Laurier LaPierre: Screw the Americans
From Tuesday's debates in the Canadian Senate
(We need an elected Senate yesterday):
War with Iraq
Hon. John Buchanan: Honourable senators, I wish to speak about this matter later, on a resolution, but I wish to say something right now. I hope to be allowed one half hour to two hours.
I totally disagree with what the honourable senator just said. Can you imagine?
Hon. B. Alasdair Graham: A speech is not debatable during Senators' Statements.
Senator Buchanan: I am not debating the honourable senator.
The Hon. the Speaker: Honourable Senator Buchanan, the point made is quite correct. Senators' Statements is for just that. It is not in our rules to debate. If you wish to make a statement, please proceed.
Senator Buchanan: Honourable senators, I was making a statement, and I hope His Honour will not take a minute off my time!
What would have happened if, in Toronto or Montreal, two, three or four planes had flown into the tallest buildings or hit the Centre Block in Ottawa and hundreds, maybe thousands, were killed? Would we be saying, "Let us wait until Saddam Hussein really gets some nuclear weapons. Let us wait until he gets biological weapons. Let us wait until he gets more missiles. Let us wait for authority from the UN to do it all.''
No way, that would not happen! However, it happened to our friends.
Who are our friends in this world? Who have been our friends for over the last 100 years? The United States is our best neighbour, our best friend. The United States, Britain, Australia, Denmark and Holland are our friends, and we have turned our backs on them.
Do not forget it. We have turned our backs on them. That is a fact.
Honourable senators, what are we doing? Here in Canada, we are saying, "Oh we want to have this all sanctioned by the Security Council of the United Nations. Never mind the genocide and murder that is taking place in Iraq.''
What a double standard, what hypocrisy! When there was genocide and murder in Kosovo and Serbia, we did not need sanctions from the United Nations to move ahead. We did move ahead in those areas. That is the double standard. That is the hypocrisy. We moved ahead there, but we cannot do it here. We will back off, and we will let our friends do everything to protect us.
What would happen, honourable senators, if Canada were attacked? We have brave soldiers, airmen and sailors. I know many of them. However, we do not have the wherewithal to defend ourselves, and we all know that. Who will protect us. Will France, Germany, or Russia, who has provided weapons to Saddam Hussein, or China protect us?
Hon. Laurier L. LaPierre: Screw the Americans!
Senator Buchanan: Do not start that. I will enter a debate with that senator sometime as well.
Honourable senators, in 24 years of elected life, I found out one thing. You go with your friends and you build on your strengths.
Senator LaPierre: You build on the truth!
Senator Buchanan: Honourable senators, why are we not with our friends now? There are many reasons, but we will get into it later.
Some Hon. Senators: Hear! Hear!