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
STANDING COMMITTEE ON
GOVERNMENT AGENCIES
WEARING OF RED, WHITE
AND BLUE RIBBONS
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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
Mme 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.
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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 door that there was a picture on television of the Pentagon with smoke rising from it, so I went into the café. Not a word of English was spoken, and I don't know but a few words in 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 was occurring in the United States and, in fact, found an English version of CNN so I could find out myself what was happening.
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.
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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.
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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 first I thought she was kidding. Then it occurred to me that this lady, who had lived in a coastal town on the English Channel during World War II, whose husband, Tuffy MacDougall, was a veteran of 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.
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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 hearings. Wherever we went, as NDPers or Liberals or Conservatives, we witnessed this outpouring of emotion for our American neighbours. Just on Friday, I recall sign after sign in North Bay 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."
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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.
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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.
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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 speak at the 27th annual Islamic Society of North America Canadian congress meeting. There were thousands of Muslims in our great city of Toronto for this important conference. I was asked to bring greetings from the province and from Canada to all our guests who had assembled. It was an occasion from which I, as Minister of Citizenship, was comforted in the knowledge that they were welcomed to a city and a province that was known worldwide for its tolerance, its understanding and its compassion.
There were many Islamic leaders who were quite impressed with how open Ontario was, whether in terms of immigration -- we're home to one third of Canada's people, but two thirds of all our nation's immigrants find their way to Ontario or Toronto -- or of the rights of people to freedom of speech, to freedom of religion and even more recently their ability to maintain their own schools to educate their children. These were the benchmarks of a tolerant and caring society here in Ontario.
We are here today to hope that the events of September 11 do not change Ontario; otherwise, terrorism will have succeeded. The truth is that Ontarians have had some bad experiences in the last couple of weeks, but we do believe this is a time for all our leaders, all our citizens to come together in that same great spirit of tolerance and understanding which is the hallmark of Ontario. By committing ourselves to that in each of our acts, we will be able to continue as the great province of Ontario.
On behalf of my constituents, on behalf of this House: Shalom, Sarbat da Bhala, Asalam Alaikum, peace be with us. Peace be with all Ontarians, and peace be with our best friends in the United States.
Mrs Lyn McLeod (Thunder Bay-Atikokan): I am just old enough to remember sitting in a university classroom knowing that American warships were on their way to Cuba and believing there could be a hydrogen bomb dropped before we got home. That was the last immediate personal threat my very fortunate generation had known until September 11.
Until September 11, attacks were something that could happen but didn't, or at least they happened somewhere else. I think that's why the reaction of so many of us to the horror of September 11 was to feel that it was like a bad movie. But it was tragically real, and the reality of horror, anger, fear and mistrust will be with us for a very long time.
There is no justification, no excuse for the attack that deliberately killed thousands of people in a time and place of peace. The atrocity cannot go unanswered, because it cannot for one moment be accepted either as something that has happened or as something that could happen again. It is a time that challenges both the resolve and the wisdom of the leaders of nations.
Winston Churchill observed that the whole history of the world is summed up in the fact that when nations are strong they are not always just, and when they wish to be just they are no longer strong. If that is indeed so, it is time to change the history of the world. We need to call on those who will make decisions that will affect the lives and futures of millions to be both strong and just, and those of us who are making smaller decisions about how we carry out our daily lives in our own communities must also in our own ways be both strong and just in our reaction and in our understanding.
I am deeply disturbed by headlines that tell us that hate crimes have seen a dramatic rise in reaction to the horror of September 11. Surely, scapegoating our fellow citizens as an outlet for our anger and fear is not just, and it must be considered no more acceptable than organized acts of terrorism.
My generation has been truly blessed with peace in our time, at least in our country. We have used the privilege of that peace to build a nation admired the world over for its openness, inclusiveness and equity. Surely in this time of unprecedented challenge we can find a way to protect not only our physical security but our deeply rooted values.
Today I join with all the members of the Legislature in expressing my profound sympathy to those who have lost loved ones, and my deepest respect for those who have sought to protect the victims, to help the victims.
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Mr Doug Galt (Northumberland): September 11 will be remembered as a day of horror. In my riding, the destruction of people, of aircraft, of the Pentagon, of the World Trade Center, has hit very close to home.
Selena Forsyth of Port Hope hasn't heard from her son, Arron Dack, for almost two weeks. He was employed at the World Trade Center. Last Thursday evening, the community of Port Hope came together to assist her in her attempt to find her missing son. I was there and felt the outpouring of sympathy for one mother who probably has lost a son.
Stories such as this have been, and may be, repeated thousands of times because of this act of evil. Our deepest sympathy and prayers go out to her and to all those who may have lost loved ones.
While it's clear we're doing our part here in Ontario, I believe that more could be done at the federal level. I believe they should take a page from President Bush's speech last Thursday. He announced the creation of a new Office of Homeland Security; we could do the same. The new office will coordinate a strategy to thwart terrorist threats and oversee plans for our defence against similar attacks. The office would work with all emergency organizations, including police, fire and emergency preparedness officials. Nowhere would this be more important than in the development of national standards for fire response. Right now, unlike our police services, there is no such standard for fire departments.
We have also no standard to deal with germ warfare. The ease with which anthrax could be spread makes this indeed a serious threat.
Of all the tasks of government, the most basic is to protect its citizens against violence. This is not just a US fight; this is a fight against those who would destroy our institutions, our freedoms and our democratic way of life.
I call for the establishment of an office of homeland security, and work with the United States office to keep the citizens of North America safe from harm.
God bless Canada. God bless America.
Mr Ted McMeekin (Ancaster-Dundas-Flamborough-Aldershot): Ernest Hemingway in his Farewell to Arms writes that the world breaks all of us and then some of us become stronger in the places that are broken.
Make no mistake: for many, far too many, September 11 was a day of broken dreams, broken hearts and broken lives. It is my hope and prayer, indeed the hope and prayer of all my Ancaster-Dundas-Flamborough-Aldershot constituents, that we find the wisdom and courage to learn from and respond to this tragedy.
During the darkest of our days, people often ask the seemingly imponderable question: Where was God? How could a loving God allow something like this to happen?
I believe that on September 11, God was the very first on the scene when the blessed firefighters and rescue workers put themselves in harm's way. Indeed, one only needs to look deep into the eyes of any local firefighter to realize that God's heart was the first heart broken.
Recently, it was said by someone far wiser than I that in our darkest of times our very best response is to commit to doing something wonderful and doing it well. In the days ahead, let us remind our sons and daughters, our children and grandchildren, indeed ourselves, that we will add no deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Let us continue to teach and proclaim that we do not believe there is anything holy or godly in mindless acts of terrorism nor anything just in indiscriminate acts of vengeance.
Today I offer this simple prayer: Gracious God, help us to love one another. Help us never to take for granted those we love, failing to remember that you have only loaned them to us for a short time. Let us never be blind to the marvel of their presence, to the joy of their voices, the warmth of their companionship or the beauty of their lives. When we arise in the morning, let us give thanks for life and for the strength to pledge anew that we shall together become wiser and stronger and more committed to healing the broken places in our lives and the lives of those we love.
So help us God.
