montenegro government requested an international force there. It did not work.
The agreement signed excludes the presence of any international force in Montenegro. I hope that they will make every effort to ensure there are no more dead in the Balkans.
I hope that Canada will again assume its role as a leader in diplomacy and peace, and not as a leader in war. I hope that this will happen very soon.
We also salute the men and women going to Kosovo and we will pray hard for them. From the beginning of the conflict, and until June 3 in fact, the official position of the Canadian government was the disarmament of the KLA. Now, we know that what they have in mind is nothing more than demilitarization. Heavy arms will be taken away from Albanian KLA troops, but they will still be armed. We know that Canadian forces will be in the Kosovo region, where there is a very large Serb population. Canadian troops will therefore be at great risk.
We will continue to support the government. I hope that the government will continue to support the former mission, which I hope will still be valid, namely keeping the peace.
Going to war is easy. The war in Kosovo marks the first offensive war Canada has won, unlike the gulf war, which was not an offensive operation. Canada has won a war. Are there people celebrating in the streets? Is this the kind of war we are looking at now? Are people completely indifferent to what is going on?
All this bears thinking about. Let us resume our leadership of peace, not war.
Kosovo June 8th, 1999
Mr. Speaker, with all due respect, the Prime Minister is unaware of the agreement that has been negotiated with the G-8 nations. There is a big difference between demilitarizing and disarming. Canadian troops will be among the first to enter Kosovo.
If the KLA is not disarmed, there is a risk. What are the Canadian army's rules of engagement? Will it be able to disarm the KLA or will it let KLA soldiers leave with their arms?
I would like the Prime Minister to accurately inform us on this important issue. I hope he will be able to answer clearly this time.