Ontario Hansard — 24 September 2001 (37th Parliament, 2nd Session)
2001-09-24
Ontario — Debates (Hansard)
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September 24, 2001
37th Parliament, 2nd Session
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Hansard Transcripts
Votes and Proceedings
Orders and Notices
Hansard Transcripts 2001-Sep-24 (PDF)
LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF ONTARIO
ASSEMBLÉE LÉGISLATIVE DE L'ONTARIO
Monday 24 September 2001 Lundi 24 septembre 2001
INTRODUCTION OF MEMBER
FOR VAUGHAN-KING-AURORA
BY-ELECTION
IN BEACHES-EAST YORK
ROYAL ASSENT /
SANCTION ROYALE
REPORT, CHIEF ELECTION OFFICER
REPORT, INTEGRITY COMMISSIONER
REPORTS BY COMMITTEES
STANDING COMMITTEE ON
GOVERNMENT AGENCIES
WEARING OF RED, WHITE
AND BLUE RIBBONS
VISITORS
MOTIONS
ATTACK ON THE UNITED STATES
ATTENTATS CONTRE LES ÉTATS-UNIS
Monday 24 September 2001 Lundi 24 septembre 2001
The House met at 1330.
Prayers.
INTRODUCTION OF MEMBER
FOR VAUGHAN-KING-AURORA
The Speaker (Hon Gary Carr): I beg to inform the House that a vacancy has occurred in the membership of the House by reason of the passing of Al
Palladini as member for the electoral district of Vaughan-King-Aurora effective Wednesday, March 7, 2001.
I beg to inform the House that the Clerk has received from the chief election officer and laid upon the table a certificate of the by-election in the electoral
district of Vaughan-King-Aurora.
Clerk of the House (Mr Claude L. DesRosiers): I have a letter addressed to:
"Mr Claude DesRosiers
"Clerk of the Legislative Assembly
"Room 104
"Legislative Building
"Queen's Park
"Toronto, Ontario
"M7A 1A2"
It reads as follows:
"Dear Mr DesRosiers:
"A writ of election dated the 30th day of May 2001 was issued by the Honourable Lieutenant Governor of the province of Ontario and was addressed to Frances
Romano, returning officer for the electoral district of Vaughan-King-Aurora, for the election of a member to represent the said electoral district of Vaughan-King-Aurora in the Legislative Assembly
of this province in the room of Al Palladini who since his election as representative of said electoral district of Vaughan-King-Aurora hath departed this life. This is to certify that, a poll
having been granted and held in Vaughan-King-Aurora on the 28th day of June 2001, Greg Sorbara has been returned as duly elected, as appears by the return of the said writ of election dated the 6th
day of July 2001, which is now lodged of record in my office."
"John L. Hollins
"Chief election officer
"Toronto, July 6, 2001."
Mr Dalton McGuinty (Leader of the Opposition): Mr Speaker, I have the honour to present to you and the House Greg Sorbara, member-elect for the
electoral district of Vaughan-King-Aurora, who has taken the oath, signed the roll and now claims the right to take his seat.
The Speaker: Let the honourable member take his seat.
BY-ELECTION
IN BEACHES-EAST YORK
The Speaker (Hon Gary Carr): I beg to inform the House that during the adjournment a vacancy has occurred in the membership of the House by
reason of the resignation of Frances Lankin, member for the electoral district of Beaches-East York, effective July 31, 2001. Accordingly, I have issued my warrant to the chief election officer for
the issue of a writ for a by-election.
ROYAL ASSENT /
SANCTION ROYALE
The Speaker (Hon Gary Carr): I beg to inform the House that in the name of Her Majesty the Queen, His Honour the Administrator of Ontario was
pleased to assent to certain bills on June 29, 2001.
Clerk at the Table (Ms Lisa Freedman): The following are the titles of the bills to which His Honour did assent:
Bill 12,
An Act to increase the safety of equestrian riders / Projet de loi 12, Loi visant à accroître la sécurité des cavaliers;
Bill 18,
An Act to recognize the emblem of the Ontario French-speaking community / Projet de loi 18, Loi visant à reconnaître l'emblème de la
communauté francophone de l'Ontario;
Bill 19,
An Act to amend the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities Act / Projet de loi 19, Loi modifiant la
Loi sur le ministère de la
Formation et des Collèges et Universités;
Bill 25,
An Act to amend the Public Service Act and the Crown Employees Collective Bargaining Act, 1993 / Projet de loi 25, Loi modifiant la
Loi sur la fonction
publique et la Loi de 1993 sur la négociation collective des employés de la Couronne;
Bill 45,
An Act to implement measures contained in the 2001 Budget and to amend various statutes / Projet de loi 45, Loi mettant en oeuvre des mesures
mentionnées dans le budget de 2001 et modifiant diverses lois;
Bill 57,
An Act to promote government efficiency and to improve services to taxpayers by amending or repealing certain Acts / Projet de loi 57, Loi visant à
favoriser l'efficience du gouvernement et à améliorer les services aux contribuables en modifiant ou en abrogeant certaines lois;
Bill 58,
An Act to ensure the provision of essential ambulance services in the event of a strike or lock-out of ambulance workers / Projet de loi 58, Loi visant
à assurer la fourniture des services d'ambulance essentiels dans l'éventualité d'une grève ou d'un lock-out de préposés aux services d'ambulance;
Bill 59,
An Act to amend the Police Services Act / Projet de loi 59, Loi modifiant la
Loi sur les services policiers;
Bill 66,
An Act to amend The Wilfrid Laurier University Act, 1973 / Projet de loi 66, Loi modifiant la loi intitulée The Wilfrid Laurier University
Act, 1973;
Bill 71,
An Act to repeal the Homes for Retarded Persons Act, amend the Developmental Services Act and make related amendments to other statutes / Projet de loi
71, Loi abrogeant la
Loi sur les foyers pour déficients mentaux, modifiant la
Loi sur les services aux personnes atteintes d'un handicap de développement et apportant des modifications
connexes à d'autres lois;
Bill 80,
An Act to promote a stable learning environment and support teacher excellence / Projet de loi 80, Loi favorisant la stabilité du milieu de
l'enseignement et soutenant l'excellence des enseignants;
Bill 82,
An Act to amend the Legislative Assembly Act to provide an arm's length process to determine members' compensation / Projet de loi 82, Loi modifiant la
Loi sur l'Assemblée législative pour établir un processus sans lien de dépendance permettant de fixer la rétribution des députés;
Bill 85,
An Act to minimize the use of restraints on patients in hospitals and on patients of facilities / Projet de loi 85, Loi visant à réduire au
minimum l'utilisation des moyens de contention sur les malades des hôpitaux et des établissements;
Bill Pr4,
An Act respecting the City of Elliot Lake;
Bill Pr7,
An Act to revive Premium Auto Collision Inc.;
Bill Pr8,
An Act to revive 1072550 Ontario Limited;
Bill Pr9,
An Act respecting the Town of Newmarket;
Bill Pr11,
An Act to amend the Welland-Port Colborne Airport Act, 1976;
Bill Pr12,
An Act respecting Master's College and Seminary (formerly Eastern Pentecostal Bible College);
Bill Pr13,
An Act respecting the Boys' Home;
Bill Pr14,
An Act to revive 1150982 Ontario Inc.;
Bill Pr16,
An Act to revive 1252563 Ontario Limited;
Bill Pr17,
An Act to revive RDP Computer Consulting Inc.;
Bill Pr18,
An Act respecting Conrad Grebel University College;
Bill Pr19,
An Act to revive 569924 Ontario Limited;
Bill Pr20,
An Act respecting the City of Toronto.
REPORT, CHIEF ELECTION OFFICER
The Speaker (Hon Gary Carr): I beg to inform the House that on Monday, July 16, 2001, the annual report of the Chief Election Officer for the
year 2000 was tabled.
REPORT, INTEGRITY COMMISSIONER
The Speaker (Hon Gary Carr): I beg to inform the House that on Monday, August 27, 2001, the report of the Integrity Commissioner, pursuant to
section 1 of the MPP Compensation Reform Act, 2001, was tabled.
REPORTS BY COMMITTEES
STANDING COMMITTEE ON
GOVERNMENT AGENCIES
The Speaker (Hon Gary Carr): I beg to inform the House that during the recess the Clerk received the 10th, 11th and 12th reports of the standing
committee on government agencies.
Pursuant to standing order 106(e)9, these reports are deemed to be adopted by the House.
WEARING OF RED, WHITE
AND BLUE RIBBONS
The Speaker (Hon Gary Carr): In the absence of a dissenting voice, today all members may wear on their lapel the red, white and blue ribbon
signifying support for our American neighbours.
VISITORS
The Speaker (Hon Gary Carr): I would also like to inform the members that we have with us today in the Speaker's gallery representatives from
the Consular Corps in Toronto. Please join me in welcoming our very special honoured guests.
MOTIONS
ATTACK ON THE UNITED STATES
ATTENTATS CONTRE LES ÉTATS-UNIS
Hon Janet Ecker (Minister of Education, Government House Leader): Mr Speaker, I seek unanimous consent for the Premier to move a motion relating
to the events of September 11, 2001, in the United States, the text of which all parties are aware;
And further, that the terms of debate on the motion be as follows:
The three party leaders will be given up to 12 minutes each for an opening statement, to begin with the Premier's remarks, followed by the leader of the official
opposition, concluding with the leader of the third party;
Following these statements, two minutes of silence will be observed;
The time remaining until 5:45 pm will then be divided equally among the 98 remaining members of the House. Such debate will follow a simple rotation between each
party, and will include the independent member;
The leader of the third party may speak more than once using any combination of the unused time allocated to the members of his caucus;
Upon the conclusion of the debate, or at 5:45 pm, whichever occurs earlier, the Speaker will put the question;
In the case of any division, the division bell shall be limited to 10 minutes;
Upon the conclusion of the vote, the national anthem of the United States will be played, immediately followed by O Canada;
Following the playing of the national anthems, the Speaker shall immediately adjourn the House.
The Speaker: The government House leader is seeking unanimous consent to move a motion relating to the events of September 11, 2001, in the
United States and for the debate to proceed as stated.
Agreed? Agreed. Premier.
Hon Michael D. Harris (Premier): Mr Speaker, I would like to move, seconded by Mr McGuinty and Mr Hampton, the following motion:
Be it resolved that:
To respond to the events of September 11, 2001, in which thousands of innocent men and women, including Canadian citizens, were attacked and murdered by
terrorists;
To acknowledge that these acts were evil, immoral and an affront to humanity;
To respond as well to recent and unfortunate incidents, in Ontario and elsewhere, of intolerance directed to Muslims and members of other visible minority
communities;
To join with all peaceful, law-abiding people who want compassion to be shown to the victims and justice to be served;
The Legislative Assembly of the province of Ontario, on behalf of the people of Ontario:
Unanimously joins Parliaments and governments around the world in condemning both these attacks and those responsible for them;
Commits the resources of Ontario to assist the people of the United States in dealing with the aftermath of these terrible tragedies;
Declares that Ontario stands ready to help bring to justice all those responsible for these heinous acts;
Pledges to do everything within its power to ensure that there is no place in Ontario for agents or supporters of terrorism;
Condemns all hate crimes and reaffirms the commitment of all legislators to uphold our province's proud traditions of tolerance and respect for diversity and
to do everything in our power to ensure that all Ontario residents continue to treat one another -- regardless of race, religion, background or ethnic origin -- with generosity, with compassion,
with dignity and with respect.