Hon Dan Newman (Minister of Northern Development and Mines): We have all been deeply affected by the events in the United States of America. It is clear that families in Ontario were also directly impacted by the loss of life in this horrific event. It is far from easy to make sense of things during these times of terrible loss and sorrow. It can also be hard to get one's bearings in a world where things will never quite be the same.
Even during this period of remembrance, however, there are some values that will always remain constant. Qualities of caring and compassion will never fade. These qualities have been strongly displayed in northern Ontario since the recent terrorist attacks on the United States. Throughout the region, northerners have been pulling together to provide and to offer their support to help our American neighbours in any way they can.
This compassion was evident in blood clinics across northern Ontario. In Timmins, in Sudbury, in Thunder Bay and in Sturgeon Falls, people lined up to donate blood. In North Bay, the city was prepared to offer shelter for up to 9,000 people as it prepared for an influx of diverted planes. In Field, a small community north of Sturgeon Falls, students demonstrated acts of kindness toward each other in memory of those lost. In Parry Sound, staff and students at Parry Sound High School erected a memorial to the victims of the attack. Police officers in the Soo rushed to offer aid, only to be turned away, as New York had simply received too many volunteers.
Similar stories are being repeated throughout the province. I know that Ontarians possess an ingrained sense of community and an inherent belief in helping each other out during times of need.
As the MPP for Scarborough Southwest, I am proud knowing the people I represent have given blood, made donations, and contributed positively. My constituents have offered their thoughts and prayers and their support for the victims and their families, as evident in the pages of the signing book at my constituency office.
I'm also proud of our province's great, long history of tolerance and diversity. Along with our Premier, I strongly condemn any thoughts and acts contrary to our tradition of tolerance. These acts of intolerance and hatred toward Muslims and members of other minority groups are quite simply appalling. Ours is a land rich in cultural, linguistic, religious and ethnic diversity, an attribute that we must celebrate. I commend those who have made contributions in action and in prayer. Let us reflect and encourage each other in the days and weeks ahead.
Mr Ernie Parsons (Prince Edward-Hastings): Rich as our language is, it is inadequate to describe the events of September 11. For the people of Prince Edward-Hastings, as for all of Ontario, we have had a range of emotions that are difficult to express -- certainly anger at the cowardly act that took place; compassion for the victims and the families and indeed all of our civilization that was affected by that; and fear, for us personally, for our children, for our country and for our world at this act.
I have seen in the past on television people fleeing their houses as a result of terrorist attack. We've had people without houses; this time we have houses without people -- extremely disturbing. I think we need to learn from history and we need to learn from the adversity that has been met by others in the past.
Martin Luther King Jr lived a life of adversity. I would like to read to this House some of his advice to us.
"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." What better reason for us to be involved than that expression?
"Our scientific power has outrun our spiritual power. We have guided missiles and misguided men."
Martin Luther King said, "I think the first reason that we should love our enemies, and I think this is at the very center of Jesus' thinking, is this: that hate for hate only intensifies the existence of hate and evil in the universe. If I hit you and you hit me and I hit you back and you hit me back and so on, you see, that goes on ad infinitum. It just never ends. Somewhere somebody must have a little sense, and that's the strong person. The strong person is the person who can cut off the chain of hate, the chain of evil. And that is the tragedy of hate, that it doesn't cut it off. It only intensifies the existence of hate and evil in the universe. Somebody must have religion enough and morality enough to cut it off, and inject within the very structure of the universe that strong and powerful element of love."
"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands in times of challenge and controversy."
The United States and Canada are strong people. We will overcome this evil act.
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Ms Marilyn Mushinski (Scarborough Centre): I join all of my colleagues in this House today in expressing my deepest condolences on behalf of my constituents of Scarborough Centre to all of the victims and their families of the dreadful tragedy in the United States of America.
I would like to share with you a poem that was e-mailed to me on the morning of September 12. It was a poem that was written by my sister, and I believe it expresses much of what we all feel in this House today. It's entitled Tears:
There was no time to say goodbye,
why God? I asked, as I wiped my eye.
This evil seed, which grew and grew,
was something I never really knew.
The clouds of dust are all around,
dead bodies laying on the ground.
Someone's mother, daughter, son,
father, brother or just someone.
Promise God, you will be there,
to love and keep them in your care.
For today the stars have lost their light,
they cannot bear to see this sight.
The tears are running down my face,
I pray we may all be given grace.
Give us the courage to face each day,
that this evil will pass away.
Give us tears that we may grieve
for the loved ones who have had to leave,
We know they couldn't say goodbye,
but why God, did they have to die?
One day we hope to understand,
why evil visited our cherished land.
Now the tears are pouring fast,
not just for the future but for the past.
For the moment, we wipe our eyes,
As our nation weeps; weeps and cries.
For us who are left behind to mourn,
tomorrow will bring forth a new dawn.
As we feel the aching pain,
your deaths will not have been in vain.
We will build a cross of wood and tears,
to bring a world peace, for future years.
God bless America.
Mr Richard Patten (Ottawa Centre): I join the members of the Legislature, of course, in supporting the resolution and the province of Ontario's efforts to assist in any way we can our brothers and sisters south of the border as they try and deal with this horrific experience.
The people of Ottawa Centre share with all Ontarians and Canadians a profound sense of shock, numbness, grief and collective horror at the events that happened on September 11. Such was the scale of the terror that at its height on that fateful day, thousands of people in my riding were sent home that morning. The federal government was forced to evacuate its buildings as many offices adjacent to the American embassy in downtown Ottawa were quickly evacuated as a precautionary manoeuvre. For all of us, terror became very close to home.
Ottawans demonstrated their grief when 100,000 of them attended the single largest memorial service held in the country, in my riding on Parliament Hill. The American embassy on Sussex Drive in Ottawa has become much like the consulate here on University Avenue: a virtual shrine to which many Canadians have come to express their feelings in a very moving way.
The tragedy, though, has a unifying power. We see people of every background, creed and ethnicity united in their disdain and their contempt for this vicious act of terrorism.
As most of us know, Canadians who practise the Islamic faith make up a key part of our multicultural fabric. Most of us, myself included, have many Muslim friends and colleagues, and they have created a great deal and made a great contribution to our community. As one who knows this community well, both here in Canada and around the world in the Middle East and in Africa, where I've worked, I am dismayed that some Canadians have chosen to attack Muslim Canadians in their place of worship. The Islam that I know is a faith based on peace not just to humankind, but to all living things.
Let us at this time honour the dead and their families and friends by calling forth the highest possible principles and compassion for all the various and diverse peace-loving peoples here at home and around the world.
Hon Brenda Elliott (Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs): Over the last 13 days, we've heard a number of words used to describe the events of September 11, words like "horrifying," "tragic" and "terrible." But there are no words that seem to adequately express the feelings of Ontarians who cope in the wake of these terrorist attacks.
The events of September 11 shocked and saddened us. They were events none of us will forget and they were events that have changed the way we perceive the world around us.
In Guelph-Wellington, citizens began calling my constituency office within minutes of the attack. They didn't know how they might be of assistance, but what mattered to them was that they wanted to help.
In my riding, simple acts of kindness and sympathy have come from people like Jackie Green, who decided to donate all the profits from her embroidery business, Green Bee Designs, to the Red Cross for the next four weeks. The local firemen stand outside our grocery stores and collect money to fill their big firefighter boots from all of us who want to help the victims and their families. The Marzo Glove Co, a Rockwood glove manufacturer, has sent 300 pairs of horsehide work gloves to protect the rescue workers' hands. These are just a few acts of simple kindness and goodwill that have occurred in my riding, and similar stories can be told all across Ontario and the continent.
