House of Commons photoLost his last election, in 2011, with 31% of the vote.
International Trade May 14th, 2008
Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the NGO Development and Peace presented a petition with over 190,000 signatures, calling on the government to stop turning a deaf ear and to take action by responding now to the national round table recommendations—of March 2007—on corporate social responsibility for Canadian companies involved in the development of extractive resources in developing countries.
When will the government make a decision and address the concerns of over 190,000 Canadians?
World Malaria Day April 17th, 2008
Mr. Speaker, World Malaria Day was instituted last year at the World Health Assembly, and endorsed by the World Health Organization.
Malaria, which is transmitted by a bite from an infected mosquito, is one of the worst diseases known to mankind. Each year this disease kills over one million people, the majority of whom are children.
Malaria also curbs economic growth, hinders development, and is a huge drain on many countries' health services.
A malaria awareness day shows how this worldwide scourge could be avoided with a concerted effort by all governments.
In Africa, a mother loses a child to malaria every 30 seconds. We can and we must do more to save people from the clutches of this disease.
I urge my colleagues to join me in calling on this government to take a leadership role in the relentless fight against malaria.
Afghanistan April 9th, 2008
Mr. Speaker, for the term "transparency" to be truly meaningful, one must practice what one preaches. Why then, despite a motion passed by this House calling for the principle of transparency to be applied to our mission in Afghanistan, is the government not putting this principle into practice?
Afghanistan April 9th, 2008
Mr. Speaker, the Afghan motion passed by the House is not a blank cheque. It is a contract for change, explicitly for the Canadian mission to change in 2009.
When the Prime Minister was in Bucharest did he tell NATO that specifically?
Business of Supply April 8th, 2008
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and to the Minister of International Cooperation, for his wishes, but before coming into the House I was elected vice-chair. I just wanted to let him know. I am very proud about it and very happy.
However, regarding the hon. member's question, I must say that the committee always has worked on consensus. We have worked on consensus before and have done a report on the issue of Afghanistan. I do not think the new committee will be a duplication of the current committee. I think this committee needs to do a follow-up on what is going on right now just to assure Canadians that we know exactly what to do.
Regarding the PRTs, I think they are very important. Right now in the committee we are studying mainly defence stuff to see where we are going with our armed forces, but we also want to study the reconstruction. As I stated in my speech, reconstruction also means agriculture, not just the water supply. It is all these things, because the worst thing that could happen is that if we do not win the hearts of the Afghan people, we will lose the war.
Also very important is Canada's involvement in diplomacy. We need to be with the United Nations and the Security Council, which are very much present over there, because any war will be solved not by arms but by diplomacy.
Business of Supply April 8th, 2008
Mr. Speaker, I will be sharing my time with the hon. member for Dartmouth—Cole Harbour.
I am pleased to speak today to the motion of my colleague, the Liberal foreign affairs critic.
The purpose of this motion is to improve the motion adopted by Parliament on March 13, 2008. In seeking to create this special parliamentary committee, an idea already approved by the majority of members, including government members, we are acting in accordance with what has already been expressed as the will of Parliament.
What will be the purpose of this special committee? It will be a parliamentary committee to monitor—let me emphasize the word “monitor”—the current Canadian mission in Afghanistan. This special committee could keep Parliament better informed on the progress and setbacks of the mission, while ensuring that the government is as transparent and accountable as possible to the Canadian public.
This monitoring committee could have different facets, but in no way would it be involved in military operations. It would monitor the progress in the field until February 2009 with the unequivocal purpose of preparing for the post-2009 period, as expressed in the March 13 motion, in other words, changing the current combat mission into a reconstruction mission.
The Liberal Party has committed to post-February 2009, because of the essential, non-negotiable conditions to that end, including an additional 1,000 troops sent by another country, access to drones, and, in particular, making our presence in Afghanistan a reconstruction mission with the express goal of helping the Afghan people. The objective of current development and reconstruction efforts in Afghanistan is to help build a stable, democratic and prosperous country that contributes to regional and global security. Guided by the Afghanistan millennium development goals, the Afghanistan interim national development strategy and the Afghanistan compact, the Afghan government is working with international partners to address the country’s immediate and long-term needs in areas as diverse as health, education, governance, policing, agriculture and infrastructure rehabilitation.
This committee should, as is done by all the other countries in Afghanistan, obtain clear and precise answers on various points and different aspects of what is currently being done and what will be done after February 2009.
Reconstruction is one aspect, if not the most important aspect. What does this word mean to the government? What does this word mean to CIDA? Who are these PRTs, the provincial reconstruction teams?
Operating in 25 provinces, PRTs are hosted and assembled by individual countries, including Germany, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. They comprise military units, civilian political advisors and development advisors working in an integrated fashion to provide humanitarian assistance and to support development activities.