The Speaker: Mr Harris moves, seconded by Mr McGuinty and Mr Hampton, that to respond to the events of September 11, 2001, in which thousands
of innocent men and women, including Canadian citizens, were attacked and murdered by terrorists;
To acknowledge that these acts were evil, immoral and an affront to humanity;
To respond as well to recent and unfortunate incidents, in Ontario and elsewhere, of intolerance directed to Muslims and members of other visible minority
communities;
To join with all peaceful, law-abiding people who want compassion to be shown to the victims and justice to be served;
The Legislative Assembly of the province of Ontario, on behalf of the people of Ontario:
Unanimously joins Parliaments and governments around the world in condemning both these attacks and those responsible for them;
Commits the resources of Ontario to assist the people of the United States in dealing with the aftermath of these terrible tragedies;
Declares that Ontario stands ready to help bring to justice all those responsible for these heinous acts;
Pledges to do everything within its power to ensure that there is no place in Ontario for agents or supporters of terrorism;
Condemns all hate crimes and reaffirms the commitment of all legislators to uphold our province's proud traditions of tolerance and respect for diversity and
to do everything in our power to ensure that all Ontario residents continue to treat one another -- regardless of race, religion, background or ethnic origin -- with generosity, compassion, dignity
and respect.
Hon Mr Harris: I want to thank both opposition leaders for their assistance in drafting the resolution and their co-operation on behalf of
their caucuses in making it unanimous today.
I also want to acknowledge and thank Philip Hoffman, the deputy consul general of the United States, for his presence here today.
Today is unlike any we've seen in this Legislature. The world has changed, and we have changed. Innocent people were murdered by deliberate evil, terrorism
unleashed without warning, with callous disregard for life. They were taken in brief and terrible moments, yet we will cherish their lives forever. We must learn to live with the indelible images
of that morning. We must learn to live with shock, with disbelief that so much evil has taken so much life that we hold precious. We must learn to live with loss.
But our province, our country and our allies are strong, as are the people whose lives have been shattered by these crimes. To the friends and families of the
victims of this tragedy, our hearts go out to you. You have our prayers, you have our deepest condolences and you have our vow to do everything to prevent anything like this from ever happening
again.
In these dark hours, so many ask, "What good can come from this?" I answer: not darkness, but light; not evil, but goodness; not hatred, but love; not
villains, but heroes; not enemies, but friends. Friends, heroes, love, goodness, light -- we've witnessed so many incredible acts of humanity throughout this inhumanity. Ordinary people doing the
extraordinary. Strangers helping strangers, quickly becoming friends, united in their concern, united in their caring and in their compassion, united in their total disregard for their own safety,
caring only for others.
In this time of sorrow, it is hard for some to imagine that ever again could there be a brighter tomorrow. I think of the mothers, the fathers, the sisters,
the brothers, the sons, the daughters, the friends, the victims, and I think of the loved ones who are lost, how many lives they touched, how much love they shared, how many smiles they brought to
the faces of others, how many ways they could brighten the darkest day in so many little but magnificent ways, how vast was their courage and how they showed it quietly every day.
Our government has done what we can to lighten the burdens of our friends and our neighbours in their hours of need. We've sent the best of our best, Dr James
Young, head of Ontario's Emergency Measures Organization, to New York City with a team of medical specialists to provide forensic services. We have provided money to help victims' families in need
of support.
To help the families of Ontario victims, I've also asked officials to remove unnecessary legal obstacles, to speed compensation, to settle legal issues that
victims' families may face. We stand ready to help in any other way we can, as Ontarians have stood throughout this time.
All who have suffered loss during this horror have been heartened to see how we as a society have responded to this vast and senseless tragedy. Thousands have
donated blood. If you haven't yet and can, please do so. If it can't be used now, someone who urgently needs it will soon benefit from your gift of life.
Money has poured into disaster relief funds to help our friends through these tragedies and to help them start to rebuild. Ontarians have shown strong
compassion by the speed with which they have helped those overwhelmed by this tragedy. To all of you on behalf of all Ontarians, I say thank you.
Ontario has always prided itself on its tolerance. Ontarians come from all parts of the earth. We have lived until now in relative peace and harmony. I want
all to know that Ontario will not harbour prejudice. Ontario will not allow hate crimes. Ontario will not allow racism to dim the light of hope, which so many of us are helping to burn
brighter.
More than ever, we must build on who we are and what we stand for. More than ever, we must open our doors, not to hatred but to hope. More than ever, we must
remember that we are a strong community. We are a community of communities, and we are stronger for that.
I have spoken, over the past weeks, to a number of friends in the Muslim community, as I believe all of us have in every part of this province and in our
ridings. One leader particularly said to me that in his view he was very supportive of the overwhelming vast majority of support and understanding from Ontarians. He indicated that in his view
racism and hate, hateful comments, come from a lack of knowledge and understanding of others, and he reminded me of this thought from the Koran -- God says this -- and I paraphrase as he
paraphrased to me: "I made you different nations and tribes that ye may know one another." Every religion has this kind of statement. Perhaps none expresses it quite so directly and does the Muslim
faith through the Koran.
More than ever, we must keep our American friends close in our hearts and remind them that they are family. We will not allow the evil acts of a few to defeat
the heroic efforts of many. These terrorists have forfeited their future. They will fail, because we are but one province of one country of many democratic nations who stand beside America for all
that is yet to come and all that as yet remains undone.
I vow, on behalf of all Ontarians, that we will stand with America. I vow that we will support you. I vow to you and to all people everywhere in the world who
abhor terrorism, who cherish freedom and democracy, who live in nations of different beliefs and faiths, including peaceful, law-abiding Muslims living across this world, that we will do everything
possible to help you emerge from these tragedies stronger.
The chilling aftermath of these senseless tragedies reminds us that we can never take our freedom and we can never take our safety for granted. We are reminded
that we must at all times be ready to defend the way of life that we have worked so hard to build. While Ontario is still in mourning for the lives lost on September 11, our government has not lost
sight of one of it's most important duties: protecting its citizens. And make no mistake: we will protect our province and its people.
Today, I am announcing a broad range of steps we're taking to ensure the safety and security of Ontario families. Specifically, I have asked the commissioner
of the Ontario Provincial Police, who is in the gallery today along with the deputy commissioner, to review ways the OPP could fight terrorism more effectively. We will consult with both the OPP
and municipal police forces across the province on what additional resources may be required to keep Ontario safe. We will review ways that federal, provincial and municipal governments and other
agencies can better share intelligence information. We pledge our co-operation with international intelligence and law enforcement officials.
We will also look at strengthening any provincial legislation that could be used to prevent terrorist acts, including possible changes to the Remedies for
Organized Crime Act to cut terrorists off financially. At the same time, we will offer to work with the federal government as they review changes to federal legislation and policies. Along with our
justice ministers, I will report back to the House in the next few weeks on details related to these and other counter-terrorism initiatives.
Finally, where we have shown since September 11 that we have a sound emergency response capacity, I've directed an ongoing review of Ontario's emergency
measures to ensure that we are as prepared as we need to be to deal with any future challenges.
Mr Speaker, as we look back over the past two weeks, we will never forget the children without fathers, without mothers; parents without sons, without
daughters; of friends who will never see each other again. We will pray for the families whose lives have been torn apart but we will also move forward.
We will not allow the threat of terrorism to change our lives. We won't let the people who planned and carried out these evil acts succeed in their goal of
undermining our way of life. We will carry on with our lives because democracy is strong, because freedom is strong. As Mayor Giuliani said yesterday, "To those who say that our city will never be
the same, I say you are right. It will be better." Ontario will also be better. Our people are resolute and our love for freedom is unwavering.
Thank you very much, Mr Speaker.
Mr Dalton McGuinty (Leader of the Opposition): Together with the Premier and leader of the third party, I lend my wholehearted support to this
very important resolution. This is a tragedy for all of us, but it must be said that this tragedy is felt most deeply by the families and friends of those who died at the World Trade Center, at the
Pentagon and in Pennsylvania. Our hearts and prayers are with those who lost a mother or father, a husband or wife, a son or daughter, a friend, a colleague. We've all lost a sense of security.
We've all lost some of our faith in humanity, but to lose someone you love is the deepest loss of all. So we pray today for those who are mourning the deepest loss of all.
Today we commit the resources of our great province to assist the people of the United States of America. We owe much to our American friends, yet we stand
with them now, I would suggest, not because of what we owe them but because of what we share with them: a love of freedom, a deep and abiding faith in the individual, a profound belief in democracy
and what they so eloquently call the pursuit of happiness. Our traditions and our governments and our structures are very different, but our people and the American people strive for the same
thing: the pursuit of happiness. That is what we share. It's a vision of a better future, and that is what was attacked, and that attack has left us understandably and justifiably angry. Let's
allow that anger to fuel our actions now. Let's allow that anger to spur us on to do all we can to bring to justice the murderers responsible for those horrific events.
But let us also ensure that that anger does not blind us to injustice that takes place within our own borders. Already there have been terrible acts of
intolerance aimed at people purely because of the way their names sound or the colour of their skin or the place of worship they might attend. I know that this House stands united and resolute in
condemning these despicable acts of intolerance. We will not allow terror to triumph over tolerance.
Let us ensure as well that our anger does not create in us a sort of blind rage. We must root out, attack and eradicate terrorism and we sense an urgent need
to act, but there's also an obligation to act wisely.
Someone once stood in a cemetery for fallen soldiers and said, "No man who witnessed the tragedies of the last war, no man who can imagine the unimaginable
possibilities of the next war, can advocate war out of irritability or frustration or impatience." This, I would suggest, is the time to consider these words spoken by John F. Kennedy in 1961 on
Veterans Day at Arlington National Cemetery. May the world's leaders be guided today by prudence as well as passion.
Let us not be blind, either, to the new challenges we face here in Ontario. This is a challenging time for us, and challenging times require leadership from
all of us in this House. We must ask ourselves, just how secure is our province? What if that were to happen here? In the 1980s, this Legislature had an all-party committee on terrorism. I urge us
all to reconvene this committee, so we can work together to put forward positive solutions. I would also urge the government to meet immediately with our province's mayors. We need to review how
prepared we really are to cope with emergencies. We must all do everything we can -- and I'm sure we sense this responsibility -- to ensure that our people and our families are safe.
We must also do all we can to secure our economy, which was already slowing before the terrible events of September 11. I am troubled by the layoffs we have
seen already, the instability in the markets, the delays for business at our border crossings and other threats to our trade with our US neighbours. So I urge the government to consider hosting a
summit of business and labour leaders to consider the changing economic climate and how Ontarians, working together, can rise to meet this challenge. We believe the government should provide the
people of Ontario with an updated fiscal and economic statement so we know exactly where we stand and where we might be going. Businesses are already revising their financial projections; so should
we.
We have opened our hearts to our friends and neighbours, but let's also turn our minds to facing our challenges here at home. Let us remember that Ontario
families are seeking security in all forms: from crime and terrorism, yes, but they also seek security in quality health care when someone is sick, they want the best education for their children
and they want the safest environment for all of us.
I've spoken of our sadness for the victims and the anger we feel toward the terrorists, but I don't think there's anything wrong with admitting that we also
feel at least some fear. Another great American, Mark Twain, once said that courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear but not absence of fear. It's as if Twain knew those firefighters and
police and rescue workers who died on September 11. They must have felt fear but, oh, how they mastered it. They were going up the stairs when everybody else was rushing down. Those people are true
heroes.
Such heroes exist right here in Ontario. They are our police, our firefighters, our paramedics, our rescue workers. I know in my heart that they would have
made the same sacrifice, God forbid, in the same circumstances, and I know I speak for every member of this House when I pay tribute to the heroes in this tragedy and the heroes in our own
backyard.
Now I say to my colleagues that it is our turn to master fear and show courage. We can defeat terror by resuming the pursuit of happiness.
