Jean Chrétien

[Iraq, February 17th, 2003]

Mr. Speaker, resolution 1441 is the legal document that is currently before the Security Council. The inspectors are doing their work. Mr. Blix submitted a report last week and said the situation had improved.

We hope that diplomacy and the inspectors will continue to work. We, as Canadians, encourage everyone to respect the United Nations parameters, which have served the world so well until now.

[Iraq, February 17th, 2003]

Mr. Speaker, Canada's position has been firmly established. I explained it clearly on Thursday in Chicago. The United Nations must continue to do the work that is required under these circumstances.

I do believe a new resolution will be submitted to the Security Council this week or next. We will see what decision the Security Council makes. We will make up our mind once the Security Council's opinion is known and not before we have all the facts.

[Taxation, February 17th, 2003]

Mr. Speaker, we have done what we promised, namely to harmonize the goods and services tax with the provincial governments' sales tax. This tax was a replacement for the tax on manufactured goods.

It was a matter of replacing one tax by another, and now here we are with an economy that is working well. We receive these taxes and are enabled as a result to reduce others. For instance, last week we were able to invest $35 billion, in connection with an agreement with the provincial governments on—

[Taxation, February 17th, 2003]

Mr. Speaker, if we have $30 billion of revenue from the GST, it is because the economy is performing very well.

I remember when we started, the type of taxes to the government were about $18 billion. However because we have a good tax system, because we have created jobs and confidence in the Canadian economy, the revenues from GST have gone from $18 billion to $30 billion in a few years. That is not bad.

[Taxation, February 17th, 2003]

Mr. Speaker, we have a program that is in its third year of reducing the taxes of Canadians by $100 billion over five years.

While we have reduced taxes, we have managed to have surpluses over the last five years. This is the sixth year in a row that we will have a surplus. We have the best situation in employment that we have had in years. We have low interest rates. Canadians have confidence, and there will be even more confidence tomorrow night.

[Foreign Affairs, February 12th, 2003]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. leader of the Conservative Party for his brilliant question. After question period, I will try to reach Mr. bin Laden by phone.

[Foreign Affairs, February 12th, 2003]

Mr. Speaker, it is a question of security. At this moment, I cannot confirm or deny. There is some debate about it. I am happy that the leader of the Conservative Party is talking about North Korea. We think there is a very serious problem there and it needs attention at this time. It is not only Iraq. This is another very important problem.

We cannot confirm or deny. We are not in a position to confirm at this time the debate that occurred in the United States yesterday.

[Iraq, February 12th, 2003]

Mr. Speaker, we will have to wait to see what happens on Friday. I am surprised to receive questions from members of that party who say that they do not want to do anything. They do not want Canada to fulfill its obligation as a responsible citizen of the world.

[Iraq, February 12th, 2003]

Mr. Speaker, the Security Council has voted on resolution 1441. Dr. Blix will report on what he has observed in Iraq and if Saddam Hussein has obliged. After that, members of the Security Council will have to pass judgment on it. I do not know if there will be another resolution. I said that it would be highly desirable to have another one but there is no assurance that there will be one.

[Iraq, February 12th, 2003]

Mr. Speaker, I am recommending that they wait, along with everyone else, for Mr. Blix's report, in order to find out whether Saddam Hussein has violated resolution 1441 in the past, or is doing so now.

The United Nations passed a resolution. They have given a very specific role to the inspectors, and Mr. Blix will be reporting to the entire world on Friday morning.