The people of Ontario and Canada stepped forward and, together with our friends in the United States, sent those contemplating further attacks a resounding message. The ultimate goal of terrorism is to break the spirit of those who are being attacked. Terrorists are now learning that their vile acts have strengthened, not weakened, the spirit and resolve of Ontarians, Canadians and citizens of the world, who all support and treasure security, respect, tolerance and freedom.
Mr Steve Peters (Elgin-Middlesex-London): Nine-one-one, that universal cry for help; 9-11, that day that will always be etched in our memory. Not since the American civil war have so many people died on American soil. But I think what's so tragic about this is that it wasn't just American lives that were lost, but the lives of representatives and people from over 80 countries that were lost.
On behalf of the residents of Elgin-Middlesex-London, I too want to express our most sincere condolences to all those who have been affected by this tragedy. To the police, the fire, the ambulance workers, the emergency personnel and to the pathologists and funeral directors who have all conveyed and moved to New York to help those families, we say thank you.
As a regular visitor to New York City, I can tell you what it's like when you're driving in from New Jersey and you would see that first sight of New York City, the World Trade Center. We're not going to see that anymore, but that memory is always going to be etched in your mind of those buildings and that tragedy that took place there.
What we've seen is the country come together. We've seen us come together in unanimity like we've never seen before, and it's a real pleasure to see. We've talked about many things, many new initiatives that we need to take as a country to make sure that we keep our country safe. But one thing that I think we need to look at, both provincially and federally, as we deal with this tragedy and look at the potential for other tragedies is a national food policy. This food policy must be part of our national security plan. We possess a tremendous resource in this country with the food that we produce. Our supply is abundant and diversified. Now, though, we must work to ensure that we can protect, support and strengthen our domestic food supply.
Nine-one-one is that cry for help, but 9-11 is that call for all of us to pull together as a country.
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Mr Frank Klees (Oak Ridges): I stand on behalf of my constituents in the riding of Oak Ridges in full support of the resolution before us today and to express our heartfelt condolences to the families and friends of those who lost their lives in the tragic events of September 11.
I also want to express our admiration, our respect and gratitude to those who so willingly took on the challenge of search and rescue and the many related tasks in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks, and in particular the many Ontarians and Canadians who came to the aid of New York in those days and continue to toil there today.
As I listen to the debate today, I'm reminded of what to me were probably the most moving and most memorable words that were reported throughout the entire event over the last few days. They came not from the President of the United States, and they came not from leaders around the world who expressed their condemnation of the event or their support in the declared war on terrorists. They came from one of the passengers on flight 93, just before it ended in that field in Somerset, Pennsylvania. The words were, "We're going to try to do something." These were the final words of an individual who was in unbelievable circumstances, but they were his final words. He and his fellow passengers did what they could, and within their impossible circumstances they acted boldly and saved probably thousands of lives.
We, through this resolution today, are saying to the citizens of Ontario and to the citizens of the world, "We're going to try to do something." May we have the resolve and may we be deliberately wise and may we be willing also to act boldly. May we seize the opportunity to teach our children and to remind our nation that we cannot take for granted the democratic freedom that we enjoy in this province and this country.
To this end, I urge the Premier, I urge the Minister of Education and the Minister of Citizenship to develop and implement a province-wide initiative to be delivered through our schools and made available to our community service agencies and to our places of worship in this province, a program that will help our children and the broader community understand the events and to put into context the events of the last few days, and to help them understand how we can turn this tragedy into a positive event in our lives, so that we know what to do with these feelings, so that the children in our communities know what to do with these feelings of fear and trepidation. Because I believe that our community is looking to us to provide leadership, to show how Ontarians, through this, can continue to have a positive attitude and hope and optimism for the future.
It is one thing to look beyond our borders or to the borders. Let us not forget the citizens who elected us and the help they need over the next number of weeks and months as we deal with this tragedy.
Mr Gerry Phillips (Scarborough-Agincourt): September 11 will probably be the most significant global event that any of us has experienced. It was a tragic event that profoundly changed our lives. Our thoughts today are with the thousands of innocent victims who died, and our thoughts are also with those heroes who tried to rescue them.
My thoughts are also, what can we do? The first thing is that the message must go clearly out to the United States that we're with them. We have a very unique relationship with the United States. We're the best of friends, we have a tied economy, and that message must be completely clear to them, that we're with them. We cannot allow the US to face this issue alone. I think we can also play a role in bringing the world community together to fight terrorism. The first thing, as I said, is to make certain the US clearly knows that we're onside and we're with them.
The second thing is we must all dedicate ourselves to fighting this war on terrorism. This is going to be an enormously difficult war that will require skill and patience. We saw in the last few days how clever the terrorists are. Here in Ontario, they provoked acts against our Muslim community that were totally unacceptable: attacks against mosques, attacks against individual Muslims. That was what the terrorists attempted to provoke. So the second thing is, as I said, all of us must dedicate ourselves to fighting this war on terrorism. It will not be easy. It will require skill, patience and, I think, the world community to unite to fight it.
Finally, I would say that out of this tragedy surely a better world can emerge. But it will require all of us to work to make certain that that happens. As Mayor Giuliani said, "Out of the tragedy of the World Trade Center a better New York will emerge." Out of this tragedy a better world can emerge with all of our efforts.
Mr Steve Gilchrist (Scarborough East): I'm honoured to join with my colleagues from all parties to support this resolution and to decry in the strongest possible terms the heinous crimes which were perpetrated on September 11.
Sixteen years ago, people in this country and around the world were devastated by what was, at the time, the worst case of mass murder by terrorists, namely the downing of Air India flight 182. It certainly seems incredible that the 329 lives lost in that tragedy now pale in comparison with the mass murder we saw in the United States two weeks ago.
The assault on the US, in the strictest sense, was against buildings that typified the US economy and its military, but symbolically it was an assault on the fibre of our democratic system. It was an attempt to instill, through cowardice and intimidation, beliefs and attitudes that would never triumph in the voting station. It was an attempt to undermine our belief in the safety of our communities, in the sanctity of our respect for the open celebration of all faiths and the confidence with which we have always faced the future. The terrorists may have succeeded at that superficial level in damaging buildings and ending the lives of over 6,000 innocent men, women and children, but in the more significant event to undermine our social values, we have within our power -- all of us -- to ensure that their failure is absolute.
As lawmakers and stewards in this blessed province, we and 11 million other Ontarians have much to be thankful for. The tragedy in New York reminds us of how fragile life can be and how important it is to work every single day to protect the hard-won democratic principles that are the legacy handed down to us by generations of brave and selfless Canadians. We cannot shirk in our obligation to keep the flame of freedom burning brightly, nor deny our children the prosperous and progressive future that should be theirs.
We must demand justice for the victims, especially the Canadian and particularly Ontario victims. We must not change our way of life, we must not adopt an attitude of despair and we must never forget that the senseless death of these thousands of innocent people must steel our resolve to protect our democratic and peaceful ideals.
Mrs Sandra Pupatello (Windsor West): I rise today to express sympathy from all of us in Windsor West to all those families affected by the disasters that hit New York, Washington and Pennsylvania.