I know that our everyday concerns can suddenly seem absolutely trivial when compared to the enormity of the events of September 11, but I say that our everyday
lives are anything but trivial. After all, we have families to love and to raise. We have communities to build. We have a province to serve and a country to be proud of. So let these attacks renew
our resolve to be the best parents that we can be, the best families that we can be, the best leaders that we can be, the best Ontarians and the best Canadians that we can be, because on September
11 we were reminded how precious our way of life, and life itself, really is.
Some might argue that politics now seem particularly trivial, but I believe public service is even more important today. When the terrorists attacked our way
of life, they attacked the rule of law, and we are Ontario's lawmakers. When the terrorists attacked our way of life, they attacked the free flow of ideas, and this is where we debate ideas. When
the terrorists attacked our way of life, they attacked democracy, and this chamber is the very heart of democracy in our province.
What we do in this Legislature, I suggest to you, Speaker, has even more meaning today. Our way of life was attacked on September 11, and we will without fail
defend it by condemning the attacks; by supporting our friends and neighbours, the people of the United States of America; by rejecting intolerance wherever and whenever we find it; by working
together to stamp out terrorism at home and abroad; by protecting our people's security and our province's economy; but also by doing better what we do every day in this House. If we do these
things, Speaker, if we do these things, colleagues, we will have mastered fear and defeated terror, and we will truly pay tribute to and honour the victims and the heroes of September 11. Thank
you.
Mr Howard Hampton (Kenora-Rainy River): I want to thank the Premier for suggesting this motion. I want to thank all members of the Legislature
for the unanimous agreement which has made it possible.
This nightmare of terrorism has affected all of us deeply and personally, from the heroic firefighters and emergency workers who perished while trying to save
others to the doctors and nurses and blood donors who have helped in the aftermath. No person who has witnessed America's worst hour can be immune to its horrific impact.
This was an attack on all of humanity. Our challenge is to see that humanity triumphs over the sickness of terrorism and the consuming fear it can create. As
we continue to mourn the victims of this horrible catastrophe, we naturally reflect on what it means to each of us, to our families, to our communities, to our way of life.
I want to speak personally for a moment. I lived in the United States for four years in the early 1970s while I was attending university there. Two thousand
graduates of the university I attended were in the World Trade Center that morning. Twenty-nine of them of them were my personal friends, classmates, people I played touch football with, people I
knew socially, people I debated with. I'm happy to say that so far as we know now, all but two of those people were able to get out of the building.
When you read some of the e-mails that those friends, my classmates, post on the university Web site, they are gripping. One says, "I think I'm the only person
from my floor who survived." Another says, "I'm OK. I'm in hospital but I have no hair now." Another says, "But for the thoughtful direction of an emergency worker, we would not have survived, a
calm voice amid panic that said, `This way. Go now. Don't stop. Be orderly.'"
An incredible expression of humanity: people who are thankful they are alive but people who acknowledge that so many friends, so many colleagues perished;
people who are now trying to make sense of their lives in the aftermath and who say, when you talk to them candidly on the telephone, "I don't know how I will ever come to grips with this. I don't
know how I'll ever come to grips with what has happened to me, my colleagues, people I knew."
That is the reality that so many people are dealing with, and it is no surprise in that context that people will feel incredibly angry, that people will have a
thirst for revenge. I've spoken to personal friends who have expressed that. That is where I think we as Ontarians, as the best friends of the United States, as the best friends of Americans -- I
venture to say that many of us here in this room have parts of our family who live on the other side of the border, as I do -- have to offer special counsel. This is where I believe we can play the
most important role: to offer wise counsel, to offer that piece of advice that may not automatically come from elsewhere when people feel such incredible anger.
What do the events of September 11 mean for Ontario and for Canadians generally? First of all I think we must state firmly and forthrightly that the
international community should spare no effort in bringing the perpetrators to justice. We must stand strong in support of the fight against terrorism within our own borders and wherever it exists
in this world that today is so incredibly interconnected. But at the same time we must be a voice that ensures there is a considered response, that the will to rush to avenge these despicable
crimes doesn't overtake the body of international law that exists to bring terrorists to justice. We must insist that the international community take responsibility, that the international
community exercise judgment here.
We must offer counsel as well to those who would seek punitive, military operations that may at the end of the day only attack the civilian population rather
than the individuals who are responsible. Our anti-terrorist actions must take place within the framework of international law and with the support of the global community.
Ontario must be a voice that says that we cannot compromise the historic commitment of Canadians to human rights, to civil rights and to the humane treatment
of immigrants and refugees. We're willing to protect those cherished principles and ensure that they also do not become the victims of terrorism in a rush to judgment. In the end, a position that
says "an eye for an eye" can leave us all blind.
Throughout the world we are respected for our ability to be a land of many nations, as a place where tolerance, good human relations and democracy prevail. We
must ensure that that continues. I believe that the biggest contribution we can make to our American friends is to offer that wise counsel that we are known for around the world.
Within our own boundaries we must recognize that after the horrible attack, we have seen backlash foment. There have been unprovoked attacks on citizens from a
number of different backgrounds, both Muslim and non-Muslim.
We have included in our resolution an important statement. In expressing our unity in responding to recent and unfortunate incidents in Ontario and elsewhere
of intolerance directed to Muslims and members of other visible minority communities, we must emphasize over and over again that we must be a model for other jurisdictions. We must stand firmly and
say that a blind rage, a blind flourish of hate, is really just giving in to terrorism. It is really giving in to that which we want to fight against.
We condemn all hate crimes, and we affirm the commitment of all legislators to uphold our province's proud traditions of tolerance and respect for diversity
and to do everything in our power to ensure that all Ontario residents continue to treat one another, regardless of race, religion, background or ethnic origin, with generosity, compassion, dignity
and respect.
We must reiterate our firm commitment, our firm opposition to attempt to associate terrorist attacks with any religious or national community. We stand in full
solidarity with any and all religious and ethnic communities that have been unjustly associated with these attacks. To do this would be to give in to that which terrorism tries to create. We must
say that, and I'm proud that so many have said that.
In our hearts we know that violence begets violence. Nothing is to be gained by indiscriminately bombing mothers and children in another part of the world.
Nothing is to be gained by bombing a mosque or a temple in our own province. Nothing is to be gained by these things, and too much is to be lost.
Yes, we need to move with solidarity, but Ontario, above all, must offer wise counsel: wise counsel within our province and wise counsel to our family members
and our friends in the United States.
I started by speaking personally. I want to end by speaking personally. I don't want to look at my phone bill at the end of this month. But I have to say, in
talking to classmates, in talking to friends, in talking to people -- when I was a university student, we used to engage in heated ideological battles. I came here, back to Canada, to become active
in politics of a particular ideology; many of my friends went to Bay Street, many of them went to Wall Street. And we continue to have these ideological discussions.
I would say that in the aftermath of September 11, though, we've all been brought closer. We in fact agree on a number of things that must happen. We agree
that the sacrifice of firefighters, of emergency workers, of police officers, is nothing less than incredible in the circumstances; people going into a situation where they know that their very
life is at stake. More than that, they know that their chance of survival is probably not very great, yet they go anyway.
We acknowledge the need for strong public action. We acknowledge the need for those public institutions which give us solidarity, which allow us to come
together, which allow us to express our humanity and our dedication to society. We acknowledge the brotherhood that unites us all. And I hope that through all of this as we go forward -- and I
think there will be trying events after this -- we can continue to use that sense of humanity that we share together to offer wise counsel within our province and to offer wise counsel to our
friends in the United States.
Applause.
The Speaker: Would all members and guests please rise to observe two minutes of silence in observance of the tragedy of September 11, 2001, in
the United States of America.
The House observed two minutes' silence .
The Speaker: Pursuant to the earlier agreement of the House, each member now has up to two minutes for a statement. The rotation will begin
with the government.
Hon Jim Flaherty (Deputy Premier, Minister of Finance): Mr Speaker, evil exists in our world. Witness the tragedies of September 11, 2001.
Enemies of our civilization attacked civilians in premeditated, organized acts of terrorism. These enemies of civilization murdered thousands of people. The victims were mainly Americans, but also
citizens of many other countries including Canada. All victims are our friends and neighbours -- family.
Our enemies committed mass murder against civilians for a purpose: to destroy our spirit. Our enemies are hostile to the values which our civilization
cherishes and defends: freedom, democracy, security of the person, dignity of the individual, tolerance of diversity. These values are reflected in the fundamental declarations of rights of various
nations, including Canada's Charter of Rights. These values must be defended when attacked.
Terrorism seeks to undermine our spirit, to weaken our resolve. What we need is to stand shoulder to shoulder as civilized people against our enemies who would
destroy our values. What we need is to be resolute, steadfast and strong in spirit. What we need is to steel our resolve, and we need to be prepared to persevere.
Sixty years ago, in 1941, Albert Einstein spoke simply and eloquently at what must be done to combat organized power. He said, "Organized power can be opposed
only by organized power. Much as I regret this, there is no other way."
Mr Dominic Agostino (Hamilton East): We stand today united, arm in arm with our friends the United States. We stand shoulder to shoulder with
our American friends. We proudly stand with them, we love them and we will support them.
On September 11, a barbaric act by cowards shattered the dreams of thousands of families, thousands of people: moms and dads who will never tuck their kids
into bed at night again, couples who will never celebrate a birthday or anniversary together, grandparents who will never take their grandchildren to a baseball game again. Our prayers, condolences
and hearts go out to these people and these families.
This horrific tragedy has united Canadians and Americans in a way that has never happened before. Together we will take these challenges on. Together we will
face this new world we all have to live in after September 11.
We can't come close to understanding what our friends whose families and whose lives have been shattered are going through today, but we can stand with them
today. Our prayers and our hearts go to them.
This horrific act has also brought acts of intolerance in our communities. In my own city of Hamilton, a place of worship has been burned down and another
vandalized. People have been taunted. We've got to send out today a very clear message of support to our friends in the Muslim community in Ontario that we stand with you and that we stand against
the intolerance and hate that has been expressed by a few Ontarians in the last couple of weeks.
We can overcome this challenge, but we've got to do it together as a province, as Ontarians. We cannot do it fighting against each other. We cannot do it by
targeting people. We cannot do it by singling out individuals because of the colour of their skin or their religious background. If we do that, terrorists will win.
God bless America.
Mr Raminder Gill (Bramalea-Gore-Malton-Springdale): I'm pleased to support this resolution about our duty, not just to our friends and family,
but our duty to all citizens of the world. As legislators, we must act to protect this generation, and we must also ensure that terrorism is eradicated once and for all.
Premier Harris and fellow members, I'm pleased to join with you today in our fight against terrorism. We as Ontarians have always fought for freedom. Ontario's
first Lieutenant Governor, Sir John Graves Simcoe, stood against slavery 75 years before it was abolished by the British Parliament and 100 years before Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation
Proclamation.
Ontarians fought against Kaiserism and Naziism when those movements brought terror to the gates of the civilized world. Many Ontarians also volunteered in
Korea, and today Ontarians stand prepared to do our duty once again in order to help eradicate this new terror in the world.
As we stand against terrorism abroad, Ontarians today must recommit ourselves to be more vigilant than ever before to ensure that the freedoms we promote and
defend are preserved right here at home. Tempers must remain in check, and ignorant attacks against those people we are unfamiliar with must be rebuked and stopped.
Together we must work with the police and local authorities to apprehend those who preach and practise violence in our neighbourhoods. While we stand together
to protect freedom at home in Ontario, it is our duty to condemn in the strongest possible terms the terrorists and all those rogue states that support them.
