Alexa McDonough (NDP, Halifax)
October 20, 2004
The need for public hearings on Canada's participation in BMD
Mr. Speaker, it is reported that the
U.K. has reached a deal with George Bush to place interceptor missiles on
British soil.
It is time the government stopped pretending that participation in BMD will
cost us nothing and will not involve missiles on Canadian soil. Before any
decision is made to participate in Bush's missile madness, will the
government assure Canadians that they will have their say through
cross-country hearings and that no vote will take place in Parliament until
after those public hearings have been held?
Hon. Pierre Pettigrew (Minister of Foreign Affairs, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, the
committee will decide what it decides to do in terms of the hearings. I will
not begin to run the committees of Parliament and it will be up to the
committee to decide. We have committed to a discussion in this Parliament.
We are committed now to a vote in this Parliament, so there will be an
opportunity to do this.
We have a responsibility as a government to pursue the dialogue with the
Americans. We are talking here about the security of our continent. We are
not going to disengage from this most important dialogue on the fundamental
issue of the defence of North America.
What you could do:
Write the Foreign Affairs Committee members, urging them to support public
hearings on BMD!
Committee members:
Bernard Patry, Chair:
Patry.B@parl.gc.ca
Francine Lalonde, Vice Chair:
Lalonde.F@parl.gc.ca
Kevin Sorenson, Vice Chair:
Sorenson.K@parl.gc.caOctober 15, 2004
CANADA MUST TAKE ACTION TO HELP CURB MOUNTING VIOLENCE IN HAITI
Ottawa - NDP MP and Foreign Affairs Critic Alexa McDonough is demanding the federal government take tangible steps to help stop the growing violence in Haiti.
"Canada has an obligation to help initiate and facilitate peaceful dialogue between warring factions in Haiti," said McDonough. "Money alone cannot bring peace to this violence-stricken nation."
McDonough says Canada must proactively involve the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the United Nations in order to step up efforts to end Haiti's continuous cycle of violence. She added that it must also call on the transitional government of Haiti to protect the rights of Haitians and govern in an open, transparent and democratic fashion.
"Today marks the tenth anniversary of the return of Jean Bertrand Aristide to Haiti after three years in exile. In the lead up to this significant date, armed rebels who led the uprising against Mr. Aristide have been arriving in Port-au-Prince, arousing fears their presence will spark more death and violence," said McDonough.
Currently Canada has only two Canadian Forces officers and 100 police with the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH).
"There is reason to be concerned that yesterday's arrest of Aristide supporter and Catholic priest Gerard Jean-Juste will ignite further anger and violence," said McDonough.
"The devastation of tropical storm Jeanne has compounded the suffering and misery of Haitians. It is deplorable and insulting to Haitians that Canada's Foreign Affairs Minister wandered into that stricken and desperate nation to open Canada's $20 million embassy in Port-au-Prince, while at the same time pretending Canada cannot afford a Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) to help Haitians recover from tropical storm Jeanne," said McDonough.
"DART has been inactivate since 1999, when it helped thousands of lives in Turkey while costing Canada only eight million dollars. Haiti and its Caribbean neighbours are in desperate need of assistance, and Canada needs to step forward," said McDonough.
October 15, 2004
UN Rapporteur Dugard's report on the human rights of Palestinians in the Occupied Territories
Mr. Speaker, UN special rapporteur Dugard has issued a scathing assessment of Israeli government actions in reference to human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories.
On demolitions of Palestinians' homes, Dugard reports that Israeli bulldozers have destroyed homes in a purposeless and wanton manner and savagely dug up roads including electricity, sewage and water lines. Fifteen hundred demolitions have displaced 15,000 Palestinians.
Dugard documents the suffering of Palestinians as a result of the illegal Israeli wall and condemns Sharon's disengagement plan as one designed to allow Israel to claim its occupation of Gaza is over and therefore be no longer bound by the fourth Geneva convention.
Since Israel retains control of border crossings and airspace, it is an occupier, according to the report.
We deplore the loss of innocent Israeli lives as a result of Palestinian mortar attacks and we condemn suicide bomber attacks.
Our government and the international community must heed this UN report. Israel is bound by international law and must end its inhumane treatment of Palestinians in the occupied territories, indeed end the occupation.
Hon. Andrew Telegdi (Lib, Kitchener-Waterloo)
October 14, 2004
ANDREW TELEGDI ELECTED CHAIR OF THE STANDING COMMITTEE ON CITIZENSHIP & IMMIGRATION
The Hon. Andrew Telegdi, Member of Parliament for Kichener-Waterloo, was elected today as the
Chair of the Standing Committee of Citizenship & Immigration. In September, he declined the
offer of the Prime Minister to become his Parliamentary Secretary so he could focus on the
resolution of the issue of citizenship rights.
Under the previous Prime Minister, Telegdi was not allowed to sit on the citizenship committee
as he resigned as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Citizenship & Immigration on May
16, 2000 when he opposed the flawed citizenship revocation process in Bill C-16, the proposed
Citizenship Act that denied nearly six million naturalized Canadians their legal rights
provided under Section 7 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
In the previous government Telegdi voted against major pieces of legislation regarding
immigration, citizenship and terrorism because they contravened the Canadian Charter of Rights
and Freedoms. He also fought to eliminate the democratic deficit and for the right of
committees to elect their own chairpersons.
His continued fight for the citizenship rights of naturalized Canadians was bolstered by the
January 6, 2004 ruling of the Honourable Mr. Justice Robert D. Reilly of the Superior Court of
Ontario where he said:
"There can be no question that the revocation of citizenship, ........, triggers s. 7 of the Charter. A revocation of citizenship engages both liberty interests and security of the person."
In the Throne Speech of October 5, 2004 the government said that its actions would be guided by
seven commitments including: "to defend the Charter of Rights and Freedoms and be a steadfast
advocate of inclusion". They also said that: "It will modernize Canada's Citizenship Act to
reaffirm the responsibilities and rights of Canadian citizenship..."
On the occasion of his election, Telegdi said:
"It is wrong that in the current revocation process for politicians revoke a person's
citizenship in secret meeting and is in contravention of the Canadian Charter of Rights and
Freedom. Citizenship revocation should be done by the Courts, free from political interference.
It is time that the government respects the citizenship rights of naturalized Canadians and
ensures that the new Citizenship Act respects the legal Rights Section 7 of our Charter of
Rights and Freedoms".
Last week Mr. Telegdi was also elected chair of the Liberal Party South-West Caucus.
