Denis Paradis

[Yuko Matsuzaki, June 7th, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, I want to salute long distance swimmer Yuko Matsuzaki who, at the international crossing of Lake Memphremagog, will attempt a double crossing, over 80 kilometres, an achievement which could take from 28 to 32 hours. If successful, that 80 kilometre swim will be certified in the Guinness Book of Records .

Allow me to salute the courage and the determination of this athlete, who will take part in a swimming event where the cold, the waves, the weather, the physical effort and the loneliness are among the obstacles that she will have to face.

Behind this great challenge, there is also a great dream: Yuko has long wanted to take part in an ultra-marathon to raise money to help sick children in the region of Magog.

Thank you, Yuko, on behalf of our population of Magog and particularly on behalf of our children who dream to recover their health.

You are not only a swimmer blessed with exceptional endurance, but you are also a great person whose generosity and humanity are an example for us all.

[Foreign Affairs, June 6th, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, the OAS countries meeting in Windsor this week have unanimously agreed to send a high level mission to Peru. This mission will be headed by our Minister of Foreign Affairs and the secretary general of the OAS.

The aim of this mission will be to find ways to improve democracy in Peru, for example, through a reform of the election process, a reform of the law and constitutional courts and reinforcement of the freedom of the press.

[Human Rights, June 5th, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, Canada is advancing four major points in Windsor. The first point is human security, as we discussed in the throne speech. The second point is human rights, which it is important. Democracy is an important issue also. The third point is the inclusion of civil society on the agenda. The fourth point is the agenda for the next summit of the Americas to be held in Quebec City next April.

We are speaking about human security. We are speaking about human rights.

[The Late Rhéaume “Rocky” Brisebois, June 1st, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, Quebec has lost another sports personality. Rhéaume “Rocky” Brisebois died suddenly at the age of 75 at his home in Lac-Brome, after many years involvement in the community of Venise-en-Québec in Brome—Missisquoi.

“Rocky” Brisebois was a close friend of Maurice Richard. Well-known for his colourful expressions and his frankness, “Rocky” Brisebois worked for the newspapers Le Canada and Le Devoir , before joining the CJMS broadcast team in its glory days of the 1960s and 1970s.

I wish to express my sincere condolences to Mr. Brisebois' family and friends, and to all of his faithful listeners during all those years.

[International Trade, May 30th, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, in this era of globalization, our communities must make a place for themselves in the vast world market. Municipal politicians and those responsible for economic development are aware that they must be equipped to deal with the new challenges all of us are faced with.

We can help our small and medium businesses to become major players on the international scene by keeping them informed, and by providing them with needed support. For this reason, I organized the first International Day this past February, and I am doing it again now for the ridings in central Quebec.

This day offers an opportunity to discuss international trade, the contracting process, CIDA and Team Canada. It is a day for acquiring information on matters of an international nature, which may prove useful for municipal politicians and those responsible for economic development.

I congratulate my fellow MPs, particularly the hon. member for Beauce and the hon. member for Bellechasse—Etchemins—Montmagny—L'Islet. The dynamism of those attending today reflects the vitality of our communities.

[Cantonniers De Magog, May 9th, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, I want to congratulate the hockey team les Cantonniers de Magog, following their spectacular victory at the Air Canada Cup tournament, held in Montreal in late April.

This is a first national Midget AAA title for the team. These young players deserve recognition for showing discipline, determination and remarkable talent throughout the season. Their efforts paid off, since they are now the best midget hockey team in Canada.

I wish to mention the work of coach Mario Durocher, who led his team like a true leader, and of all the others who contributed to the success of les Cantonniers.

Congratulations to les Cantonniers. The residents of Brome—Missisquoi are very proud of you.

[Opposition Parties, May 4th, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, the opposition parties are total cowards.

Before Easter, they did everything they could to undermine the credibility of the Prime Minister in the Middle East. This week, now that he is back, there is barely a squeak out of them.