Mr Rick Bartolucci (Sudbury): I stand today with overwhelming confidence and enormous faith in knowing there is more good in this world than
evil, that good will triumph over evil; overwhelming confidence that despite the devastation, the horrific tragedy, the senseless loss of life that occurred on September 11, we will emerge a
stronger people, a stronger province, a stronger country, a stronger international community, with a stronger role in the fact that we will all know that we care about each other just a little bit
more, as was evidenced so vividly in my community of Sudbury, where labour leaders came together to hold the first prayer service, where the musicians of my community came together to offer a
benefit and where scores of students have visited my office to give me messages to give to the deputy consul general of the United States.
One of them I think summarizes so well the thoughts of the people of Sudbury. It was written by Nathan Prince, a St David student in grade 7. He said:
"Dear Lord,
"Please help our friends in the United States get through this rough time of devastation. We don't understand why such tragedies occur but we do know that we
can depend on your love and guidance. Help them to keep their faith. Watch over them as they try to deal with" our "time of sorrow."
The faith, hope and love of children certainly spell the message that we must all care.
Hon David Young (Attorney General, minister responsible for native affairs): We are a nation of immigrants. Peoples from every corner of the
globe come to Canada. Indeed, many came with little more than hope and faith in freedom's great promise. These people, people from every religion, have been invited to the Canadian table. They have
been accepted, welcomed -- in fact, they have been made essential partners in the peaceful fellowship of man. These values -- Canadian values -- are shared by great democracies across the world.
Free elections, freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of religion and a fair and an open system of justice represent the bedrock of our civilization.
As Attorney General of this great province I have a duty to help protect these treasured freedoms. But in light of the recent atrocities south of the border,
nothing short of our way of life is under attack. The forces of intolerance, the forces of extremism have extended their insidious reach into the great symbols of freedom and democracy. Now the
brotherhood of nations must thwart the dark designs of a discredited regime. The drumbeat of democracy must continue to sound its message of hope and renewal, and we are here to collectively pledge
today that we will do everything we can to keep alight the fires of freedom. Working with the police and other authorities, we will assist in every way possible our American brothers and sisters in
their time of need.
I state to you clearly and emphatically that there is absolutely no place in Ontario for racial intolerance, hatred or wanton vigilantism. We in this House are
here to say that we will pledge to defeat those who put intolerance before understanding and extremism before reasonableness. Their hurtful acts know no humanity, and we must act to ensure that
they will have no future.
Mrs Marie Bountrogianni (Hamilton Mountain): Terror capable of being imagined and perpetrated only by madness and ignorance has changed our
world. Today we are faced with the reality of our vulnerability and profound need for heightened vigilance. We pledge our resolve and our support to combat those responsible for the horrific attack
on America. Our goal must be not only to restore the freedom of our way of life that was attacked but also to ensure that such atrocity will never again take place.
Violence in all forms, regardless from where it comes, cannot be tolerated by civilized people. As a legislator I must denounce the hate crimes witnessed in
many Ontario communities, including my own. It is intolerable that the Muslim mosque on Hamilton Mountain was vandalized; in a neighbouring riding the Hindu Simaj Temple burned to the ground.
At no time has it been more important to stand as an elected assembly united by values of tolerance and respect. There is no room for intolerance and
intimidation in Ontario. We have been re-evaluating our security practices as a country, as a province, as a community and as individuals. We need to do more to safeguard against terrorism and we
need to do more to stop hate crimes. Local municipalities will need additional resources to ensure that all their citizens are safe.
We need to be role models for the children of Ontario. We need to assure them that they are safe and that the individuals responsible for the recent attacks
are not part of our community. We need to provide Ontario teachers with the resources they need to help Ontario students cope with their fears and concerns.
I would like to take a moment to pay tribute to the heroes -- the firefighters, the police, emergency service personnel -- who, with each call, put themselves
in harm's way so that the rest of us are safe.
To the United States that has lost thousands of its citizens, and to the families that have lost loved ones, the constituents of Hamilton Mountain express
their heartfelt sympathy.
Mrs Tina R. Molinari (Thornhill): On September 11, 2001, life as we know it changed. The world stood still as our minds and our hearts reached
out to comprehend the devastating atrocities that flashed before our eyes. Our sympathies and prayers have been and will continue to be with the families of the victims of this most horrific
terrorist act.
Many of us will never forget what we were doing or who we were with on that day. The people of Ontario have responded with heartfelt sympathy from all
ethnicities and faiths. Many people in my riding took the time to sign the book of remembrance and offer best wishes, prayers, hopes and support for the people of the United States.
One of the special aspects of the province of Ontario is its diversity. My riding of Thornhill is no exception. I take pride in the fact that side by side on
Bayview Avenue a mosque, synagogue and Buddhist temple coexist, peacefully sharing land with one another. Attacks on Muslims and other visible minorities cannot be tolerated. The Muslim community
are invaluable contributors to our province. Their religion is a loving and peaceful one. The perpetrators of these acts clearly do not follow Islamic teaching.
There have been heartwarming stories that have emerged from this terrible event. The heroic acts of many citizens indicate that there is a greater part of
humanity that exists that is benevolent and courageous. Our society must build on the positive side of human nature and weed out the evil deeds that emerge from all races, creeds and cultures. I
know the people of Thornhill will continue to offer their hopes, prayers and support in whatever capacity. We must never forget what occurred and we must keep the memory of the victims forever in
our hearts.
Mr James J. Bradley (St Catharines): All of us were shocked, horrified and traumatized by
an act which took place just a little over a week
ago,
an act of dreadful terrorism aimed at innocent men, women and children. The horrifying images of September 11, 2001, will be etched in the minds of people around the world throughout their
lives.
The outpouring of sympathy and support for our American friends was, I'm pleased to say, immediate and evident in every community in our nation. All of us
recall the 100,000 people who stood on Parliament Hill singing the American and Canadian national anthems, waving our flags together.
The people of my own community of St Catharines gave immediately, willingly and generously to assist our American neighbours. Though we know it's a powerful
and wealthy nation, we still wanted to reach out in our communities to help those in distress. Our hearts go out to those who lost loved ones, who had loved ones who were badly injured, whether
they are Americans or Canadians or people from around the world who were hurt in these acts of mindless terrorism.
We are thankful to firefighters, police officers, health workers and emergency staff. We recognize the importance of good public services available to us at
times of emergency.
We reach out to those in our community who are victims of mindless and ill-informed revenge, particularly those in the Muslim community who have had their
mosques and their homes and individual people within their families attacked. The terrorists must be brought to justice -- of that, there is no dispute.
But finally, there are injustices in this world to be addressed and indeed there will be for some time to come. But those injustices will never, never, never
justify the kind of terrorism that we witnessed on September 11.
Hon David Turnbull (Solicitor General): We have all been transfixed by the recent tragic events which unfolded in the United States. Our
thoughts are with the families of the thousands of victims, including Canadians, who were lost in this attack. I know our thoughts have been with the firefighters, police and other emergency
personnel who responded to the horrific events in New York City, Washington and Pennsylvania. The dead and missing from the attack continue to be in our thoughts and prayers.
I'm reminded of an interview I saw with a survivor of the terrorist attack in New York. He described how, as thousands of people were fleeing down the
emergency stairs of the World Trade Center, police and firefighters were racing up the stairs. As we now know, hundreds of these emergency workers never came out again. Police and firefighters put
their lives on the line every time they respond to a call. Tragically, sometimes they pay the ultimate price as they work to protect us.
Our government is determined to ensure all necessary measures are taken to ensure the safety of our citizens. I want to reiterate a previous commitment that
our government is taking steps to ensure the safety and security of Ontario's families. As we have shown since September 11, the province has a sound emergency response strategy. But in light of
the tragic events in the US, we are reviewing the state of emergency preparedness in Ontario, including in our municipalities. We will consult with the police and look at what resources may be
required. We will also review how we work with other levels of government and agencies in the sharing of intelligence.
The Premier, the Attorney General and I will report back to the House shortly on these and other counter-terrorism initiatives. Community safety is a top
priority for this government.
Finally, let me also restate that this government and the police will not tolerate acts of hatred against Muslims in Ontario. Muslims across the province have
joined in the condemnation of this attack on the United States. I urge all members of the Legislature to reach out to the Muslim community at this time with a message of friendship and
understanding.
Mr Michael A. Brown (Algoma-Manitoulin): September 11 is one of those days we all remember where we were when we heard the horrific news, an
atrocity perpetrated on humanity.
My constituency of Algoma-Manitoulin is very close to our American neighbours. In the summer season, we would host people from Michigan, Ohio, Minnesota,
Wisconsin and Illinois by the thousands, perhaps tens of thousands. We are a border constituency. We are very close to our American brothers and sisters, and we want them to know that our thoughts
and prayers are with them today.
But life goes on. This week, it was a roller coaster ride for me: the events of the 11th, and then on the 15th on Manitoulin the district of Manitoulin
dedicated a memorial to the women who have served Canada in conflicts through the last century. On the same day, my daughter was married. On the same day, Fawzi Farkouh, a man born in Galilee, who
moved from Galilee to Lebanon as a child, then to the US to serve the US navy and then to Elliot Lake to be a prominent businessman, passed away. His funeral took place on Tuesday, with literally
hundreds of people there. We will remember.
I would like to say to my constituents the words of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, speaking about another matter, of course. He said, "There is nothing to fear but
fear itself."
Mr Bob Wood (London West): On September 11, 2001, the United States and the world were the victims of a great wrong, a cruel and destructive
crime which can be justified by no religion, by no philosophy and by no right-thinking person. Virtually everyone in the world stands in solidarity with the United States in sharing the loss and
seeking to avoid the repetition of such a crime against humanity.
As close friends of Americans, Canadians have a duty to offer strong support and a helpful voice to our friends. This Legislature is offering that support
today, and I want to make a small contribution to the advice.
First, the road must never deviate from the purpose of the campaign on which we embark: the eradication of terrorism forever from the face of this planet. We
must seek the accountability of the perpetrators at a fair and open trial. Justice must both be done and be seen to be done. The United Nations should set up a terrorist tribunal so that the
victims may have the whole world denounce this crime. We must always use the righteousness of our cause to find the perpetrators. Ultimately, no one can hide from six billion people. The United
Nations must exclude from the benefits of the international community any state which assists terrorism. It must also try to address the problems and injustices on which terrorists prey.
At this time, we as Ontarians must also be sure that our values of equality and tolerance are respected and that no one is discriminated against in this
province because of their national background or religion. Significant good can result from our response to this tragedy. Surely we owe the victims, and ourselves, no less.
The Speaker: To all members, I apologize. We are having a little bit of trouble with the clock. We'll keep track of the time, and if members
do need to know how much time they have left, they can maybe look to the table. I apologize; we'll try to rectify it.
Mr Michael Bryant (St Paul's): I wish to say a few words about broken hearts and a hope for politics redeemed in a new age where planes full
of innocents can pierce through stone and glass and steel, knocking the wind out of the sails of an era of glorious prosperity and peace, in a new age where heroes die not on a battlefield but
going up the fire escapes of civilian office towers turned to dust. The bloody, smoky, dusty inhumanity of it all, in a New York minute, has left our hearts broken for a time.
So now we must deal in this new era and seize it, I suggest, with a politics redeemed, a politics that resists the adolescent frivolities of the politics of
old and embraces a more grown-up politics of necessity and security. It's security that Ontarians want, and the thirst for security will require a level of political co-operation as inspired as the
courage of our firefighters, our police and our rescue workers. Our hearts may be broken for a time, but our politics must be the better for it.
I hope all Ontarians understand that all their MPPs, no matter what their political stripe -- we won't let you down. Our conviction is resolute, as is our
determination for justice and liberty for all Ontarians, particularly those subject to intolerance and hate. That determination is now the most important political mission of the contemporary era.
