Paul Dewar

[Foreign Affairs, May 16th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, when I first asked about the conditions of the Canadian citizen, Mr. Abdelrazik, the foreign affairs minister said “we have provided Mr. Abdelrazik with temporary shelter at the embassy in Khartoum”. We have confirmation today that Mr. Abdelrazik is spending his nights sleeping on the floor in the bathroom of the embassy.

Is this the government's version of a shelter, of a safe haven? Does anyone over there believe this is acceptable for any Canadian citizen?

[Great Glebe Garage Sale, May 16th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, on Saturday, May 24, people in Ottawa will gather for one of the most exciting days in our community, the great Glebe garage sale.

Since its inception in 1986, every year people in the Glebe have come together to put on a massive garage sale whose reputation goes beyond the borders of this country. They raise money for the Ottawa Food Bank. They encourage reusing to help the environment and they nourish the spirit of volunteerism in our youth.

I know that people from other communities actually spend the night before the great Glebe garage sale with their friends in the Glebe so that in the morning they are the first to hit the streets. This is the spirit of the Glebe. This is the spirit of the people of my riding of Ottawa Centre.

I congratulate the board members of the Glebe Community Association, the largest community association in Canada, for their 12 years of organizing the great Glebe garage sale.

[Foreign Affairs, May 14th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, it is like this. We have concerns about Darfur. We have concerns about the Middle East. We have concerns about Africa. All of these issues are decided at one place in the United Nations, at the Security Council.

What we are asking the government and what Canadians want to know is, will the government put forward a name? Will the government take some action to make sure that Canada is in the running?

I hear the Prime Minister say that no decision has been made yet. The Prime Minister should know. He does not have to worry. The Minister of Foreign Affairs does not have to sit at the Security Council table so we could have some competence there.

Will the government make a decision? Will it put a name forward, yes or no?

[Foreign Affairs, May 14th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives seem to have given up on the idea of Canada having a seat on the United Nations Security Council. There are only two possible explanations for that. Either the government is afraid of losing the seat because it knows Canada's lack of leadership on the world stage is hurting the country's chances, or the government has given up on the idea of Canada as a world leader. What is the government's explanation?

[Lebanon, May 9th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians are concerned about the recent escalation and violence in Lebanon. We hear news reports that 10 people are dead, 20 people are wounded, and those are just recent reports.

I have very simple questions for the government. What is the government's plans, diplomatically speaking, to help stem the violence and prevent further violence. Also, what is the preparedness for Canadians if they have to leave Lebanon quickly if the violence gets out of hand and is further to what we have heard today?

[Heritage Waterways, May 9th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, for thousands of years the Ottawa River has been a source of life and livelihood for people living in this region. The campaign to designate the Ottawa River has been ongoing for five years in order to obtain federal recognition for what is already widely known. A request to designate the Ottawa River as a heritage river went unanswered by the Minister of the Environment. I want to ask the minister, can he confirm whether the initiative is still alive and if he is going to support it?

[Infrastructure, May 9th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, when it comes to infrastructure, the government seems to confuse infrastructure with heritage. This was made clear this week. Not only was Parliament forced to shut down due to an infrastructure crisis but two water pipes exploded just down the street causing disrupted traffic, lost business and exorbitant emergency repair costs.

The Conservative government has forced cities to choose between using infrastructure money for their operating costs or raising taxes.

Will the minister agree to come for a walk with me down the street to see the effects of the government and previous governments' lack of attention to infrastructure? I am waiting. I am willing. Let us go.

[International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, May 9th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. With the dedication of up to 97 million volunteers worldwide, Red Cross and Red Crescent have honoured their mandate to protect human life and health, ensure respect for human beings and prevent human suffering. The movement has provided its services to every corner of the world without discrimination.

The current crisis in Burma reminds us of the importance of this movement. Organizations like the International Red Cross and Red Crescent have already been able to provide aid to those affected by this devastating cyclone.

Yesterday we celebrated World Red Cross Red Crescent Day in the House with words; today we call for action. Canadians from coast to coast to coast want our government to finally meet its international commitment to dedicate the equivalent of .7% of our GDP to aid so that organizations like the Red Cross can contribute to do their important work.

[Canada-EFTA Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act, May 9th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, the member made a number of points about the government's policy on trade in general, but specifically on the proposed trade deal.

Our party has raised concerns about our shipbuilding industry, and my colleague from B.C. raised it earlier. This is not a concern for only Atlantic Canada; it is also a concern for B.C. as well. There is the potential for jobs for manufacturers right across the country in supplying parts, et cetera. In the case of B.C., we have called on the provincial government to do more.

The member talked about procurement policy. Governments can make a difference, in this case a provincial government. They can buy Canadian. They have to remember our Canada first policy. We are frustrated because we do not see that happening.

I listened carefully to the minister and to the member about the tariff phase-out. Most Canadians want to see a healthy shipbuilding industry, one that is supported by provincial governments. They want to see our Canada first policy.

Before we enter into a deal like this, should we not have a healthy, robust shipbuilding industry? Norway has done that. If we enter into a trade deal like this, it will have all the advantages and we will have all the disadvantages. As was mentioned by my colleague, we are not at full capacity. We are not buying Canada first. We need to have a healthy shipbuilding industry. Should we not focus on our shipbuilding in Canada first before we enter into a trade deal like this, particularly in light of Norway?

[Israel, May 7th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, this week the world pauses to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the founding of Israel. Significantly, this year we also mark the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

At the root of these two milestones lay the horrors of the second world war, the Holocaust, the incalculable human toll of war.

Tragically, 60 years later neither the founding of the state of Israel, nor the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights has meant an end to suffering. The people of Israel have yet to live in security, and peace with their neighbours too often seems a distant dream. The Palestinian people remain without a homeland, deprived of basic human rights, unable to exercise political and religious freedoms and economic security.

On behalf of the NDP, I offer our warm congratulations to Israel and to express our firm commitment to fulfilling the dream of the Universal Declaration to a secure and peaceful Israel and Palestine, where the rights of all are fully respected. Shalom.