Mr. Speaker, how much time do we have left?
House of Commons photoWon his last election, in 2021, with 45% of the vote.
Lobbyists Registration Act June 17th, 1994
Mr. Speaker, how much time do we have left?
North Korea June 16th, 1994
Mr. Speaker, can the minister indicate what action has been taken by the government of Canada to bring North Korea back into the fold of the Atomic Energy Agency and to ensure that that country's nuclear program is compliant with the provisions of the Non-Proliferation Treaty?
North Korea June 16th, 1994
Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Foreign Affairs. Yesterday, the United States pleaded in favour of commercial sanctions against North Korea. The proposed sanctions include a mandatory ban on North Korean imports or exports of arms or weapon components, a ban on technical and scientific co-operation in order not to enhance North Korea's nuclear capacity, and terminating all economic assistance through the UN or its subsidiaries.
Can the Minister of Foreign Affairs tell the House whether Canada unconditionally supports the U.S. position on banning North Korean imports or exports of arms, and on the whole range of proposed commercial sanctions against that country?
Lumber June 15th, 1994
Mr. Speaker, does the minister agree that the American attitude constitutes a new delaying tactic by the United States to allow it to maintain countervailing duties, the brunt of which is being borne by Quebec lumber producers who, it has been proven, receive no subsidies?
Lumber June 15th, 1994
Mr. Speaker, the composition of the extraordinary challenge committee in the Canada-U.S. lumber dispute is the subject of lively debate between Ottawa and Washington. The Americans are casting doubt on the representativeness of Canadian experts sitting on this committee, and some are even calling for Canadian panelists to be investigated by the FBI from now on to determine how unbiased they are.
Will the Minister for International Trade undertake to indicate forcefully to the United States that its position and claims in this matter are quite simply unacceptable and that its attitude threatens the very existence of the panel system for settling trade disputes between our two countries?
Bankruptcy Act June 9th, 1994
Mr. Speaker, early last March, the U.S. government reactivated an extraordinary trade measure, the Super 301, which allows it to impose sanctions on any country which it considers guilty of unfair trade practices. In reintroducing the Super 301, the United States was primarily targeting Japan, a country with which it has a large trade deficit. Dissatisfied with the progress of talks on the opening up of Japanese markets to American goods, the United States is now using strongarm tactics to bring an unco-operative Japan into line.
The United States and several other countries have been complaining for years about the non tariff trade barriers erected by Japan to keep out foreign goods and services. Having grown impatient with the lack of progress made following Japan's promises to open up its markets, the United States recently set quantifiable and measurable objectives which Japan must meet in certain specific economic sectors. Japan refused to go along. The reintroduction of the Super 301 has been denounced by the Secretary General of the GATT, by a number of western politicians and by the Canadian Minister for International Trade as a trade practice that is not in keeping with the spirit and rules of international trade. However, U.S. requirements as to quantifiable objectives resemble a form of managed trade and these too are incompatible with free market principles.
In the past, the United States has used the Super 301 in response to certain trading partners whose practices were deemed to be unfair. These partners included Japan, Brazil and India in the late 1980s. Canada also got a taste of the Super 301 in 1990 when U.S. sanctions targeted Canadian beer exports.
Under the Super 301, the United States has until September 30, 1994 to compile a list of countries which it feels have erected unreasonable barriers to keep out American products. This so-called black list is based on the National Trade Estimates , an annual report released by the U.S. trade secretary on March 31 of this year. Measures will subsequently be taken against all blacklisted countries.
The latest edition of the National Trade Estimates contains 12 pages of complaints about a number of Canadian trade practices, primarily those involving beer, agriculture and domestic procurement policies. While the U.S. Super 301 is directly aimed at Japan, the fact remains that the procedure applies to any country found guilty of trade practices deemed unfair by the United States.
It is to be feared that, to appease the wrath of the United States, Japan could come to favour openly the access of Ameri-
can products and services to its market and this, at the expense of other trading partners, including Canada.
On the one hand, the verbal match between the Americans and the Japanese has subsided considerably over the past few months, Japan having expressed the intention of steering the course of deregulation, which should make access to the Japanese market easier for foreign products.
On the other hand, the war of words between Canadians and Americans has picked up. The Canadian ministers of international trade and agriculture had a few well-chosen words about the scare tactics used by the Americans. Disagreement is obvious from agricultural disputes concerning durum wheat, poultry and eggs for example, disputes which undermine trade relations between our two countries. A fragile and incomplete settlement has just been reached in the Canada-U.S. trade dispute on beer.