As a Windsorite, a mile-wide river is all that separates us from our Detroit friends, and Windsorites ran with Detroiters down Woodward Avenue, up Jefferson Avenue, when they cleared the Renaissance Center because they feared it might also be attacked. We are the same family. I'm proud to stand as a Canadian with our American family, with the unprecedented alliance around the globe that's now forming to fight with all the might required to eliminate terrorism in our midst.
I'm also pleased to report a very successful meeting on Saturday afternoon at a mosque in south Windsor where we sat together to discuss how to use this as some opportunity to teach and make all of us aware in the Windsor community, and to better understand the Muslim religion and the Middle Eastern culture -- a large and proud part of the Windsor community for many years. We need to now take advantage of this as an educational opportunity. For those in our midst who are misplacing their anger and perhaps taking it out on that community, we need to work together to learn who they are.
I'd like to end with a quote from Martin Luther King. He said bravely, "When the evil plot, the good must plan. When the evil bomb and burn, the good must build and bind. When they speak the language of hatred, the good must remember the power of love."
Hon R. Gary Stewart (Minister without Portfolio): Today, like all members of the House, I would like to offer condolences and sympathy on behalf of my constituents in the riding of Peterborough to the people who tragically lost family, friends and business associates in the horrific events of September 11, in Washington, New York and Pennsylvania.
September 11 will go down in history as the day the world changed. No longer will we enjoy some of the freedoms that we have known for generations. No longer is our future and its direction guaranteed. Yes, the world will change, our day-to-day lives will change, our obligations, our responsibilities will change, but our appreciation for family, community, democracy and spirituality will not.
Unfortunately, we all must take some responsibility for the events of September 11. In a way, we have allowed these types of events to happen. We have, over the last few years, fallen into a mode that condones violence, disobedience, hatred, riots, demonstration and racism, and we have justified it under the disguise of democracy. We have allowed our way of life to change. Our morals and ethics and beliefs have been slowly deteriorating. We have allowed spirituality to be taken out of the schools, to be replaced by police. We've had to create codes of conduct, victims-of-crime legislation, and we seem to support a watered-down court decision process. It's time to return to our principles and fundamentals, such as respect for all human beings. We must change back to what our creator started in the first place: a world of compassion, of love, tolerance, family values and the belief that mankind is worth saving.
Let me finally say a thank you to all of the firefighters, police and emergency workers for their dedication to their jobs and to the rescue effort. God bless all people around the world who do not tolerate terrorism. Working together, hand in hand together, we will overcome what those few extremists have tried to destroy.
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Mr David Ramsay (Timiskaming-Cochrane): I stand to support this all-party resolution today and I stand to express the condolences of all the people I represent in the riding of Timiskaming-Cochrane. I know the calls have come into my office asking how they can help and express their condolences. In that regard, we've tried to get the government's book of remembrance not only to my offices but to town halls throughout the riding so that everybody has an opportunity to express their grief.
With such horrible evil that was unleashed on the world on September 11, hundreds and hundreds of thoughts run through our minds, from the grief of all of this to the shock of the extent of the evil. As you place yourself in the everyday life of people arriving at an office the first thing in the morning and congregating around the coffee machine and pouring coffee and sharing what people did the night before, going to a movie or some TV show that people had seen or what happened in their family, all of a sudden those lives, over 6,000 of them, were snuffed out. It was a horrific, horrific event. The grief is going to take a long time to clear, as the dust that was evoked by this is going to take to clear also.
What saddens me is how it has clouded people's lives looking to the future. Many people I've spoken to who have plans for travel, whether visiting family or a holiday in the immediate future, are thinking about those things again. It saddens me to see people rethinking those things, because life needs to go on. We have to get back to work, as we have now in this place. We need to get back to our everyday lives, to be with family, to enjoy those times with family and carry on, because the goal of terrorism is to terrorize the free society we have. We must fight that.
The other lesson I think we've learned from this is that we must watch out for ourselves much more closely now and watch out for each other more closely.
Mr Bart Maves (Niagara Falls): Let me start off by congratulating our Premier. Over the past few weeks I think he has stood very tall among leaders in Canada as someone who has shown great leadership on this terrible tragedy. I think with this resolution today he has done so again. I could also congratulate Mr Hampton and Mr McGuinty for agreeing to this resolution debate today.
As a member from the border community of Niagara Falls -- I was born and raised on the border -- I've had a unique relationship with Americans all my life. Many of my family members live there. I've played baseball and basketball against Americans. I've eaten in their restaurants and they've come to ours. They're very much my American cousins.
Over the past four years I've co-chaired a committee with Assemblyman Robin Schimminger from New York state, along with other Senators, such as Senator Maziarz, Senator Volker, Assemblyman Tokasz, Senator Mary Lou Rath and many others. We meet quarterly to discuss cross-border issues. I called them today to find out how they were doing a few weeks after this tragedy. They're at ground zero today, those men and women in New York state who have the same jobs we have. It kind of brought back to me what they're going through there. They're visiting there. They've had a couple of legislative sessions for budgetary items. They've brought in some anti-terrorism legislation quickly. I want to let them know what we are doing in here today and that our hearts and prayers have gone out to them and continue to do so.
They're also very cognizant and appreciative of what our province and what the people of Canada, especially Ontario, have done over the past few weeks, and they've thanked us for it: our firefighters, our paramedics, our air ambulance, our health care providers and many others, the offers of assistance, the money, the donations of blood. They're very appreciative of the outpouring of support that Ontarians have had. I'd just like to finish by letting them that our hearts and prayers are still with them know and that we look forward to helping them in any way we can in the future.
Mr Tony Ruprecht (Davenport): On September 11 our hearts went out to our American friends. We too share in the mourning for the great loss of life. We share this continent, and an attack on our friends is as well an attack on us.
But this onslaught was relatively low-tech. The feverish brains attacked only what they perceived to be the symbols of American might and the empire -- the financial resources, the military and the government. But they could have attacked our many undefended nuclear reactors. That of course would have been a nightmare of unimaginable suffering. Millions could have died. In comparison, the catastrophe in Chernobyl could be considered a walk in the park. For whatever reason, the terrorists chose not to do it. This calls, of course, for more vigilance in the future.
But for now, how do we respond to the present catastrophe? We have a choice. Do we follow the directive, "An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth"? We know that response will only get us on the treadmill of more violence and pain. It leads directly to an attack on our values and an attack on our minorities, whether they be cultural or others. Unfortunately, today it's the Muslims. Tomorrow it may be the Jews, the Hindus, the Sikhs or even the Christians. All our religions have a deep conviction to another response to the September 11 crisis: "Turn your swords into plowshares." Can governments be expected to dismantle their bombs? Unlikely. But as Canadians, as Nobel laureates, we have an opportunity to encourage our ally, to counsel restraint. Because America, in spite of the terrorism, has an enormous responsibility. It carries a great responsibility, and that is to ensure that the light of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness not only shines in America but also shines all over the world. And America of course can shine that light on other nations, including those that do not yet believe in democracy.
Therefore we can say, especially on this side, God bless the American people in that enterprise, and God bless Canada as a partner, helping where we can to fight terrorism in all its forms.