The Bloc Quebecois feigned concern for Canada's reputation. Yet now that they have the Prime Minister right in front of them, how many questions have there been about his mission? Zero, nada, nil. What a fine example of courage.

With all their attacks while the Prime Minister was in the Middle East, how strange it is that the opposition has not even bothered to ask a single question directly to him about his trip. For example, members opposite, who were so eager to criticize the Prime Minister, were not so eager this week when he was sitting 10 feet across from them.

What does this show? It shows that when it comes down to it, the opposition is all talk and no action.

[Daniel Plouffe, May 2nd, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, on March 4, Daniel Plouffe of Brome—Missisquoi was honoured by the U.S. Trotting Association after being named Owner of the Year in the United States by this prestigious association.

Over the past year, Daniel Plouffe has been racking up honours. His horse, Blissfull Hall, won the triple crown for pacers, a very important award in the horse racing world. Moreover, his horse was named Horse of the Year in Canada. The incredible wins of his horse were reported all over America. Daniel Plouffe has made headlines in the newspapers and horse racing magazines all over North America.

He will represent Canada in July, at the World Tournament for Amateur Drivers, which will take place in Italy.

It is always a great pleasure to celebrate success. All the residents of Brome—Missisquoi join me in doing so. This is not just success at the provincial or national level, but success at the international level.

Congratulations to Daniel Plouffe for an extraordinary year in 1999.

[Immigration And Refugee Protection Act, May 1st, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, the most important thing to remember concerning the national missile defence system is that it is an American program the United States has not yet decided to implement and in which Canada has not been officially invited to participate by the U.S. government.

If and when the Canadian government has to make a decision with regard to this program, it will be in the light of many factors. To deal with these factors, it might be useful to explain what the NMD, or national missile defence system, is.

Since the end of star wars in the mid 1980s, the United States has kept on working on a ballistic missile defence system. The NMD would be a land-based system, not a space-based one, equipped with space-based sensors to detect and monitor missiles. The system would launch an unarmed projectile, a destruction vehicle that would intercept launched missiles and destroy them on impact. Currently, the NMD is planned to respond to a limited number of attacks by missiles and nuclear warheads.

In the U.S., the proponents of the NMD claim that the emerging threat coming from the missile and massive destruction armament technology is a new factor, that today the bipolar world is a thing of the past and that the security of the United States is threatened.

Apparently, an outcast state armed with intercontinental ballistic missiles could limit the United States' foreign policy options by blackmailing future American administrations. Intelligence reports indicate that the states in question could have this strike capability within five to ten years.

On July 23, 1999, President Clinton signed the National Missile Defence Act, which says that an NMD system will be deployed when technologically possible. The decision to deploy such a system has not yet been made, and maybe the current administration or even any future administration in the United States will not make that decision. When he signed the National Missile Defence Act, President Clinton also pointed out that a final decision on the deployment of a national missile defence system could not be made before a deployment preparedness study is conducted.

The study is scheduled for July. Although a decision on the deployment of such a system could be made as early as August 2000, it would be a few years before the system could actually be put in place.

In conclusion, the President of the United States has not yet made the decision to deploy this national missile defence system. Canada has not been invited to participate and, therefore, the Canadian government has not yet decided whether it would participate.

[Telephone Communication, April 13th, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, the arrival of the new millennium was the subject of much celebration. We also seized the moment to sing the praises of the great achievements, especially the technological ones, of the past century. Right now, I feel very far removed from the 21st century and more as if I were in the middle of an episode of Green Acres . In my riding of Brome—Missisquoi, there are people having to share a phone line. There can be as many as four parties on a line. I remind you that my riding is 40 minutes away from Montreal.

There are people, on this April 13, 2000, who have to pay attention to the telephone ring to know whether the call is for them. So, forget the Internet, the fax machine and the many services most of us take for granted.

I find this situation unacceptable and I find the attitude of Bell Canada, which has still not rectified the situation, most irritating. In two weeks, my riding will host the national rural conference, where the subject of discussion will be rural development. I think Bell Canada would do well to take part.