Hon. Sheila Finestone (Mount Royal, Lib.)

Mr. Speaker, I have the pleasure to present, in both official languages, the second report of the Standing Joint Committee on Official Languages.

In accordance with its order of reference from the House on March 1, the committee has considered vote 25 under Privy Council in the main estimates for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2000 and reports same.

After an eight year term as an officer of the Parliament of Canada, our Commissioner of Official Languages, Dr. Victor Goldbloom, takes his leave. His legacy is one of positive action in the promotion of Canada's two official languages, a value to prize and promote through designated bilingual instruments and services. We thank him and say au revoir.

Hon. Sheila Finestone (Mount Royal, Lib.)

Mr. Speaker, while the world is extremely concerned about the ongoing human security issues in Kosovo, we are also very upset about what is going on and the atrocities taking place in Sierra Leone.

I wonder if the Minister of Foreign Affairs could bring us up to date and tell us what is being done in order to alleviate, particularly the lives of women and children, and to regulate this situation.

Hon. Sheila Finestone (Mount Royal, Lib.)

Mr. Speaker, the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade tabled a report in the House on issues relating to nuclear disarmament, including a representation that Canada urge NATO to review the strategic concept for NATO.

Can the Minister of Foreign Affairs tell the House what steps Canada undertook to review the strategic concept for NATO at the summit this past weekend?

Hon. Sheila Finestone (Mount Royal, Lib.)

Mr. Speaker, last week while in Brussels, world parliamentarians from 136 countries addressed the horrendous events unfolding in Yugoslavia. Here in Canada the debate continues on military options in Kosovo while the ongoing humanitarian crisis destabilizes the countries in the region.

My question is for the Minister of Foreign Affairs. What is Canada doing to promote stability in the area and to assist refugees already in those countries?

Hon. Sheila Finestone

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague for his question. If there is one thing that has changed a lot in the last hundreds of years, it is that we now have television. We can watch hour after hour, day after day, what is going on in Kosovo and, more importantly, in all of Yugoslavia.

When I was in Brussels, at the meeting of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, I asked why the Yugoslavs blocked access to television so that the Serbs were unable to know what was going on. It is sad. When people do not know the truth, it is difficult to know what to do.

That is why I believe we know what we are doing. Members from this side of the House are just as interested as the member and all other parliamentarians. I am convinced that we will make an open and transparent decision in due course. I hope the hon. member will be satisfied, because the conditions we are setting are very clear and obvious.