Paul Martin

[Sponsorship Program, March 24th, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, normally a successful budget usually lasts for about two or three days of question periods. Having been there, I want to congratulate the Minister of Finance. His budget has not even lasted two questioners. There has been one question here.

[Health, March 24th, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, the leader of the Bloc Quebecois must be aware of the commitment I made with the provincial premiers in January to hold an extraordinary meeting this summer with them, in order to discuss with the ministers of health and of finance the entire issue of health funding. It is precisely for this reason that the Minister of Finance has given us the financial leeway.

[The Budget, March 24th, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, first, the hon. member would be welcome to come to this side. Most of his seat mates' former party members have come to this side of the House.

In terms of the unity fund, the hon. member ought to know about the fund. In fact it was set up in 1992 by former Prime Minister Brian Mulroney.

[Agriculture, March 23rd, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, first, the member casts aspersions on one of the leading members of our diplomatic corps. He is in the post because he is that competent. He is a professional diplomat.

What I will take exception to is the reference to President Bush. I had a very good meeting with President Bush when I was in Monterrey and I look forward to meeting with the president again. We are going to work on files that are important to Canadians: BSE, softwood lumber and how we can keep the border open to the free flow of commerce. We are going to deal with the problems within this continent and outside of this continent. The hon. member ought to get her act together.

[Foreign Affairs, March 23rd, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, at the time of the invasion of Iraq the government was not in favour of that invasion and the opposition was.

[Foreign Affairs, March 23rd, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, the fact is that the Minister of Foreign Affairs and myself said exactly the same thing, and that is that Israel has the right and the responsibility to defend itself.

At the same time, in terms of this particular act, we do not believe that this is the road to peace. Under those circumstances, clearly the act should be judged exactly as the Minister of Foreign Affairs did yesterday.

[The Senate, March 23rd, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, we on this side of the House and Canadians have often talked about modernizing the Senate and the changes that are required. I think that is very much our position.

We also believe that members of the Senate do very good work. The fact is that as a legislative body, it is a body that studies specific measures. It has in fact advanced files substantially, and I am sure will continue to do that very thing.

[Foreign Affairs, March 23rd, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, there is no contradiction whatsoever. What I said yesterday was that Israel was entitled to defend itself, as the Minister of Foreign Affairs also said. I added that murder was certainly not the best way to achieve peace.

[Sponsorship Program, March 23rd, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, I gave no such instructions to any members of the committee, but if the hon. member opposite thinks that members of the committee can be instructed, then why does the Leader of the Opposition not ask the chairman of the committee to stop stalling? Why does he not ask him to call all the members who want to testify in front of the committee right now?

[Sponsorship Program, March 23rd, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member opposite should know that we have no control over the committees. However, if he wants to get some information from Mr. Gagliano, all he has to do is to ask him to appear before the committee.