Hon Norman W. Sterling (Minister of Consumer and Business Services): May I at the outset express the condolences, the prayers, of the people of Lanark-Carleton for all those families who suffered as a result of this unmitigated, disastrous attack on the people of the United States.
A lot of our attention these past weeks has been rightly focused on the attacks on New York. That city was devastated, and many thousands perished there. I want to speak for a moment with the memory of the victims in Washington in mind.
Like that city, I represent the capital of Canada as part of my constituency. These people in Washington were at work as public servants in Ottawa are at work every day. Most of them I'm sure do not think they are working in an unsafe workplace, and they shouldn't. The public servants who were at the Pentagon were not risking their lives. Most of them had never done a thing to alter the lives of others. And yet, because they worked in a government building, somehow they became a symbol worth striking in the minds of the attackers.
There is a great debate underway in this country today about what support Canadians should offer to help prevent further attacks. I imagine everyone involved has the best of intentions, yet some say sympathy is enough. Many instinctively call for negotiations with someone, perhaps forgetting that the slaughter was hatched without any stated cause, demand or purpose. Finally, others have even argued the policies of the US abroad contributed to the attackers' rage and should be reviewed.
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The decision about what kind of support we offer is a difficult one. There are limits to what we can reasonably do, but we should strive to reach that limit, if we can, and not just because the Americans deserve our support, which they do, and not just because the Americans are our allies, which they are, but more so because of the nature of the targets and the people who work there.
We keep talking about Canadian deaths and American deaths. We talk about American reaction and Canadian support and whether or not our country got mentioned in a speech by the President. To phrase things this way -- this is the larger point -- this is not a contest for national profile or for American friendship. It is much simpler than that. Our minds, corrupted by history, have tried to make it more complicated, but it isn't. It's a criminal investigation against a criminal organization turned into something that's called a war only by the scale and the scope of the effort.
In my mind, the attacks on September 11 were little different from an attack on many of the workers who live in my constituency and commute into Ottawa every morning. With this kind of attack, there are two kinds of people: victims and perpetrators. We should do everything we can to help the Americans find and bring to justice those perpetrators.
Mr Mario Sergio (York West): I rise today and join members of the House in paying tribute to the people who have lost their lives in the States, to their families and to the other countries as well which had people working in the States and lost members of their families.
This abominable act was conceived by people and carried out by people who have no value and no respect for human life.
Who were the people who died? They were not soldiers. They were not carrying arms. They were not carrying bombs. They were regular citizens like ourselves, carrying on with their daily jobs, going to work. That was their sin -- innocent people.
Will we now see things differently? Will we now do things differently? Perhaps. But our resolve, I'm sure, for a better, safer world will never change. So much hate. So are the actions of hatred.
As we join our American friends at this very difficult time, as we see a nation coming together as never before, we hope that from the rubble and the ashes we can see a renewed spirit, a look ahead for a world full of peace and full of hope.
To all of us, all of our people, I say bless all of you, bless the people of the world and bless America.
Mr Joseph N. Tascona (Barrie-Simcoe-Bradford): On behalf of my riding of Barrie-Simcoe-Bradford, we wish to offer our condolences and prayers for all those who died or were injured, the families, the friends of that tragic happening on September 11 in New York City, in Washington and outside of Pittsburgh.
Six days after that event, I was holding my annual blood donor clinic at Highway Pentecostal Church with the Canadian Blood Services, with great support from the community, the Barrie Police Association and the Barrie firefighters. One common theme throughout of the people coming in, the common question was: was the blood going to the United States? I checked that out with the Canadian Blood Services and the people that were helping me put on the blood donor clinic, and the sorry answer to that was that it was not needed because there were not enough survivors out of that tragic event. But we did have some success in the blood donor clinic in that, for the first time, the Canadian Blood Services were able to satisfy hospital requests at 100%.
But that tragic event has to be looked at in a total perspective. We have to look at how that will make our community stronger, how we can build tolerance through that. There have been some situations throughout the United States and Canada with respect to tolerance not being shown, and that's something that we have to push forward. I know President Bush and I know our Prime Minister have come forward in saying we have to show tolerance for those of all faiths.
So on behalf of my constituents, we offer our prayers, and I know that we'll be a better community from this.
Mr George Smitherman (Toronto Centre-Rosedale): I am a very proud Canadian and I love the United States of America. Like so many people, I have been affected by this in a personal way. I remember as I watched these events unfolding on television, my first concern was for a very good friend of mine who lives in northern Virginia. His name is Tim Sneed. We spent many times across the way from the Pentagon at the Pentagon Mall. I wasn't concerned for him in a physical way; I was concerned about the effect on him emotionally. We haven't spoken enough about that, but so many people have been so harmed, so damaged by this. We must offer our thoughts to them as well.
In my own riding, I have a very significant Muslim community. Two weekends ago, I had a barbeque where I met a 12-year-old kid named Nurul. He's from Bangladesh and he's Muslim. He'd been affected by these events in the same traumatic way that all of us had -- by seeing them on television. But he'd experienced another kind of effect, and that is one that we all speak out against. That is, as a Muslim, he had been discriminated against in response to these events. I have reached out to my Muslim community, as I know many other members have, and I'm very proud of the way that they have stood in the face of this kind of discrimination and kept their composure.
I think that word "composure" is one that we all need to be drawn to. There will be much talk about the way that we strike out against those that have done evil, but I think at this time that it's also incumbent upon us to make a commitment to build up things that are good, because it is those public institutions that people will look to, in my view, in this time of insecurity: our system of public health care that we're so proud of as a core value of this country, and in particular something that has played such an important role in healing in the days since that in my riding, and that is our system of public education, where diverse people from all over the world come together.
So on behalf of the citizens of Toronto Centre-Rosedale, I join with pride with all members of this House in support of this resolution and in offering our very best wishes to all those, and especially Americans, who have been harmed by this act.
Hon Dianne Cunningham (Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities, minister responsible for women's issues): It is with honour that I speak today, along with my colleagues in the Legislative Assembly here in Ontario, to respond to the events on September 11, 2001, in which thousands of innocent men and women -- including Canadian citizens -- were attacked and murdered by terrorists; as we acknowledge that these acts were evil, immoral, and an affront to humanity, to respond as well to the recent and unfortunate incidents in Ontario and elsewhere of intolerance directed to Muslims and members of other visible minority communities; and to join with all peaceful, law-abiding people who want compassion to be shown to the victims and justice to be served.
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I thought I would use just a minute to speak on behalf of the constituents of my riding of London North Centre and to talk about how people have responded in whatever humble way they can as they want to respond during this time of absolute despair and total fear, and how does one move on with their life. I am so impressed with the enthusiasm and the speed with which Londoners came together to contribute their support and solidarity to our friends and neighbours in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania. The Association of London Muslims has launched a fundraising drive in cooperation with the Canadian Red Cross Society. All the staff at the London Health Sciences Centre was on call immediately following the attacks. Firefighters in London are raising money. The Fallen Heroes Fund is a joint effort by four radio stations. More than $250,000 should be raised by tomorrow. Canadian and American flags are on people's homes. They were published in the London Free Press and cut out by ordinary, everyday Londoners. Mike Smith, an entrepreneur, has committed to raising $100,000.