We will resist partisan trivialities of the past; nor will we engage in blind deference to authority, insisting always upon an adherence to the rule of law and a veneration of life and liberty and
justice. Members of provincial Parliament will not be mouthpieces of the masses nor messengers of executive decree; rather we will seek, I hope, to consolidate consensus in the name of what is good
and just.
Our hearts may be broken, Ontario, but those broken hearts will one day be the better for it.
Hon Chris Hodgson (Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing): I rise today to join my colleagues here, and the voices of the people of
Ontario and around the world, in condemning the shocking murder of thousands of innocent people on September 11. On behalf of the people of Haliburton-Victoria-Brock, the riding I have the honour
of representing, I want to say that our sympathy and our prayers go to all those who have lost and who suffer as a result of those barbaric acts.
It's often been said that fear is the parent of cruelty. Terrorists often cloak themselves in religious righteousness and misplaced persecution in order to
hide the illegitimacy of their deeds. But make no mistake, it is fear -- fear of freedom, fear of liberty -- that led to these cruel acts. We must not let our own fear lead us to condemn our
Islamic brothers and sisters who value and embrace peace and freedom.
I'm confident that the people in the cities and towns and municipal leadership and all the residents across the province of Ontario will rise and stand
together with courage to do what is right; people like Janet and Alex Carley of Bobcaygeon and Harmon Allen of Fenelon Falls. These three paramedics volunteered their time and went to New York to
provide emergency assistance during this crisis. I commend their compassion and I know they are not alone. People everywhere in Ontario are finding ways to help and to express their support for the
victims of this tragedy, and they all pray that terrorism will be stopped.
Until this evil is eradicated, we will all have a role to play. We will find ourselves making sacrifices, some small and imperceptible, others great and
onerous, but we will make these sacrifices willingly and with pride.
My closing thought is for our leaders, as they face the challenge in this war against terrorism. In the words of William Shakespeare, we pray that they "be
just and fear not," and we will win this war.
M me Claudette Boyer (Ottawa-Vanier) : Il va sans dire que les événements récents qui ont secoué nos
voisins américains furent une tragédie sans pareille. De plus, comme répété à maintes reprises, il est important de souligner que cela fut une attaque sur la
démocratie dans son ensemble en plus d'un assaut grave contre les États-Unis.
Many, if not all of us, have some sort of connection to someone in New York City. Whether it be our own family, friends or someone we know, we all felt some
deep sorrow following this tragedy. We all felt personally attacked.
Just last week a very close friend of mine who has been touched by this tragedy contacted me with concern for her loved ones. Two of her sisters work in New
York and live in the vicinity of ground zero. They have not been able to access or re-enter their home since the attack and find themselves left with very little of life's essentials. Funds for
them are running out rapidly and they are now turning to the Ontario government for help, which I am assured won't let them down.
C'est avec fierté que j'appuie la résolution de l'Assemblée législative de l'Ontario de se joindre avec unanimité aux gouvernements du
monde entier à condamner ces actes d'horreur, ainsi que les auteurs qui les ont commis. L'engagement à rendre disponibles les ressources de l'Ontario afin de venir en aide aux citoyens
américains, ainsi à plusieurs Ontariennes et Ontariens travaillant aux États-Unis, est essentiel pour soutenir les efforts visant à rétablir les dommages accablants qui ont
été subis.
I stand in unison with my colleagues, resolute that Ontario stands ready to help bring to justice all those responsible for these heinous acts and pledges to
do everything within its power to ensure that there is no place in Ontario for agents or supporters of terrorism.
Finalement, monsieur le Président, c'est avec dignité que je veux vous remettre le livre commémoratif que j'ai mis à la disposition des
commettantes et commettants d'Ottawa-Vanier afin de leur permettre d'offrir leurs voeux de condoléances et d'exprimer leurs sentiments auprès du peuple américain face à cette
tragédie.
Please accept, Mr Speaker, the remembrance book signed by all people from Ottawa-Vanier. Merci beaucoup.
Mr David Caplan (Don Valley East): Our first thoughts, of course, are for the victims of this terrible tragedy, this monstrous crime, the men
and women, their loved ones, their family members. But as we quickly came to discover, it was much more. It was an attack upon the United States of America, upon western democracy, upon freedom,
upon all the values that we cherish and that we hold dear. And so it is appropriate that the world is in mourning. When in a time such as this, such tragic events, we fall into the grieving
process. We're all in grief and the world is in fact in grief. It's very interesting; there are seven stages to grief.
The first quickly followed: shock and denial. How could these horrible events even take place? And quickly we all looked to a higher being and said, "How could
this happen? Please don't let it be so." Then we see fear and anger come, and I think that's where we are today. We are angry, we are fearful, we're concerned about our security, about our
neighbours, whether we're in New York, Washington, Toronto or anywhere else in the world. But after anger comes despair, and after despair, finally, acceptance.
It is inevitable that as individuals we go through these stages, but I think as our collective being, we go through them as well.
It is important to remember and it is important to know that as we pass through each one of these very important stages of grief, we do not take rash action.
In the riding of Don Valley East that I represent there is such incredible diversity of people. We live together, we work together, we are prosperous, we are in harmony, and it is important that we
all stand shoulder to shoulder, as I know that we all do. So there is one final conclusion to it all: that as a people, once we have come through and once we've accepted, we all stand shoulder to
shoulder. I know we do.
Our hearts go out to the victims of this terrible, terrible tragedy.
Mr John O'Toole (Durham): I respectfully rise today to discuss the ways in which the citizens of my riding of Durham have come together to
assist our friends and neighbours in the United States during this tragic time of need.
Within hours of the September 11 tragedies in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania, my constituency office received a number of calls, and visits, I might
say, from ordinary people: GM employees, auto workers, Darlington nuclear plant employees, municipal leaders. I would say the police, the fire, health care workers, neighbours and friends and
generally my constituents came together. They came together to offer the kind of support they could give to their friends.
Durham riding is a caring community, and everywhere people were asking if there was anything they could do. Within hours, the ministerial association from
Clarington arranged a memorial service.
This resolution answers the people of Durham and the people of Ontario. It commits the resources of Ontario to assist our neighbours in the United States. It
declares Ontario's stand for bringing justice to those responsible for this act of terror. It affirms that Ontario will do everything possible to ensure there is no place in our province for agents
or supporters of terrorism. At the same time, it speaks of our cherished traditions of tolerance, freedom and respect for diversity.
On a personal note, my son Erin is a past captain in the armed forces, and my son-in-law, David Lohse, is an F-18 fighter pilot from Australia, now at the Top
Gun pilot school in California. I can assure you their lives and ours are affected.
Terrorism plays on fears, as many have said, and this fear threatens our freedom. As Jean-Jacques Rousseau said, "Man is born free, yet everywhere is found in
chains." This past incident shows the fragility of freedom.
Please know, our friends, our thoughts and prayers are with you. United we stand.
Mr Mike Colle (Eglinton-Lawrence): President Bush today, standing beside our own Prime Minister Chrétien, said, "There should be no doubt
in anybody's mind about how honoured we are to have the support of the Canadians ... " Bush said Monday he suspected someone in Canada was trying to play politics with relations between the two
northern hemisphere neighbours. Bush said, "Now is not the time for politics. Now is the time to develop a strategy to fight and win the war.'" That was President Bush, just before noon today.
I think that as lawmakers, as Canadians, we owe it to the veterans who fought in World War I and World War II to remember what they sacrificed and why they
sacrificed so much. They sacrificed so much to protect our freedoms and our liberties. Our families and our citizens enjoy those freedoms and liberties because of those sacrifices. So if we are to
keep those freedoms and liberties and protect our families, we have no choice but to stand up and join with our American brothers and sisters to ensure that justice is done, that those hate-mongers
who perpetrated those acts on innocent citizens in the thousands, must be brought to justice. These Canadians must unequivocally stand side by side, as a united country -- not as members of this
Legislature or as Torontonians. We are Canadians. We are members of NATO. We are allies. By standing side by side with our American friends, we will defeat these hideous criminals.
We must come together, rise to the occasion. put party politics aside, support our Prime Minister, support President Bush and all the leaders of the free
world, and take the example of Prime Minister Blair of Great Britain, who stood up and said unequivocally, "Enough is enough. I'm there with you." That's how we will compensate in some small way
the victims in New York and in Pennsylvania. We will survive because we have the legacy of our veterans who did so much. So let's stand strong and stand together on this critical issue.
Hon John Snobelen (Minister of Natural Resources): I was in America on September 11. I watched the tragic events of that day unfold not on CNN
but in the eyes of my American friends. I saw the initial shock and horror displaced by those twins, fear and anger, and eventually by a steely-eyed resolve that this would never happen again.
At home in Canada, our compassion for the victims was immediate, heartfelt and steadfast, but our collective resolve has yet to find a voice. There are some
who still believe that America was attacked on September ll. In truth, freedom was attacked. We were attacked.
We must do three things now: we must find and remove any and all criminals who are unlawfully in our country and who threaten our security; we must join our
American cousins in ensuring a North American security net with no weak links; and we must join nations around the world that value freedom and liberty in seeking out and eradicating terrorism
anywhere it finds a home in the world.
To do less diminishes the legacy of our parents, our grandparents and our great-grandparents, who acted with great courage and determination to defeat the
madmen and terrorists of their day. I pray that we have the courage and determination of our parents and grandparents.
Mr Joseph Cordiano (York South-Weston): The terrorist attacks that took place in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania were not just attacks
on the US, not just attacks on Americans, not just attacks on our western way of life. No. These were attacks on all humanity, on all races, creeds and religions. The people who died in the
attacks, the victims, came from all over the world. Their lives and our lives will never be the same.
These terrorist attacks were evil in its purest form. In order to defeat the scourge of terrorism, we must now summon the will to renew our faith in our
humanity, in our democracy and our faith that we have in each other. Only by working together with people from around the world can we defeat the evil that now threatens our freedoms, our democracy
and every single one of us.
Mrs Julia Munro (York North): I welcome the opportunity provided today by the unanimous agreement to this resolution.
I, like everyone else, have been moved by the events of September 11. My responses were typical, as I went from shock to disbelief, to horror and profound
sadness. It was brought home to me by a simple act: my husband had lowered the flag on our lawn. As I turned into my driveway that evening, I was overcome by another feeling: that this was an
assault. It was an assault on my values, on my sense of freedom and justice, on the very foundation of democratic principles. It is a tragic reminder of our responsibility to practise, to uphold
and, yes, to protect and defend those values.
The road to democracy is not an easily travelled route; it is a journey that has cost many lives in every generation. Just days before the terrorist attack, I
joined members of my community, led by RCAF squadron 429, to commemorate the anniversary of the Battle of Britain. Times have changed, technology is different, but the threats are similar.
When I stand for two minutes of silence, I pray for those who have lost loved ones, that they may have personal strength and courage to see themselves through
those dark days of pain. I also pray for the coalition of those around the world entrusted with leadership, that they may act in the coming days, weeks and months with wisdom and fortitude.
Mr Bruce Crozier (Essex): Where were you when you learned of the horrific events that occurred in New York City, Washington and Pennsylvania
on September 11? No doubt, we may be asked this question over the years, perhaps by our children or our grandchildren.
Joan and I were in a foreign country. We were in Burgau, Portugal. We were just coming out of a small market, a mercado, and I noticed in the café next
Portuguese, but they turned to me, first, I think, thinking I was an American, but then they could see the Canadian flag on my lapel. They immediately tried to describe to me, in their way, what
Being in a foreign country, hearing of an event in or near your homeland that's going to change the world, puts a different perspective on it. Were we afraid?
No, I don't think so. Were we concerned? Yes. Were we apprehensive? To some extent, because we didn't have our family near us. But we thought of those who suffered. We thought of those who died.