So, the fact remains that Canada is among countries that the United States complains about profusely. Therefore, nothing stops them from applying or threatening to apply their Super 301 to some specific sectors of our economy.
In fact, the question I put to the Minister of International Trade on March 25 last has not lost any of its relevance or topicality, since Canada appears on the list of countries found guilty of unfair trade practices in the latest American National Trade Estimates . The United States who have until September 30, 1994, to complete their blacklist, could still be tempted to add or threaten to add Canada to their list in order to pressure us into settling certain trade disputes in their favour.
Canada must not give in to blackmail and intimidation. It must continue to protect its economic interests. That is why the Bloc Quebecois urges the Minister of International Trade and the Minister of Agriculture to oppose steadfastly certain American claims considered illegitimate.
The Bloc also advises the government that it would be unacceptable to the people of Quebec and Canada to fall for the American trap and play off the interests of one region against those of another in hope of settling the dispute as a whole.
Foreign Affairs June 6th, 1994
Mr. Speaker, can the Deputy Prime Minister tell us if the United Nations and the great powers intend to propose new peace initiatives in Bosnia-Hercegovina?
Foreign Affairs June 6th, 1994
Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Deputy Prime Minister. After trying for days to convene talks on a permanent ceasefire in the former Yugoslavia, the special envoy of the Secretary General of the United Nations decided yesterday to abandon his efforts aimed at bringing together all of Bosnia's warring factions in Geneva.
Can the Deputy Prime Minister confirm that the United Nations and the great powers have failed in their diplomatic efforts to get the parties involved in the conflict in the former Yugoslavia to negotiate a lasting ceasefire in Bosnia-Hercegovina?
Rwanda May 25th, 1994
Mr. Speaker, the Bloc Quebecois welcomed the news today that the Canadian government has decided to provide additional humanitarian aid for the victims of the conflict that is now raging in Rwanda.
Only yesterday we urged the federal government to act as soon as possible on the resolution by the Security Council to reinforce the UN mission in Rwanda, and we welcome the additional contribution from CIDA announced this afternoon by the Secretary of State.
The additional emergency aid comes at the right time. We are confident that the amounts committed by Canada will help Canadian non-governmental organizations in Tanzania, Burundi, Rwanda and Zaire, as well as the International Federation of Red Cross Societies and the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, which are also active in Tanzania and Uganda.
There is an escalating need for so many things. There is a shortage of food, drinking water and medical equipment. Public hygiene is a problem, as is the disease spreading through the refugee camps.
The Bloc Quebecois wishes to take this opportunity to commend the courage and invaluable contribution of civilians and military personnel from Canada and Quebec who are working over there with relief organizations to alleviate the suffering and help meet these needs.
Uganda has also requested the help of the international community to remove the thousands of corpses of Rwandans civilians which are rotting in Lake Victoria. A member of the government put it in the following terms, and I quote: "The situation is horrible. Thousands of bodies are caught in the marshes surrounding the many islands in the lake, and we do not have the equipment to remove them".
Meanwhile, mortar attacks prevent relief organizations from getting food from the warehouses to feed the thousands of civilians living under UN protection.
Today, according to a news release, two scheduled humanitarian flights were cancelled because a Canadian C-130 was hit by a bullet. According to the same news release, UNICEF expects malnutrition to become a problem within the next two weeks.
That is why last week, the UN Security Council authorized the deployment of an additional 5,500 peacekeepers. The UN mission in Rwanda will also be responsible for the safety and protection of displaced persons, refugees and civilians who are at risk, which will include the creation and maintenance, where possible, of secure humanitarian zones.
Ghana, Ethiopia and Senegal have each committed 800 soldiers. It is reported that they may not have the necessary equipment, including armoured vehicles, take their position
between the opposing Rwandan forces which have been fighting since early April.
As yet, there has been no response from the international community, so that the actual deployment of the peacekeepers may well take several weeks.
Meanwhile, the killing continues, and according to the latest UN estimates, more than 500,000 people have died and hundreds of thousands are refugees.
Will the Department of Foreign Affairs take part in reinforcing the UN mission in Rwanda? The Secretary of State did not answer that question today.
Canada has a very important role to play in Rwanda. CIDA's response to requests for emergency assistance by the UN and non-governmental organizations is part of that role, and we welcome that decision.
Today, at an emergency meeting of the UN Human Rights Commission in Geneva, several countries are calling for punitive action against the perpetrators of the slaughter in Rwanda and for international action to put an end to the killing. We can only hope that peace will be restored as soon as possible in that country.
Pearson International Airports Agreement Act May 6th, 1994
When will Bill C-22 be passed?