The list goes on. My sincere hope today is that, along with the people of London, the boys and girls who are raising money through selling lemonade to send to the victims and their families of this great tragedy, we all honour those who have given their lives; lest we forget, we remember them forever; that we learn from this terrible disaster. I just hope that we, as the world, will contribute whatever we have to the ongoing support of democracy. All of us here in this Legislative Assembly have worked together today, and we always will, for democracy.
Mr Gregory S. Sorbara (Vaughan-King-Aurora): In the wake of the by-election in Vaughan-King-Aurora, I couldn't have imagined in my wildest predictions that, on my first day in this Legislature, I would be asked to speak on a resolution so grave concerning a tragedy so serious. But under the circumstances, I am honoured that my first words in this Parliament are that the people of Vaughan-King-Aurora join with fellow Ontarians, join with their fellow citizens in Canada, and indeed join with people across North America and the world to express their grave sorrow in the loss that has befallen the world as a result of the events on September 11. They weep and they mourn. They join in condemning these acts, these acts of unprecedented evil. They join in celebrating the thousands of acts of heroism and the thousands of heroes that have come to help in a most serious time of need.
Speaking of heroes, I want to say my particular admiration for the way in which Mayor Rudolph Giuliani has responded to this tragedy.
But as we prepare to respond to the tragedy, I think we need to remember a few very important principles, and they are, firstly, that this tragedy has nothing to do with religion, that it has nothing to do with Islam, that it has nothing to do with the clash of cultures. It has everything to do with the deadly poison of terrorism that has been the undisputed venom of choice of zealots around the world for many decades. As we begin to fight this battle, we need to remember that our enemy is not a nation; it is not a people; it is not a culture. Our enemy is hatred, whether it be practised in our province, in our country, in our continent, or wherever in the world. We dedicate ourselves here today to eradicate hatred around the world.
Mr David Tilson (Dufferin-Peel-Wellington-Grey): The tragedy of September 11 underscored for me how intertwined our lives are with our neighbours to the south. There are few among us who did not have a terrible moment of wondering where friends, family members or work acquaintances were as we heard the devastating news that came out of New York and Washington. Words cannot express my sympathy for those who are still searching for relatives and friends. My prayers are with you and your loved ones.
Historians tell us that tragedy brings out the best and the worst in people. We have heard through the media some of the stories of backlash that innocent Muslims and other visible minorities have been dealing with over the last few weeks. I have certainly seen the other side, individuals in my riding who want to do all they can to assist neighbours. People want to help in any way they can.
On the day of the tragedy I received many calls in my community office from people in my riding of Dufferin-Peel-Wellington-Grey who offered to open their businesses and homes to travellers stranded at Pearson international airport. Many have called or asked how they can reach the Canadian Red Cross and donate money toward relief efforts.
Since September 11 my riding has played host to very successful blood donor clinics in which many patient and generous people took time from their busy lives to give the gift of life by giving blood. I have also directed to Emergency Measures Ontario a number of individuals who have called asking how they can personally assist with recovery efforts. The offers of assistance have been coming in from firefighters, police officers, funeral directors and medical personnel. I'm amazed at the lengths to which people are willing to go to help out.
On a more personal level, the book of remembrance I distributed to many municipal offices throughout the riding was signed by hundreds of people who simply wished to let our American friends know they were thinking of them.
In closing, I don't believe the depth of this tragedy has yet registered with us. It will take many years to heal the wounds this senseless act has caused, and I only hope that together it will make us a stronger, more caring society.
Mr Hampton: My colleagues have asked me to summarize collectively for them what many of them are feeling. Members of this Legislature have spoken eloquently and passionately today. They have given voice to the thoughts and prayers of our constituents about this horrible act. We join together today and collectively express our determination to triumph over terrorism. We choose tolerance and humanity over hatred and revenge.
We offer our help to our American neighbours in the name of friendship and solidarity. But we must be sure that the very principles we cherish are not violated in their defence. If we trample on civil rights at home while fighting terrorism abroad, what have we gained? If we were to brutalize innocent people abroad to stamp out terrorism there, what have we become? A campaign against terrorism will be a challenging test for our values and our principles, if we meet the test, if our own democratic institutions and civil rights emerge stronger, not weaker.
Our tolerance is essential in the wake of this American tragedy. Just to give some examples of the breakdown of tolerance in our province brings shame to our name. In Ontario, police are reporting a surge of hate crimes since September 11: a racially motivated beating in Ottawa has left a 15-year-old Muslim boy badly injured, an arson attack against Hamilton Hindu temples is believed to be a reprisal for the terrorist attacks on the United States, mosques have been attacked in St Catharines and Oshawa.
Security has been stepped up at mosques all over the province. Countless Muslims, Arab-Canadians and South-Asian Canadians have been victims of threats, harassment and racial slurs on the street, in schools and in workplaces. Women and children in particular have been targeted. Individual mosques have received countless threatening messages. The Islamic Council of Canada and the Canadian Arab Federation have been victims of hate messages and even death threats. The Sikh community -- one would ask, "What does the Sikh community have to do with the events that happened in New York or Washington?" -- has also been targeted. In South Asian neighbourhoods in the greater Toronto area incidents have been reported to police, including a beating attack on an elderly man. There are also reports of children being beaten and men and women being insulted and harassed on the street.
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I applaud this Legislature and reapplaud this Legislature for taking a strong stand against this kind of intolerance and pledging action on hate crimes.
I would go further to say that the advice we give, not just in our own province, but the advice that we give to our neighbours in the United States must be thoughtful and measured. It should urge a cautious and prudent response that will hold the perpetrators accountable and will not cause an escalation of the indiscriminate violence against innocent civilians that is the hallmark of terrorism.
Earlier I spoke of personal friends who escaped from the World Trade Center moments before the building collapsed. I could read name after name, some of those people. But I think what's important is what many of them said when they left messages on the university Web site: "Thank God I'm alive." "Thank God for those of us who survived." "We must ensure that this can never happen again."
What does it mean to ensure that this can never happen again? All of us aspire to have a democratic world where peace wins over war, where humanitarian efforts and humanity conquer the differences between us and good triumphs over evil.
What does that mean? Does it mean that a violent strike should happen against innocent people somewhere else in the world? I don't think so. A military response on its own will only feed into the clutches of terrorists, who feast on violence. They want nothing more than to perpetrate an apocalyptic conclusion of death and destruction. This is not our vision for the world nor should it be anyone's.
Those who say bombing civilians is the proper first line of offence need to reflect. How will that help to defuse the conflict in nations where life is hopeless and holds little meaning?
We need to offer our American neighbours and friends wise counsel. As a global community, we must examine the social and economic conditions that allow terrorism and fanaticism to develop.
I would in fact counsel our American neighbours to read some of the people who have been trying to give advice over the last six or seven years. Robert Kaplan is known as a right-of-centre military historian in the United States. He wrote a book recently called The Coming Anarchy. I just want to refer to his credentials. He's a senior fellow at the New America Foundation. He is also a consultant to the US Army Special Forces Regiment.
He entitles the first chapter of his book "The Coming Anarchy: How scarcity, crime, overpopulation, tribalism and disease are destroying the social fabric of the planet."
One quote from him is particularly appropriate. He talks about his time in Tunisia, and he says, "As an unemployed Tunisian student once told me, `In Tunisia we have a 25% unemployment rate. If you hold elections in such circumstances, the result will be a fundamentalist government and violence like in Algeria.'" A plea that we pay attention to that rising level of inequality.
