Special House of Commons Debate (Kosovo)

In rising to begin this important debate, I want to first pay tribute to members on all sides of the House who have shown resolve and leadership on this difficult issue.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, whose tireless commitment to resolving this crisis has taken him today to Brussels, where he is representing our country at the NATO foreign ministers' meeting. The Minister of Defence, who has led an impressive response on the part of our armed forces. The Minister of Immigration, who moved her department the instant we received a request from the UNHCR to take in refugees driven from their homes in Kosovo. The Minister of International Development, who has effectively directed her Agency to take an international lead in delivering aid and support to the Kosovo refugees.

I wish also to salute the opposition parties in this House. Their constructive approach, their non- partisan attitude, have been an important example to Canadians.

I look forward today to hearing the views and concerns from members on all sides of the House. Because, whatever our individual views are about our involvement in Kosovo, we are each guided by our desire to do the right thing. For Canada and for the international community.

Indeed, like every other member of this House, like every other speaker who will participate in this debate, this occasion to address you today fills me with no joy.

Pride, yes, at the courage of the brave Canadian men and women in our armed forces who have entered into action with their comrades from the other NATO nations. Who have put their own lives at risk so that thousands can be saved.

Great warmth and deep, deep satisfaction, too, at the outpouring of generosity and community -- of basic decency and humanity -- from the thousands and thousands of Canadians in every part of this great land. Who stepped forward to respond to the initial UNHCR appeal for help and haven for the refugees from Kosovo who have been so brutally driven from their land.

And finally, anger and profound rage, at the actions of President Milosevic and his regime. Who have caused this entire crisis. Who are still leading a campaign of terror and destruction on innocent men, women and children in Kosovo. And who care nothing about the cost or consequences to their own nation.

These are the emotions we all feel. Not just in this House, but across Canada. And around the world.

These are a reflection of our values. The values that have built this country. The values that have made us a land of peace and opportunity. A land where we have made diversity not a tool for conflict but a means for a stronger, healthier way of life.

These values must always guide our decisions at home and abroad. And as elected officials, as those vested with great responsibility by the men and women of our country, we must always act in a manner that protects and promotes our interests as a nation. And we must live up to our obligations as a world citizen. Our obligations to the international commitments we make, our obligations to our allies.

And Mr. Speaker, it is these three elements: our values as Canadians, our national interest in a stable and secure Europe and our obligations as a founding member of NATO, that led Canada to take arms with its NATO partners. And it is because of our values, our national interest and our obligations that we must see the job through.

By this time there can only be a very few people who still harbour any illusions about the regime of President Milosevic. For ten years now, he has presided over an unfolding tragedy in the very heart of Europe. For ten years now he has fomented conflicts that have cost hundreds of thousands of lives, displaced millions and unleashed toxic hatreds that will poison that corner of the world for a long time to come.

In Croatia. Then in Bosnia. It was in these conflicts that President Milosevic introduced the obscene new term of "ethnic cleansing" into the modern lexicon. In the last year, the same sickening pattern of violence against a targeted ethnic group has reached another crescendo in Kosovo.

It was President Milosevic and his regime who stripped Kosovo of its autonomy in 1989. Who broke the agreements with moderate Kosovar leaders. Who violated their own commitments of last October to NATO and the OSCE. Who still ignore United Nations Security Council resolutions, including the obligation to bring indicted war criminals to justice before the international criminal court in the Hague.

It was President Milosevic and his regime who began early last year to force Kosovars out of their homes. By the time the Rambouillet negotiations began, there were 260,000 internally displaced persons in Kosovo and Montenegro and 100,000 abroad. By the time the talks collapsed, there were 100,000 more. Now, there are a million or more displaced or exiled Kosovars.

All this before NATO took action. All this part of an obvious plan, and a clear, proven pattern.

The international community made every reasonable effort to find a diplomatic solution. Scores of diplomatic missions were sent to Belgrade. In October, an OSCE verification mission monitored a cease-fire in Kosovo, and worked on the ground to build confidence and solve local conflicts. The peace conference in Rambouillet was held. The Kosovars demonstrated courage by signing a compromise agreement. Only the Yugoslav President remained intransigent. Finally, Ambassador Holbrooke made the final appeals in Belgrade, face to face with Mr. Milosevic.