The priorities and configuration of each PRT are set out by the host country to reflect the conditions and needs in the particular province, but the overriding objective is to contribute to the stability, security and outreach of the central government's authority and to support local and provincial administrations. The primary mechanisms for achieving these objectives are regular interaction with the local authorities and the population, visibility, information-gathering with regard to security and stability, and support for the Afghan National Police. It is also important to note that, despite the internal integration of PRTs, their military components are part of NATO's International Security Assistance Force efforts.
But what will Canada do? Will Canada provide training for new reconstruction teams in Kandahar province?
How do we move forward? We must not ignore the fact that in Kandahar province, there are practically no reconstruction projects to speak of and, I dare say, this is primarily because of the flagrant lack of security for workers.
There are other factors. Are we talking about the reconstruction of roads, schools, clinics, access to water, irrigation? Who will our partners be? NGOs? Local communities?
We must decide and above all we must plan what we intend to do. Regarding NGOs, it seems that the Conservative government is allergic to the very idea of NGOs, an expression it has banished within the government, although NGOs are the very embodiment of Canadian civil society, that is, the multitudes of citizens who are interested, informed and engaged in ensuring that our country becomes more and more capable of assuming its global responsibilities.
Such scorn for the opinion of Canadian civil society, or, we might say, such deliberate disregard of the wishes of Canadians is quickly becoming the trademark of this government.
In fact, the report specifically called on the government to develop more frank reporting to Canadians. It is also a fact, however, that the culture of secrecy imposed and perpetuated by the Conservative government only shows that we are still a far cry from having a government that takes its responsibility seriously to be open and honest with Canadians.
This is not the Conservative government's mission. It is first and foremost Canada's mission and consequently emanates from all Canadians.
Does the reconstruction effort have an agricultural component? Without agriculture or markets for their crops, the local population cannot meet its basic needs. Hence, the clan leaders must turn to poppy crops with all the ensuing consequences.
What progress, if any, has been made in discussions with the Kabul authorities and also, more importantly, with Kandahar authorities? The committee will have to obtain answers to all these questions.
The mission in Afghanistan is definitely very important; however, as with any large mission involving armed forces, it will only be resolved by negotiations that engage not only Afghanistan, but also neighbouring countries, Pakistan and Iran in particular, and especially with the total involvement of the UN and the Security Council.
Canada, with its internationally recognized history of diplomacy, could play a leading role. In order to do that, the government must agree and be prepared to invest the requisite time and money.
In Canada, we have exceptional career diplomats and diplomats well-versed in conducting negotiations. For these reasons, among others, I am asking this House to vote in favour of this motion. The government should finally take appropriate action: that is what we are demanding, that is what Canadians are demanding.
Natural Resources April 8th, 2008
Mr. Speaker, in 2007, at the G-8 summit in Germany, the Prime Minister said, and I quote:
Canada has recently completed a nation-wide consultation process involving stakeholders with the Canadian extractive sector (mining, oil and gas) in developing countries. Implementation of the recommendations from this process will place Canada among the most active G8 countries in advancing international guidelines and principles on corporate social responsibility.
The Conservative government has been dragging its feet on this issue for over a year. When will we finally get an answer?
Business of Supply April 1st, 2008
Mr. Speaker, my colleague calls my remarks “obsequious”, but they are nevertheless based on facts. It is true the federal government reduced transfer payments to all the Canadian provinces. We agreed to that, and for good reasons.
But my colleague makes a mistake: The quality of French teaching in Quebec will not be improved just with more fees and more money, but with a better education system, better teachers, people who really know French and can teach it. This is completely different from what my colleague in the Bloc is talking about.
Business of Supply April 1st, 2008
Mr. Speaker, I fully agree with my Conservative colleague's statement that this Quebec nation is within a united Canada. We on this side fully agree with that. With Quebec being a real francophone province, it does not mean that we need to interfere with the rights of all other Canadians living in Quebec or the anglophone community.
Business of Supply April 1st, 2008
Mr. Speaker, I thank my Bloc Québécois colleague for his question.
This is a question of language and pride. I too voted in favour of the motion by the government. As the member said, that motion was passed by the Parliament of Canada and not just by the Bloc Quebecois.
As a francophone, I have no problems. Earlier, one of his colleagues said that when he goes to Dorval Airport, he gets served in English only. I go to Dorval Airport often, because I travel throughout the country, and as often as possible I get served in French. I demand it. Like any good francophone, I speak to airport personnel in French. Before someone says “good day” to me, I say “bonjour”. Once I speak in French, they reply to me in French as often as possible.
To me, the French fact in Quebec, how Quebec will be able to take charge, is through education. The best way to achieve things through education is to have a school system that is very important and that will enable all Quebeckers to take charge in French.
Last weekend, the Iranians had their Norouz celebration. Nothing could be more interesting for me, representing an English-speaking riding in Quebec, than to hear young Iranians speaking in impeccable French, French that was sometimes even better than what is spoken by our francophones. I think this is actually a pointless debate. We are a bilingual country now and it has to stay that way.