Even George Soros, one of the wealthiest people in the world, someone who has made billions of dollars, now writes and speaks on an almost weekly basis of the need to address the growing inequality of the world. He points out that in parts of the world where people are now so poor, where the prospects for the future are even poorer, that this is the ground where fanaticism and terrorism find it all too easy to grow and to find converts.
We need to reach out to our neighbours, our friends south of the border, and, as I said earlier, offer them counsel, offer our advice. Yes, terrorism needs to be dealt with; yes, the people who were the perpetrators of these acts need to be brought to justice. But we must also be careful that we do not create further turf that is fertile ground for yet more terrorism and fanaticism. We need to recognize that we cannot continue to live in a world where growing inequality in fact creates the very conditions that we want to eliminate.
I congratulate all members of the House on this debate today and on this resolution, and I thank you, Speaker, for the opportunity on behalf of my colleagues in the New Democratic caucus to address these terribly important issues.
Mr Norm Miller (Parry Sound-Muskoka): The last couple of weeks have been devastating for people across our province, our country and the world. Most eyes and ears in Parry Sound-Muskoka have been focused on our televisions, newspapers and radios, watching the breaking news of the tragedy in the United States. We have witnessed an extreme tragedy, incomparable to anything most of us have experienced in our lifetimes. As the Americans grieve, so do we. Many families lost loved ones in the September 11 tragedy. I want to express my sincere sorrow to the families, friends and neighbours who are grieving.
It is heartwarming to know that the people of Parry Sound-Muskoka over the last couple of weeks have given blood and money to contribute to the people in the United States.
On a personal note, on September 11 at 9:30 am, there was a bus tour boarding a flight from Oklahoma City destined to arrive at my former business, the place I live, in Parry Sound-Muskoka. They ended up landing short of their destination, which was Chicago, and then busing the rest of the way to Parry Sound-Muskoka. They stayed five days at our resort, attended fall fairs, toured the riding and made do with their holiday over that time period. But I think as five days later they went to board the bus to return home, they were absolutely deeply touched by the many instances of caring that were demonstrated to them by the people of Parry Sound-Muskoka. They had tears in their eyes as they boarded this bus to return home and were very deeply touched by all of the people of Parry Sound-Muskoka.
I want to relate how, in our riding, I was in the arena last night and there was an American flag up there. I've never seen so many American flags in individual homes around the riding. There's a lot of care and respect for the Americans being shown in our riding.
To close, I'd like to quote Winston Churchill: "We shall draw from the heart of suffering itself the means of inspiration and survival." I join our government in support of the resolution condemning the attacks that occurred in the United States and support our American friends in their fight against terrorism.
Mr Frank Mazzilli (London-Fanshawe): I stand on behalf of citizens of London-Fanshawe in supporting this resolution. The September 11 attack on the United States certainly was horrific. Together as nations, as citizens and as friends we mourn the tragic loss of life in those attacks, and we certainly struggle to come to terms with the severity.
We share with our American neighbours and nations across the world in the grief that has come about from the attacks and the senseless violence that has threatened our freedom. The tragedy of September 11 has affected North America. It has greatly affected Canadians, Ontarians and Londoners. The effect has been a tremendous outpouring of emotion, sympathy and grief. It has resulted in a united effort to help in any way that we can.
The people of Ontario have assisted. I want to personally thank the Premier for his strong leadership. I also wish to personally thank those who have volunteered their time and resources in aiding the relief efforts. I want to thank the emergency workers who have gone to New York to help out. I also want to thank every constituent and every Ontarian who has donated blood.
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The terrorist attacks on the United States have also had another unfortunate outcome, an outcome that is almost as tragic. It has led, as we have heard, to increased intolerance toward members of the Muslim faith and Arab Canadians. I have many friends, as we all have many friends and neighbours, both of the Muslim faith and Arab Canadians. Due to the tragedy, some of the members of our communities have lost sight of the fact that the terrorists who perpetrated these senseless acts are a world apart from our friends and neighbours who live within our borders and are hard-working Ontarians. The deplorable acts of September 11 were carried out by extremists. We must remember that the true enemies in this tragedy are terrorists and terrorism. Let us not fall into the trap of intolerance.
Mr Bert Johnson (Perth-Middlesex): Arm in arm, shoulder to shoulder, we stand to demonstrate our support to those affected by the attacks on September 11. I want to take this opportunity to thank and recognize the constituents in my riding who have shown their compassion, their unwavering support and their generosity toward our American neighbours over the last two weeks.
I want to share with you two stories from Perth-Middlesex. The Shakespeare Fire Department, made up of volunteers, organized a toll road along Highway 7/8. In just a few hours, the firefighters raised more than $12,000 for their colleagues from the United States in New York City.
Sandra Wilson, from the St Marys area, is mobilizing her friends and neighbours to make 100 World Trade Center comfort quilts for the Canadian families who lost their loved ones in this tragedy.
There are many other stories of individuals, businesses, non-profit groups and schools that have organized events and activities to pay tribute to the victims of the terrorist attacks.
I also want to thank my constituents, many of whom travelled long distances to visit my constituency office in Stratford to sign the book of remembrance and offer their personal thoughts.
I also want to recognize the emergency personnel, firemen, policemen and others from my riding who are in the United States.
Finally, I want to thank our Premier for his leadership during this difficult time and for quickly offering Ontario's support and resources to the US government.
I strongly support today's resolution. We should do everything in our legislative authority to ensure that terrorism has no place in the province of Ontario.
To my American neighbours, you are to be commended for your resilience, your indomitable spirit, and for exercising restraint and caution when a quick retaliation is so tempting.
On July 29, 30 and 31, the member for Toronto Centre-Rosedale, the member Algoma-Manitoulin and I had the privilege of attending the Midwestern Legislative Conference in Lincoln, Nebraska, and today we think many thoughts of our colleagues in the Midwest.
On behalf of the constituents of Perth-Middlesex, please accept my sincerest sympathies and condolences. Our thoughts and our prayers are with you.
God bless America. God save the Queen.
Mr Jerry J. Ouellette (Oshawa): As close as yesterday, my sons Josh, who is five, and Garrett, who is four, my wife, Dianne, and I were walking down the street, and you couldn't gain anything more than a sense of pride as we went down our street and we looked and we saw house after house after house displaying nothing but Canadian and American flags side by side in a show of pride.
My concern is that we in Canada shelter so many from the realities of the world. Let me explain. On September 11, I came home and had the TV on, as many did. My son, Garrett, came in. I started to explain what was happening, how the World Trade Center had been attacked with a plane and was on fire. My wife, rightly or wrongly, said, "I don't think he should be watching that." I thought, "No, Dianne, Garrett needs to see this. The youth need to understand." Garrett, who is four, proceeded to tell grandma how the world was on fire. I said, "No, Garrett, it's probably not the world, although it could be. It's our job to make sure that if it is, we control that burn and take care of it the way it's supposed to be."
We here in Canada base our lives solely on our standard and not on the realities of the world. But on September 11, that reality came a little bit closer. Our children are seeing times that many of us only read about, and many more fought and died so that our children would only have to read about such events. We've not asked to be placed in this situation. We must only react in a manner that clearly states the unacceptability of the events of September 11 and that they never happen again.