May their God be with those who died, who were injured and with their loved ones.
Hon Robert W. Runciman (Minister of Economic Development and Trade): Thank you for this opportunity to express on behalf of myself and the
residents of Leeds-Grenville our deepest sympathies to the families and friends of the victims of the September 11 atrocities and to the American people.
I also want to take this opportunity to say a few words about perceptions of the United States in our country. Last week, not surprisingly on CBC, I heard a
Canadian woman say, "I don't want any part of their war." "Their" presumably meant the United States.
People who know me well know that I've always been a big fan of Americans and I've worn that sentiment on my sleeve. I think it's fair to ask where we can find
better friends, where we can find more dependable protectors of our security or more important providers of jobs and economic growth for our citizens. The answer is easy: there are none.
Perhaps I like Americans because I know Americans. I grew up and continue to live on the border of New York state. I spent -- some would say "misspent" -- many
days of my youth in places like Ogdensburg, Morristown, Clayton and Alexandria Bay, New York. I have American friends and acquaintances. My youngest sister married a New Yorker, my brother a girl
from Pennsylvania. In my part of Ontario, Americans are truly just-down-the-street neighbours, and wonderful neighbours.
Unlike the lady featured on the CBC, I believe their war is our war and must be our war. An attack on the United States is an attack on all freedom-loving
people, but especially on all who share this great continent. Anti-Americanism in Canada has always offended me and frequently angered me. As author Robert Fulford wrote recently, "It is among the
ugliest manifestations of the Canadian spirit."
In the last 13 days we've heard many people speak or sing the words "God bless America." In reality, all of us who believe in truth, justice and freedom for
all should bless the United States of America.
Mr Alvin Curling (Scarborough-Rouge River): I and the people of Scarborough-Rouge River wish to express our condolences to all those affected
by this violent and hideous act of terrorism in the United States of America.
People all over the world are shocked and dismayed by these acts of terror and violence. And while we are angry and unable to find an answer to the question
why, we must be resolved in our response and stand firmly together as Christians, Hindus, Jews, Muslims, Sikhs and every other religion and faith to condemn all acts of violence in our society. All
acts of violence must be seen as
an act against humanity, a humanity of love and peace. A Baha'i leader has said, "It is time to see each other as one family and the whole earth as one home." It is
also a time for us to think rationally and peace-mindedly and convey to our children that we believe in non-violence and the peaceful resolution of conflict.
There are members of my constituency who are frightened and fearful of the current backlash. Martin Luther King reminds us, "He who passively accepts evil is
as much involved in it as he who helps to perpetuate it. We cannot turn our dream for world peace into an obsession dominated by hate and the denial of human rights."
In the midst of what would seem to be a world of chaos, let us as politicians become united in our resolve to build a better society, a free, inclusive and
caring society of goodwill. We can be guided by the recipe of love. As Martin Luther King stated, "Hatred paralyzes life; love releases it. Hatred confuses life; love harmonizes it. Hatred darkens
life; love illuminates it."
Let us live in the light of our will to create a future to the next generation, a future of peace, love and hope.
"Non-violence is the answer to the crucial political and moral questions of our time; the need for mankind to overcome oppression and violence, without
resorting to oppression and violence."
God bless us all.
Mr Joseph Spina (Brampton Centre): Today I don't just speak for me and my constituents but most particularly for my neighbourhood, for within
sight of the front doorstep of my own home I have Canadians and Americans of Italian and Portuguese families, East Indians, West Indians, Lebanese, Greek and Pakistani. Together we send our
condolences to those thousands of victims and families of loved ones who were needlessly murdered on September 11.
From the fire, smoke and ashes of New York arose many heroes. Some of those were from Brampton. In Brampton, the outpouring of concern and offers of help
started mere hours after the scope of this disaster was realized. On that dreadful day, four individuals coming off their own work shift, Rob Morrison, Brian Gorman, Neil Kennedy and Scott Walker,
jumped into a car at 8:30 pm and headed south. Those four Brampton firefighters, without waiting for permission to make its way through the bureaucracy, jumped in a vehicle and drove to New York,
offering their time and their expertise to the massive cleanup. At 26 hours, it was their longest-ever response to the call of duty. And few of us knew until CNN picked them out.
Gorman recalled, "We saw all this devastation and we were numb." Then a woman was pulled from the rubble. The local firefighters were on the rescue line and
passed that woman to the waiting paramedics, who revived her.
Emotions were boosted for all when US President Bush visited the site. Walker shook his hand and told Bush that the four were from Canada, and Bush responded,
"Thank you very much for coming down here. We really appreciate your support." I think Rob Morrison said it best when he said, "It's part of the job, part of who you are." Rob, I couldn't agree
with you more.
I wear an eagle on my lapel because it represents the strength, power and freedom of the bird and of that of the United States. God bless America.
Ms Caroline Di Cocco (Sarnia-Lambton): The mantra we hear over and over is that the world has changed, and there is a stronger and deeper
sense of vulnerability that now permeates our daily lives. September 11 made me feel more connected to my family and friends.
Border cities like Sarnia-Lambton feel a particular affinity to the United States. It being a border city, the impact is more pronounced due to the strong
relationships of people and local governments. Sarnia-Lambton is unique in that we have a mutual aid agreement with our fire and police services. It is one of the few jurisdictions I know whereby
our police actually assist the Port Huron police within the US borders in crowd control during the international parade. Our communities are entwined socially, economically and personally. The long
line of trucks we witnessed was the immediate result of the changes made to make the border crossing more secure.
Over 1,000 people have signed the condolence book at Sarnia city hall. Police cars flew small American flags. Sarnia police and fire services volunteered for
New York. Numerous church services took place and a candlelight vigil was held under the Bluewater Bridge.
We see over and over this need to gather together as a way to comfort one another. There is a wide array of emotion each one of us feels, such as deep
sympathy, sadness, pain, anger, outrage and a need for spiritual reflection about what is relevant in our lives and in the world. There is no justification for these crimes and they are not to be
tolerated. Terrorism cannot be cloaked in a religion, ethnicity or heritage, and we must never paint nations, races or peoples with the same brush. I believe that we as legislators have a more
profound responsibility to continue to do our jobs.
Hon David H. Tsubouchi (Chair of the Management Board of Cabinet): The last several days have been very difficult ones, not only for our
American friends but also for people all around the world. This senseless act of terrorism has struck hard at the lives of thousands of innocent men, women and children. Today we all share the
sadness of our American friends, and I and all the people in the town of Markham, regardless of ethnicity, colour or religion, send them our condolences and prayers.
Canadians everywhere share the grief of the survivors for the mothers and the fathers, for the children and the grandparents, for the friends and the
colleagues, the firefighters and the police officers who have perished in this senseless act.
This is a defining moment of democracy. This is the time for all decent people to stand together, shoulder to shoulder, to face down terrorism. This is a time
when all of us must show some courage and determination in our day-to-day lives. This is a time when the brave few will stand above all others by their heroic deeds to protect our right to live
free of fear. This must be a time of unity, of purpose, of strength of heart and of spirit.
History remembers Canadians for all that strength of purpose and courage, especially at times when the world has been at crisis. Winston Churchill described
the theme of his book Their Finest Hour as "How the British people held the fort alone till those who hitherto had been half-blind were half-ready."
Our American cousins may call. We must be prepared to answer.
Mrs Leona Dombrowsky (Hastings-Frontenac-Lennox and Addington): On behalf of the people of Hastings-Frontenac-Lennox and Addington, I would
like to offer our prayers and deepest sympathies to the victims and their families of the tragedies in the United States.
Since the horrific events on September 11 in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania, I have had the opportunity to visit many communities throughout my riding.
They are absolutely united in their sorrow for the victims and their families who have been directly touched by this tragedy. They are absolutely united in their awe and admiration for the
firefighters, the policemen, the emergency workers -- indeed the heroes of this horrific event. They are absolutely united in condemning such acts of terror as senseless and barbaric and an affront
to all that we value as a free and democratic society. They are absolutely united in their compassion for our American neighbours, and have shown this by acting immediately to hold prayer services,
to donate blood, to sign the books of condolence that have been located in many communities throughout my riding, to donate their time and resources to assist the families and communities of the
tragedies. They are absolutely united to support any initiative of this government to assist our American friends to bring to justice all those responsible for these heinous acts.
Finally, I know I speak on behalf of all of the people in my riding when I say, God bless America.
Mr Ted Arnott (Waterloo-Wellington): I was working in my riding office on September 11 at 9 am, the day the world changed. Shortly after 9 I
was speaking on the phone with Mrs Betty MacDougall, a lady I know in Harriston. She told me that she had just seen a plane crash into the World Trade Center in New York live on television. At
the Battle of Normandy, would never joke about a thing such as this.
I had to leave my office a few minutes later to attend an event in Kitchener, a sod-turning for a new nursing home. As I was driving there I listened to the
CBC, listened as a shocked reporter described the images of first one and then both of the twin towers collapsing to the ground in ash and flame and in blood. Then came the rumours: the crash at
the Pentagon and finally the crash in Pennsylvania. Like everyone, I was stunned, incredulous at the scope of this mass murder, this act of terrorist war declared on us by suicidal fanatics and
their cruel handlers. Like everyone, I spent the next three evenings riveted to the television in an attempt to gain an understanding of what was happening and why.
On the Friday of that fateful week, I attended a memorial service in Kitchener at city hall where over 1500 gathered on a few hours' notice to share their
grief, their sadness and their prayers for the innocent airline passengers and crew, the firefighters, the police and emergency medical service staff who had lost their lives. We prayed for their
families and for humanity on a day when evil seemed to have seized the upper hand.
Thirteen days ago, painfully and without warning, we were assaulted with the realization that even in our time, not just in history, unspeakable evil not only
exists, but it is capable of inflicting horrific carnage on the civilized world. We must take steps to protect our families and our citizens from such evil, even as we ask God to guide the
decisions of our leaders in the weeks ahead. We know not where the path of resolve and resistance to terror will lead but, with God's help, evil will never win out in the end.
This is not a religious war. In fact, we know that it has nothing to do with religion. The terrorist leaders may claim to be Muslims, but their evil acts
betray the fact that their beliefs are a perversion of Islam. This is why all of us as members must condemn harassment or threats of violence committed against Canadians who adhere to the Islamic
faith. And we must support our American friends in every way possible and in every request they make of us.
The reality of geography means that our security in this conflict is inextricably linked with the United States. The reality of economics means that our
prosperity is inextricably linked with the United States. And the reality of our bonds of friendship and affection demand nothing less than unconditional support.
In our vast country, devoted to peace but courageous and fearsome when called to arms, we have sought the shelter of security under the NATO umbrella for
decades. We must not now shirk our responsibility, but ask to take our turn in holding it. We must do our part.
I close with the same message of solidarity and hope that President Roosevelt sent Prime Minister Churchill in 1941, and I say to our American friends:
Sail on, O ship of State!
Sail on, O Union, strong and great!
Humanity, with all its fears,
With all the hopes of future years,
Is hanging breathless on thy fate!
Mr Dwight Duncan (Windsor-St Clair): The acts of September 11, while directed at the United States, were a direct affront to our values and
way of life. Economic, political and cultural links between Canada and the United States are felt closely and personally in my home, Windsor. For us, the United States is more than a foreign
superpower. Americans are our friends, our co-workers, our neighbours and our family.
To grow up in Windsor is to grow up proud of being Canadian, but more mindful than most of the important links between our two great nations. My first job was
delivering the Detroit Free Press. Hundreds of my constituents work in the United States, and many hundreds more commute there daily across the river.
