Return-Path: <sentto-279987-4419-1012604276-fc=all.net@returns.groups.yahoo.com> Delivered-To: fc@all.net Received: from 204.181.12.215 [204.181.12.215] by localhost with POP3 (fetchmail-5.7.4) for fc@localhost (single-drop); Fri, 01 Feb 2002 15:00:08 -0800 (PST) Received: (qmail 25762 invoked by uid 510); 1 Feb 2002 22:57:36 -0000 Received: from n26.groups.yahoo.com (216.115.96.76) by all.net with SMTP; 1 Feb 2002 22:57:36 -0000 X-eGroups-Return: sentto-279987-4419-1012604276-fc=all.net@returns.groups.yahoo.com Received: from [216.115.97.190] by n26.groups.yahoo.com with NNFMP; 01 Feb 2002 22:45:03 -0000 X-Sender: yangyun@metacrawler.com X-Apparently-To: iwar@yahoogroups.com Received: (EGP: mail-8_0_1_3); 1 Feb 2002 22:57:55 -0000 Received: (qmail 23569 invoked from network); 1 Feb 2002 22:57:54 -0000 Received: from unknown (216.115.97.172) by m4.grp.snv.yahoo.com with QMQP; 1 Feb 2002 22:57:54 -0000 Received: from unknown (HELO n12.groups.yahoo.com) (216.115.96.62) by mta2.grp.snv.yahoo.com with SMTP; 1 Feb 2002 22:57:54 -0000 Received: from [216.115.96.164] by n12.groups.yahoo.com with NNFMP; 01 Feb 2002 22:57:54 -0000 To: iwar@yahoogroups.com Message-ID: <a3f6hg+7b3h@eGroups.com> User-Agent: eGroups-EW/0.82 X-Mailer: Yahoo Groups Message Poster From: "televr" <yangyun@metacrawler.com> X-Originating-IP: 137.122.14.20 X-Yahoo-Profile: televr Mailing-List: list iwar@yahoogroups.com; contact iwar-owner@yahoogroups.com Delivered-To: mailing list iwar@yahoogroups.com Precedence: bulk List-Unsubscribe: <mailto:iwar-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com> Date: Fri, 01 Feb 2002 22:57:52 -0000 Subject: [iwar] Cdn Defence Minister confused by news photo, censured Reply-To: iwar@yahoogroups.com Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Friday, February 01, 2002 OTTAWA (CP) -- The government agreed Friday that a Commons committee should consider claims that Defence Minister Art Eggleton showed contempt for Parliament this week, a serious rebuke of the minister. Government House leader Ralph Goodale said, though, that Eggleton shouldn't be forced to step down while MPs consider whether he deliberately misled the House on the question of when he learned that Canadian soldiers captured prisoners in Afghanistan. "This country is involved in a major international conflict,'' Goodale said. ``This is a time for the minister of defence to be at his post and he shall do so.'' Earlier, House Speaker Peter Milliken said he felt the matter should go to committee. "I have concluded that the situation before us, where the House is left with two versions of events, is one that merits further consideration by an appropriate committee, if only to clear the air,'' the Speaker said. Were Eggleton to be found in contempt of Parliament, the Commons could take a broad range of action, ranging from a simple motion of censure to removing him from office. Any action would require the backing of the Liberal majority in the House. A political storm has raged around the minister since Tuesday, when he told the Commons he only learned on Jan. 25 that Canadian soldiers had captured fighters in Afghanistan and turned them over to the Americans. The next day, Eggleton recanted, saying he had actually heard about the captures during a phone briefing on Jan. 21 and didn't tell Prime Minister Jean Chretien or the cabinet for a week. He wanted more details, he said. Eggleton's flip-flop came in the middle of a debate about whether prisoners should be handed over to U.S. authorities at all, since the Americans have refused to accord prisoner-of-war status to such captives. Eggleton denied any intent to mislead the Commons, saying his reference to Jan. 25 involved a news photo which he first saw that day. The photo showed soldiers hustling three men out of a transport plane in Kandahar. The opposition brushed off his explanation as unlikely and, out for blood, called for his resignation. Brian Pallister of the Canadian Alliance, who has led the charge against Eggleton all week, suggested the minister and the prime minister hid the truth in order to stave off an uproar within Liberal ranks over the prisoner issue. Eggleton kept silent during a Liberal caucus meeting last weekend. Pallister said the minister showed disrespect for Canadians. "I do not take this as a matter of personal disrespect to me, but rather I take it as something far greater than that. I take it as a matter of disrespect for my constituents.'' MPs deserve honest answers, he said. "It is not a chamber which exists for the convenience of the government.'' Garry Breitkreuz, another Alliance member, said the whole issue must be aired publicly. "Canadians are becoming very cynical about what is happening in Parliament,'' he said. Michel Gauthier of the Bloc said Eggleton's behaviour was not believable. "Why did he hide his first contradiction by an explanation that doesn't hold any water?'' ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ---------------------~--> Sponsored by VeriSign - The Value of Trust Pinpoint the right security solution for your company - FREE Guide from industry leader VeriSign gives you all the facts. http://us.click.yahoo.com/pCuuSA/WdiDAA/yigFAA/kgFolB/TM ---------------------------------------------------------------------~-> ------------------ http://all.net/ Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.2 : 2002-12-31 02:15:03 PST