Difficult times do lay ahead, but the strength of the citizens of Ontario and the nation of Canada and the free world will triumph and survive.
Mr Carl DeFaria (Mississauga East): Let no civilized person ever forget that September 11, 2001, was a day when the world saw the ugly face of evil, a day when evil was an affront, not just to our neighbours and friends in the USA but an affront to humanity.
The murderous acts of September 11, when thousands of innocent men and women going through their normal working lives were murdered by deliberate acts of organized terrorism, gave a new meaning to the horror of what some in the past have described as helter-skelter.
Let no one try to justify these senseless acts of terrorism. There cannot be any justification for mass murder. These acts of terrorism were acts of war against humanity, and we must all stand together with our American friends and our international allies. That's why I am proud of the leadership and the response of Ontarians, of Premier Mike Harris and the Ontario government, to these acts of terrorism. Within two hours of the first strike at the World Trade Center, the Ontario government invoked emergency measures to protect Ontarians and to put its emergency services ready to assist New York and our American friends.
That is true leadership. It is the kind of leadership we Ontarians will need in the years to come, to strengthen our laws and our Ontario Provincial Police force and to provide them tools to fight terrorism cells right here in Canada, to speak out and demand that the federal government clean up our refugee claims process to ensure that no one with a terrorism background ever gets a chance to land in Canada.
Canada is not -- and I repeat, Canada is not -- a haven for terrorists. We must stand on guard. We have a wonderful and diverse society built by hard-working men and women, but we must stand on guard to preserve our security, our quality of life and the freedoms that we enjoy in this wonderful land.
Today we join our American friends in prayers and in pursuit of justice. Together we shall overcome this tragedy. God bless America.
Mr Garfield Dunlop (Simcoe North): I'm pleased to rise this afternoon to speak in favour of this resolution. I thank the three leaders -- Premier Harris, Mr McGuinty and Mr Hampton -- for their leadership in allowing this debate to occur today. It allows each and every member of this Legislature the opportunity to extend our condolences to the thousands of families who have seen their dreams shattered by this terrible act of destruction.
September 11, 2001, will remain with us as one of those very horrifying days in our history. When we went to sleep later that evening, the problems that we started the day off with seemed to be non-existent compared to what we witnessed that morning. Who will ever forget the sight of that second airliner piercing through the side of the World Trade Center, or how could we ever imagine the thought of those skyscrapers collapsing like a Lego set, or later, when it was announced that hundreds of emergency service workers had lost their lives, along with the thousands of others?
On behalf of the residents of Simcoe North, I want to extend my condolences to the thousands of people who were impacted by this barbaric deed. Although evil may have destroyed buildings and lives in this round, it has only strengthened the resolve of democracy and freedom to prevail.
God bless America, God bless Canada and God bless the freedom we enjoy.
1730
Hon Rob Sampson (Minister of Correctional Services): Much has been said in this chamber today around the events of September 11, and I suspect that as we go through this session in the next number of days, weeks, months, probably years, the events surrounding September 11 and events subsequent to that will be mentioned in this chamber. We've heard a lot of stories about the heroism of that day, about those who perished and about those who are still suffering. I suspect there will be more stories as the events unfold over the next number of days, weeks and years.
I agree with the member from Huron. I doubt that a number of years from now there will be very many people in this chamber who won't think of September 11 by the signposts as to where they were on that particular day, much like those who think of the assassination of JFK on the basis of where they were that particular day. I hope what we remember, as we look forward in the days and months and years to come, is that this is the day, the month, the year in which society in general decided to challenge those who wanted to be a threat to society itself, to justice itself.
I hope the historians will look upon that particular day as a turning point for the people of this country, of this province, of this world, where we are prepared to tackle the likes of the terrorists who wanted to tear us apart. God bless Canada. God bless Ontario. God bless America.
Hon Brian Coburn (Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs): On behalf of my residents of Ottawa-Orléans, I offer our condolences and sympathies as well to the families of victims in that terrible tragedy that befell our neighbours in the States.
On September 11 I was at the Outdoor Farm Show in Woodstock. As the information started to be relayed to us, I can recall the look of horror, disbelief and shock on the faces of the thousands of people who were at this particular farm show. Then you could hear some of the discussions on how this could happen in our society. How could it happen so close to home? This was something that was totally foreign to us.
A week later in Navan, at the International Plowing Match, the same aura of disbelief was still in the air. I had the pleasure of having as my guest the Secretary of Agriculture in the state of Pennsylvania, the Honourable Sam Hayes, who had joined me for the day. We also had the New York State Fair, who had partnered with us in putting on this particular event, and many of our New York/Pennsylvania/Vermont neighbours were with us on that particular day. We talked about the commonalities we had, shared and enjoyed between our two nations, and the outpouring of grief and sympathies for our fellow Americans and that grieving process indicated the commonalities that we share on a day-to-day basis. Much of the discussion centred around the fact that we take for granted the freedoms we enjoy in our free, democratic society, and the resolve we must have in the future to preserve those, and the continual work to preserve those freedoms we enjoy and live with each and every day.
Mr Ernie Hardeman (Oxford): It's indeed a privilege to be able to extend these sympathies and condolences on behalf of the constituents in Oxford county.
It goes without saying that I strongly support the resolution that is before the House, with the support of all parties, because I think it's very important that we work with our friends and our neighbours to the south to make sure that something like this will never happen again.
I want to put on the record the concern and sympathy of the people of Oxford for the people of the United States. I had the privilege on September 16 to attend a church service which was designed and put on to recognize the contribution our emergency services make to our society each and every day. This church service wasn't organized because of what happened in New York or Washington or Pennsylvania. This church service was organized many months ago in order to recognize the contributions these emergency services make. I want to extend that to this House and to all the emergency services people in my riding.
As we were at the service, one of the people coming up to speak at the microphone was talking about the contribution. They talked about the people who were in the World Trade Center when this tragedy happened, who had no idea when they went to work in the morning of the risk they were going to encounter that day. The emergency services workers did know the risk and likelihood of harm to themselves that they were entering into when they were called, yet none of them refused. They all entered and did their job.
Also in my community, one of the things they have been doing to help is trying to raise money for the people who were so affected in the United States. Last Saturday, the firemen in the city held a car wash. I went and had my car washed. While they did that, they also gave us a little ribbon to wear. Before I got home, two people asked me how they could get one of those ribbons so they could show their support for the people who had suffered so greatly. That's how the people in my riding felt about this catastrophe that happened to their neighbours to the south. On their behalf, I'd like to extend condolences to all those people who were so impacted by this disaster in the United States.
The Speaker: Further debate?
Mr Harris moves, seconded by Mr McGuinty and Mr Hampton:
To respond to 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 toward 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 terrific 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 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, regardless of race, religion, background or ethnic origin, with generosity, compassion, dignity and respect.
Is it the pleasure of the House that the motion carry? Carried.
Hon Mrs Ecker: I would like to let the record show that this motion was carried unanimously, by all members of this House.
The Speaker: Agreed? Agreed.
Would all members and those in the galleries please rise for the playing of the national anthems of the United States and Canada.
The national anthem of the United States and the national anthem of Canada were played.
The Speaker: This House now stands adjourned until 1:30 o'clock Tuesday, September 25, 2001.
The House adjourned at 1742.