Living in Windsor, we have celebrated with and shared the sorrows of our American neighbours. I remember vividly celebrating the Tigers' 1968 and 1984 world
championships. Equally, I remember with fear and sorrow the tanks coming into Detroit to quell the riots of 1967. Watching that great city brought to its knees when America was at war with herself
still evokes a deep emotion in those of us who witnessed it. Yet two years later, America put a man on the moon and returned him safely home again. We all shared in that triumph of American
ingenuity and perseverance.
Some 94% of Ontario's exports go to the United States. Still, in Windsor, in our daily lives, trade means having a few American dollars in your wallet at all
times in case you decide to go to Detroit for lunch and to meet friends.
I will vote in favour of today's resolution. But moreover, I believe that as a country we must stand strongly behind our American neighbours. We must steel
ourselves for the challenge of war. We must be prepared to fight terrorism and those states that support it with resolve and courage. We must remind ourselves that this is not a war against Islam,
but a war against terrorism. We condemn those who perpetrate hate crimes against our Muslim brothers and sisters.
In conclusion, while this is about a grave international threat, to me it's about friends, family and neighbours. It's about my godparents, their children and
grandchildren: proud Americans, cherished friends. It's about my cousins and their spouses: proud Americans, dear family. It's about my next door neighbours: proud Americans, staunch allies. Most
of all, it's about defending our way of life in the face of challenge. It's about facing evil and destroying it. God bless America. God bless this great country of ours, Canada.
Hon Helen Johns (Minister without Portfolio [Health and Long-Term Care]): Because I was on tour in Windsor the day of the terrorist strikes
against the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, I learned about the enormity of what was happening that day just a small portion at a time. Yet even in the fragmented, disjointed way the news came
to me, it seemed clear that this act of war would be as defining as moments that had happened in the past, such as the Kennedy assassinations in the 1960s or Pearl Harbor, which happened in the
1940s. We will always remember where we were on September 11, 2001.
As the Kennedy assassinations had an effect on my life, so will September 11, 2001, have an effect on the lives of my children. They watched, via TV, planes
crashing into buildings, buildings falling, people's lives ending and/or shattering. They had never thought it was possible. They thought they lived in a safe world.
Yet they also watched remarkable acts of heroism. They watched heroes who apparently stopped a plane from flying into the White House and saved many, many
lives. They watched firemen and policemen rushing to help when they knew they endangered their own lives. They watched the people of New York come together to ensure that they all chipped in to
make a difference. They watched the people of America and Canada mourn and at the same time ask, "What can we do to help?"
Will our children's lives change as a result of September 11? Yes, of course they will. It's our responsibility to ensure that the lives of the people who died
that day are not in vain; that our children, with their new terrorist realities, learn tolerance, peace and love for their fellow man; that we take the events of that day and ensure we eradicate
terrorism and at the same time learn.
Mr John Gerretsen (Kingston and the Islands): I too join with all my colleagues in the House in expressing our collective sympathy on behalf
of all Ontarians whom we represent for the lives that were lost in New York, Pennsylvania and at the Pentagon.
I too live in a border town, Kingston. For the past 200 years, there have been extremely close ties with our American neighbours across the river. Indeed, many
families have members in both Canada and the United States, and many friendly athletic competitions take place on a regular basis.
Almost immediately after this event occurred, memorial services were held in churches and at our city hall. A book of remembrance was signed not only in my
office but in churches throughout my riding as well. Just to read the messages that people left, the ideas they wanted to share with somebody, is indeed not only worthwhile but extremely moving.
They go all the way from a message which reads, "I'm 32. I cried and cried. That was sick. I'm so sorry, so sorry" -- the despair that message contains -- to messages that simply say, "I feel your
pain. May the spirit of life keep you strong. Good luck to the United States of America."
When a tragic event like this happens, we must also remember the tremendous sacrifice that is made on a daily basis by our firefighters, by our military, by
our police officers, by our emergency workers throughout this country. We know those people played an extremely large
part in New York, and indeed many of them lost their lives.
This indeed was a very sad day not only for the United States of America but also for Canada. Let's learn from it, and let's make sure we leave a better world
to our children. God bless Canada, and God bless the United States of America.
Mr Toby Barrett (Haldimand-Norfolk-Brant): Over the last two weeks, the Ontario Legislature has been travelling the province conducting
saying, "God Bless America."
People were very proud of the government of Ontario. At 8:48, a plane entered the north tower. At 11:08, Ontario was on full alert through our Emergency
Measures Organization: air ambulances, police and firefighters at the ready.
Last year, CSIS reported 50 terrorist groups in our country. Immigration policy, border control and security have clearly been found wanting. President Bush
has said, "Our enemy is a radical network of terrorists and every government that supports them."
We'll all fight terrorism wherever it may be found. I have travelled across Afghanistan. I know it will be a tough fight. I did a stint in the militia in 1963,
and I'm saddened by the neglect of our Canadian forces since that time. However, our firemen, police and paramedics are well equipped and can play a strong role in dealing with terrorist acts, a
role that must be enhanced by municipal dollars, provincial dollars and federal dollars.
There is also a role for our teachers to better prepare young people to deal with a world that may well be different, whether it be teaching first aid,
self-reliance or cadet drill.
Nothing justifies hatred or violence against any minority, their children or their place of worship, but nothing must deter a counter-war against terrorism. We
must not allow the enemy the satisfaction of us losing sight of the real battle.
Mr Michael Gravelle (Thunder Bay-Superior North): On behalf of all the constituents of my Thunder Bay-Superior North riding, I am deeply
honoured to speak in favour of this vital resolution before us today.
Like everyone else around the province, the residents of my riding were deeply shaken by the series of horrific events that took place on September 11. Many
tears have been shed, many prayers offered, and an alarming sense of confusion and fear has grown as we all grapple with a new insecurity about our future that was simply not there before that
fateful day. That is why we need to support this resolution before us today.
We must condemn these attacks, and we must bring to justice all those responsible for those acts. But we must also reaffirm the commitment of all of us in this
House to uphold our province's proud tradition of tolerance and respect for diversity and to do everything in our power to ensure that all Ontario residents continue to treat one another with
compassion, dignity and respect, regardless of race, religion, background or ethnic origin.
I come from a community and a region that I am proud to say draws its great strength from that very diversity. All of us are struggling with how we should
react to this enormous tragedy. But I must tell you and members of this House that in the aftermath of that sad day, the people of Thunder Bay and northwestern Ontario responded with great emotion
on behalf of all the victims. Over 1,300 people went to city hall and sent heartfelt messages of condolence to our American friends. Hundreds more went to our federal and provincial constituency
offices to do the same.
An ecumenical service was held on the evening of September 11 at St Patrick's Cathedral in Thunder Bay, which brought solace to the hundreds who attended and
gave us all a chance to reflect and pray together.
September 11 was indeed a dark day, but I remain convinced that the world can still be a beautiful place. Despite the anger, sadness and fear that has attended
this attack on America, I truly believe we can all still make a positive difference if we recognize that we must truly care for and respect each other.
Justice must be done, and Canada must be part of this battle against evil, but love and compassion must be what remains.
Mr David Christopherson (Hamilton West): I begin by first expressing, on behalf of the citizens of Hamilton West, our shock and horror at all
those who lost their lives and our sympathy to those who lost family members.
On September 15, four days later, in Hamilton and around the world, we once again saw the face of hatred with the burning to the ground of a Hindu temple. I
want to say very clearly in this House today that that is not the face of Hamiltonians. The faces of Hamiltonians are ones like the phone call I received in my constituency office on September 11
by mid-afternoon from a constituent who wanted to know where they could donate blood. When we told them where the usual place was, they said, "I've already been there. There's a lineup. Is there
somewhere else I can go?"
The real face of Hamiltonians is the one we saw on September 19, when Police Chief Robertson called together political leaders, community leaders and religious
leaders from the Muslim, Christian, Jewish, Sikh, Hindu and other communities, where we stood shoulder to shoulder and said, "This kind of hatred does not reflect Hamilton; it does not reflect the
values that we care about."
There is a statement circulating across Hamilton right now that I'd like to read into the record. It reads as follows:
"We are concerned individuals, community groups and agencies within the Hamilton region. Collectively, we are committed to the principles of equity, peace and
social justice.
"We, the concerned people of Hamilton, have learned with deep sorrow and anguish of terrorist attacks in the United States, on the World Trade Center and the
Pentagon, resulting in extraordinary loss of life as well as damage to property and the global economy. These cowardly acts of terrorism are despicable, and we condemn them in the strongest
possible terms. Whoever has perpetrated these atrocities against innocent civilians has done so totally against the teaching of any religion or philosophy of the world. We express our deepest
sympathies and condolences to the families who have lost loved ones and of those who are still missing. We earnestly pray for the survivors as they deal with this trauma and we pray that there are
no further victims.
"We know that this incident has provided an excuse for some individuals with destructive intentions to attack members of various communities, as well as the
spaces where these communities come to meet and to worship. In the past few days, some parents are afraid to send their children to school and we have witnessed attacks on mosques and Hindu temples
in Hamilton. Clearly, such hate-motivated attacks provide a platform for hostility against innocent community members. We firmly believe that those who fail to actively condemn these acts of hate
are themselves acting irresponsibly.
"We urge all Canadian citizens and Canadian governments at all levels to defend vigorously the civil rights of each one of us in this crisis, especially as
racism and intolerance may be exacerbated by fear, anxiety and ignorance. We encourage citizens and decision-makers alike to uphold Canada's reputation for respecting the principles of peace and
justice, and we urge our government to act on these principles rather than supporting a simplistic and destructive quest for vengeance."
Hon Brad Clark (Minister of Transportation): We've all been horrified by the terrorist attacks in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania. Words
can't express the deep sorrow we all feel for the American, Canadian and international victims of this terrible tragedy.
I have been equally dismayed by the appalling acts of a few misguided people in Ontario in apparent retaliation for what has happened in the United States. I
am sad to report that my own riding of Stoney Creek has been the scene of some of these despicable acts of ignorance and hatred: a Hindu temple destroyed by fire, a Muslim mosque vandalized. As a
result, some people in my community are now afraid to leave their homes. Some don't want to go shopping for their families; some don't want to go about their daily routines because they are afraid
they'll be targeted. That's not the Ontario I know; that's not the Canada that I value.
Those who want to intimidate or strike out against their innocent fellow citizens don't understand what is best about Ontario, what's best about Canada. This
is a great province and a great county, and it is great because we embrace our cultural differences and share the same values of respect, dignity and human worth. Despite our anger and emotion, we
must draw on the strengths of our diverse cultures and faiths.
So I'd like to ask all the members of this House and all of our citizens to show leadership, not by preaching about tolerance, respect and acceptance, but by
being tolerant, respectful and accepting; to show leadership not by talking about equality, but by being equal with all of our brothers and sisters, be they Muslim, Hindu, Sikh, Jewish, Catholic or
Protestant. We are equal: every faith, every culture, every race.
We have seen the devastation caused by hatred and we must defeat it together, with the virtues of tolerance and acceptance. The Talmud says, "If not now, then
when? If not us, then who?" I pray that we will prevail over the perpetrators of this cowardly act of violence, and I pray it will be now.
Mr Pat Hoy (Chatham-Kent Essex): I wish to express my heartfelt and sincerest condolences to the families and friends of the victims of this
horrific tragedy that took place in the United States. My heart and prayers and the prayers of my family are with the American people in this time of sadness and devastation.
The tragic events of September 11 are an unprecedented act of terrorism that attack the very heart of democracy and all principles that we hold dear. This
senseless act was directed against a country which has been a defender of freedom and democracy throughout the world. The valiant rescue efforts and the tremendous resilience of its people
characterize the strength of spirit and courage of America. The innocent victims and those who heroically gave their lives while trying to save others will never be forgotten.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank the citizens of Chatham-Kent Essex for their support and their many, many messages of sympathy and solidarity to
the United States. Because of our close proximity to the US borders and the many Americans who reside in the riding, for example in Rondeau Park and so many other places elsewhere, Chatham-Kent
Essex has developed special bonds and friendships with our American neighbours.
