1. Sanctions Against Iraq
Given that: ten years of sanctions against Iraq have had little effect on the regime, but devastated the lines of ordinary people in Iraq, depriving them of essential food and medical supplies, and resulting in over a million deaths, three quarters of whom were children under five years of age;
will you, if elected, press the Government of Canada to lift all non-military sanctions against Iraq and to urge other countries to do likewise?
Bloc Québécois
The Bloc Québécois would be in favour of rigorously evaluating the lifting of non-military sanctions against Iraq, favouring better living conditions for its population. This would take place through discussions and agreements between Iraq and the international community.
Canadian Alliance Party
United Nations sanctions should remain in place until Saddam Hussein permits weapons inspectors to return to Iraq. That is their only purpose. The Peace Alliance should be aware that the United Nations sanctions already do not apply to food and humanitarian imports to Iraq. If lifting other economic sanctions could help the people of Iraq then that would be the prudent and humane course of action. However, there is no evidence that this action would have the desired effect. On the contrary, humanitarian and food supplies are manipulated by the Iraqi regime for its self-preservation. This is the reason that the Iraqi people suffer, not the sanctions. It does not serve the good of the Iraqi people to undermine the UN sanctions at this time.
Liberal Party
The Liberal government believes that sanctions must be targeted to impair operations of the offender while avoiding negative humanitarian impacts. Improving the effectiveness of sanctions was an integral part of our agenda during Canada's Presidency of the United Nations Security Council in April 2000.
The Liberal government encouraged the Security Council to make all efforts to address the humanitarian impact of the sanctions regime in Iraq. In the immediate term, our government has provided assistance through non-governmental channels to meet basic human needs of the Iraqi people.
New Democratic Party
No response, nothing relevant in party platform.
Progressive Conservative Party
No response, nothing relevant in party platform.