It was only after all this, Mr. Speaker that NATO resorted to -- was forced to resort to -- military action. Our goals now are what they were then. The government in Belgrade must:

This is our commitment. The commitment of NATO. The commitment of Canada as a member of NATO.

It will not happen overnight. It will not happen without more loss of life in the region - including perhaps loss of life for NATO forces. But it must happen. It is important to understand that Canada is not acting alone on this issue. No one country can decide alone on operations or tactics. We are a member of a team. We are contributing to a collective effort. And decisions are made collectively.

Since its creation, NATO has put into action the painful lesson we learned in two world wars: that peace and stability can only be assured through effective collective security. The continued campaign of terror waged by Belgrade is a threat to peace and security in the heart of Europe. It has already had serious effects throughout the region. And it also threatens the many newly emerging democracies in the region.

We had a choice: we could take action now and deal decisively with this threat. Or do nothing, evade responsibility and deal in a few months or a few years with the results of our inaction. Europe has done this before, to its great cost, and to ours. I don't need to tell you which choice would have been more costly and more dangerous.

Last week I had the honour of welcoming our first air crew home from Aviano. Their pride in what they are doing for Canada was obvious. And their skill and courage in dangerous skies is doing all of us proud.

Military action is, by definition, an uncertain endeavour. But I can assure Canadians that we will never, never enter into reckless action. Action that will put more Canadian lives on the line without full consideration of the consequences.

Come what may, I know that every member of this House will join me in saying that men and women of the Canadian Armed Forces, who are delivering the force of our moral convictions, deserve the support of all Canadians --100%.

And they will have it, Mr. Speaker. They will have it!

I cannot close, Mr. Speaker, without talking about the one aspect of this crisis that has lifted our hearts and raised our spirits. If the conflict in Kosovo is a depressing reminder of the past ...the generosity and concern that Canadians are showing for the Kosovar refugees is an uplifting reminder of what makes our country so great.

A week ago, the UNHCR asked Canada to help ease the growing refugee crisis by agreeing to take in Kosovar refugees. The minute the government agreed to bring in 5,000 refugees, the outpouring from Canadians was nothing short of a phenomenon. And it is still going on.

Toll free telephone lines and faxes are being flooded with offers of help. Communities are opening their hearts and are eager to open their homes, in that typical Canadian way. The need is great. But our compassion is greater. And on behalf of this House, I want to thank everyone who is pitching in.

If anyone ever wanted a description of what this country is all about, if they ever wondered why we have accomplished so much as a nation, they need only look at that tremendous, spontaneous reaction of people in every corner of this great land.

As you know, the UNHCR decided on Friday to change its request and shelter the refugees in countries neighbouring Kosovo. Canadians are helping there too. Providing relief and desperately needed support in coping with this historic tragedy. Brave men and women who are working for non- government organizations and for organizations like the OSCE. They deserve our deep gratitude and thanks too.

And should the UNHCR call on us again, we remain ready to help here in Canada too. We are prepared to handle any request for assistance. And I know Canadians are ready, too.

Mr. Speaker, Canada is a peaceful and peace loving nation. A nation that has devoted itself to building a world in which all people can live in peace. Free from the threat of persecution or violent conquest. A nation that first seeks peaceful, diplomatic resolutions to conflict. A nation that has shown the world by example, people of terrific diversity, from every background and every corner of the world can live together in peace and harmony. That as humans we can learn from each other. That we can bury ancient hates and grievances and build a new kind of society.

But we are also a just nation. A nation that knows there comes a time when skilful diplomacy and dialogue must be backed up by firmness and resolve. That paralysis and inaction can cause more harm than decisive action. That not to choose is also itself a choice, and this kind of willful blindness is not an option.

To be a bystander on Kosovo today would be to betray our basic values, our national interests and our international obligations.

That is not how Canadians do things. We live up to our commitments and keep our word -- all the way down the line.