I join with my colleagues in this fight against terrorism and I plead for Ontarians to continue to treat one another, regardless of race, religion, background
or ethnic origin, with generosity, compassion, dignity and respect.
Mrs Margaret Marland (Mississauga South): In 1940, an 18-year-old young man left Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. He was 23 when he returned to
his home and he spent those five years overseas. He was one of the 780,000 Canadians who served in the Second World War. Fortunately, he was not one of the 38,000 who died in that war. That man
today is my husband, Kenneth James Marland. I know that his service was for the same reason that everyone has talked about: the necessity of what it is we do from this day forward.
When I visit my father's grave in England, where he is surrounded by hundreds of other military personnel who also died as a result of World War II, I am
reminded about the real human sacrifice that war brings.
On the 11th of September, the terrorists perpetrated
an act of war against the people of the United States of America. In so doing, they attacked innocent
people and killed adults, children and babies, all of whom were not engaged in war. They came from at least 80 different countries. This cannot be allowed to happen ever again, anywhere in the
world, because wherever it happens it changes all of our lives forever. The lives of our own three children and seven grandchildren will now be lived differently than before.
The courage and strength of the people in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania has been a demonstration to all of us. We must pray every day for President
Bush and those advisers who surround him. Their decisions are the most difficult which have ever been made for the future of our world. May they be blessed with strength, wisdom and courage to make
the necessary decisions.
Let us all pray for courage, commitment and peace -- a peace that will bind all nations of the world to eliminate terrorism. Our world and way of life cannot
be destroyed by a few. May God bless and protect all nations of this world.
Mr Gerard Kennedy (Parkdale-High Park): We live in a small world, and we were reminded of that profoundly when evil touched down in New York
and other places in the United States. The people of Canada and Ontario have really not even let out their breath since then and I think for some time to come everyone in this House and everyone in
this province is going to have a small part of them in the World Trade Center, in those commandeered planes. On behalf of the people of Parkdale-High Park, I want to convey, as others have, the
achingly felt condolences to all the victims, to all the potential that was lost, the brunt of which was borne by our American neighbours, quite possibly as a result of some of the taking for
granted we have of their leadership position in the word.
But I also want to say that our feelings here have a price. They have a price for us -- yes, to be tough on terrorism, because that is the enemy -- but the
price is not the price of the roads that we put out today. That's the easy part. The price instead is to understand what we, as part of the leadership of this country, are called upon to provide,
and one is to understand this enemy. This enemy is like a virus. It doesn't live in the places that the enemies of the past have lived. Instead, it is cultured in ignorance. It is cultured in a
lack of understanding. We in this House, in the days ahead, will have to chart our way in things we haven't done before to try and find ways to offset this.
We have to commit not just our energies but our imaginations. We have to not just respond, as people in my riding did, I think quite magnanimously, to the
people of Jami mosque to provide reassurances, but we have to provide to people the honesty to say, "We don't know exactly where this will take us, but our resolve to extirpate terrorism will not
have collateral victims"; that we in this House will not be found wanting but maybe will be found hostage to what happened some time ago. To do that would be indeed to lose the challenge that
September 11 put before us all.
Hon Mrs Ecker: I wish to join with my colleagues in this House to add the voice of my constituents in support of this resolution. With other
Ontarians, the people in Pickering, Ajax and Uxbridge attended vigils and religious ceremonies to pray for the victims. They gave blood, they sent donations, they themselves travelled to New York
and Washington to help. They've asked me today to extend their condolences to the families of the victims; to extend their support for our good neighbour in the south; to extend their resolve to
fight the evil that has caused this tragedy.
Equally important, though, they've asked me to express their commitment to ensure that the anger and the outrage we all feel is directed at the terrorists who
caused this, the individuals who killed, and not at those who share the Islamic faith or come from Arabic countries.
On a personal note, while the tragedy of September 11 has moved me deeply, it is not the grief or the horror or those emotions that I will remember about this
time. What I will remember is the courage of our firefighters and police who raced towards the flames, not away; the heroism of airplane passengers and crew whose thought at the end was to save
others; the generosity of citizens who gave all they had to give to the victims, even knitting booties for the feet of the searcher dogs; the efforts that we all made to reach out to our Muslim
neighbours and those from other countries. But most importantly, I will remember about these times. I will remember the freedom and the security that we had to gather in this place and to speak
these thoughts freely on behalf of our constituents.
Mr Monte Kwinter (York Centre): I rise to support this resolution in condemning those acts of terror perpetrated on September 11 and those
responsible for them. I offer condolences on behalf of my constituents in York Centre to the United States of America and those innocent victims who lost their lives or who were injured.
The over 6,000 individuals listed as missing and presumed dead represented 62 countries. This terrorist act was an attack on all peoples who cherish the
democratic way of life. It has been said that when thousands of people are killed, it is a statistic. When one person is killed, it is a tragedy. On September 11, over 6,000 tragedies occurred as
families lost fathers, mothers, sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, relatives and friends.
One tragedy befell a dear friend of some members of this House. I refer to our friend Hans Gerhardt, who formerly ran the Sutton Place Hotel which is located
directly across the street from this legislative precinct. Hans's son, Ralph, 34, who worked in the World Trade Center, is missing and presumed dead.
Our challenge is to ensure that retribution is motivated by justice and not revenge. This means that we must not lash out in anger at those of us citizens who
share the same religion as the suspected terrorists. To do so would be to inflict greater damage on our democratic way of life than could ever be hoped for by the terrorist leaders. We must learn
from these heinous acts and must act to make sure that we are prepared to minimize the impact of similar acts, should they occur, in Ontario.
My heart goes out to those who perished. May their memory be for a blessing.
Mr John Hastings (Etobicoke North): Visit the American consulate on University Avenue and see the broad-based community sentiments of the
tolerant citizens of the city of Toronto. Citizens of Etobicoke North are the same way, a constituency that I have had the privilege to represent since 1995 that contains nearly 80 diverse
communities. I know that each one of the members of those diverse communities shares with me today the sentiments and outpourings we have seen from so many citizens when you visit the American
consulate.
I would like to take a different tack in terms of what lessons we can learn from this horrific experience. In my estimation, one of the fundamental lessons we
can learn is to try to prevent, reduce, minimize and eliminate, if possible, the terrible corrosion of discrimination that we see arising in some areas of Ontario and in some other parts of Canada.
I think this Legislative Assembly needs to stand and ensure and take every step so that we can reduce that kind of mindset. It is the sort of mindset that tends to associate with the terrorism that
we are trying to deal with internationally.
Another lesson that I think we need to take into consideration is that whatever specific actions occur militarily through Canadian troops should be of a
limited, targeted nature because we do not need to send our troops into harm's way.
Finally, may I say what I think was voiced most effectively by Martin Luther King, that great human rights advocate. He said, "We'll live together as brothers
and sisters or we'll die together as fools." Let's hope it's not the latter part of that statement. Merci.
M. Jean-Marc Lalonde (Glengarry-Prescott-Russell) : C'est au nom de mes commettants et commettantes de Glengarry-Prescott-Russell que je viens
offrir mes condoléances aux nombreuses familles qui ont perdu un des leurs à la suite des terribles actes de terrorisme, actes de terrorisme contre le World Trade Center, le Pentagone, et
en Pennsylvanie le 11 septembre dernier. Tous les Ontariens et Ontariennes, quelle que soit leur race, leur religion ou leur origine ethnique, doivent ensemble faire en sorte que de tels actes de
terrorisme ne se produisent plus jamais.
En tant que député à l'Assemblée législative de l'Ontario, j'appuie fortement la résolution présentée devant
l'Assemblée législative au nom de la population de l'Ontario. Nous ne devons pas rester à ne rien faire et regarder les autres. Nous devons travailler de concert avec les autres
nations pacifiques de ce monde pour faire en sorte que l'Ontario soit en mesure d'aider à traîner devant les tribunaux, devant la justice les responsables de ces actes terroristes.
Since this tragedy, I have been in touch with a local hero from eastern Ontario, Danno, who has been working at the World Trade Center site. He, along with his
dog, Ranger, has helped locate several victims of this tragedy. This is only one example of the many Canadians who have demonstrated their strong will and commitment to help.
At this time I encourage all Ontarians to stand together with our American friends and our allies throughout the world to fight terrorism. I encourage
Ontarians today to take the time to say hello to someone they have not met before. We can show the world that regardless of race, religion, background or ethnic origin, we in Ontario will work
together to bring to justice all those who support terrorism.
God bless America and Canada. Thank you.
Hon John R. Baird (Minister of Community and Social Services, minister responsible for children, minister responsible for francophone
affairs): People in Nepean-Carleton watched the events of September 11 with horror, shock, grief and anger. The tragedy of lives lost, the heroism and courage of those who came to their
rescue only, sadly, to join their fate touches us all. Our thoughts and prayers are with them and with their families.
It reminds us of just how fragile our freedom and security are. If we are to continue to enjoy freedom and prosperity, we must all resolve to ensure a firm
response. People who commit these heinous acts of war and terrorism must understand that with their actions come consequences. The Canadian way has always been to show leadership when the shared
and cherished values of our nation are at risk. We didn't sit on the sidelines through two world wars or in the Persian Gulf war, and I believe we must provide an equally firm and resolute response
in the face of the challenge of terrorism. Our freedom is at stake, our economic security is at stake, and that is important.
It's about the freedom of the airline workers who have been laid off and are now unemployed and lack the ability to provide for themselves and their families
and are worried about their future. It's about the freedom of an Arab father in my hometown who is worried every morning about sending his kids off to school and about their safety, and about the
attacks that people have made on Muslims and Arabs and others based on their place of birth. It's about our freedom, and fear must not win over freedom.
God bless freedom. God bless America. God bless Canada.
Mr Dave Levac (Brant): As we all seek to find the words that are necessary to express ourselves to the world, I want to compliment all the
members of this place, because you have sought to comfort everyone; you have sought to do the right thing. This is what we should be doing day in and day out. We are trying to do the best we can
for our citizens.
The two words I found are, "We know." We know that we share with the rest of the world the sympathies we must express to the victims of this violence, this
unheard-of violence in North America. We know that children lost their lives. We know that moms and dads lost their lives. We know that grandparents, friends, colleagues and fellow workers lost
their lives. So we express to you our sympathies. We know that our firefighters, our police officers, our ambulance attendants, our medical and emergency staff have lost their lives, and do that
day in and day out. We know. We know that every single person who has spoken today has condemned the violence. We must continue to do so.
We also know that we seek justice, but not vengeance. Justice is right. Vengeance is evil.
As a letter I received from a fellow Ontarian, for example, from the Ahmadiyya Movement in Islam, in the riding of Brant, so properly said:
"Dear Mr Levac
"The local branch of the...Movement in Islam, strongly condemns the barbaric and cowardly act of terrorism on September 11.... We are deeply saddened by the
loss of innocent lives. It was a brutal and terrible act against humanity.
"You being our representative in this region in the provincial government, we extend through you to the American government and people our deepest condolences
for those who have either lost a family or friend or are hurt physically or emotionally.
"We are offering our sincere prayers for the affected, and may God have mercy on all of us."
God bless us all.
Hon Cameron Jackson (Minister of Citizenship, minister responsible for seniors): I am pleased to join all members of the House today on this
day of remembrance and this solemn day when we recognize the horrific deeds of September 11.
I had occasion some months ago, on May 19, to