News (Media Awareness Project) - CN BC: Ignatieff Answers Students' Questions On Overseas |
| Title: | CN BC: Ignatieff Answers Students' Questions On Overseas |
| Published On: | 2010-01-20 |
| Source: | Saanich News (CN BC) |
| Fetched On: | 2010-01-25 23:19:16 |
IGNATIEFF ANSWERS STUDENTS' QUESTIONS ON OVERSEAS MINING, LEGALIZING POT
If he wanted to talk about prorogation, Michael Ignatieff came to the
wrong place.
The federal Liberal leader has been trying to make hay from Prime
Minister Stephen Harper decision to suspend Parliament.
But his audience at the University of Victoria Friday was more
interested in talking about things beyond the country's borders.
"I support free market solutions to poverty reduction and building a
more global society, but I don't think a way for Canada to achieve it
is to allow (mining) corporations like Goldcorp to go into indigenous
areas of Guatemala, which they're doing," said Mark Brown, an
engineering student and member of Engineers Without Borders.
Brown's question was one of two Ignatieff faced about the human
rights records of Canadian mining firms overseas.
He answered by throwing his support behind a Liberal private member's
bill that would require the Department of Foreign Affairs to report
on Canadian miners working abroad.
"We have them in Congo, we have them in Colombia, we have them in
Peru, we have them all over the world. It's absolutely essential to
our honour as a country, our reputation as human rights defenders,
that we have good corporate citizens," Ignatieff said.
Others in the crowd of more than 200 people, mostly students, packed
into UVic's Michele Pujol room wanted to talk about Iraq, Afghanistan
and Canada's armed forces.
George Taylor asked why Ignatieff lent his support to the 2003 U.S.
invasion of Iraq.
"Two statesmen that you respect, Jean Chretien and Barack Obama both
opposed that war at the time. I'm wondering why you ... made the
opposite decision," Taylor said to loud applause.
"I got it wrong, and I've said so," Ignatieff replied.
Some issues raised were closer to home. In response to one student's
question about B.C. coastal tanker traffic, Ignatieff said Liberal
policy hasn't changed since then-Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau placed
a moratorium on it 1972.
His response to another student who asked whether a Liberal
government would soften drug laws was flat.
"I won't legalize cannabis," he said.
Victoria was the second last stop in a five-day, nine-engagement
cross-Canada tour.
If he wanted to talk about prorogation, Michael Ignatieff came to the
wrong place.
The federal Liberal leader has been trying to make hay from Prime
Minister Stephen Harper decision to suspend Parliament.
But his audience at the University of Victoria Friday was more
interested in talking about things beyond the country's borders.
"I support free market solutions to poverty reduction and building a
more global society, but I don't think a way for Canada to achieve it
is to allow (mining) corporations like Goldcorp to go into indigenous
areas of Guatemala, which they're doing," said Mark Brown, an
engineering student and member of Engineers Without Borders.
Brown's question was one of two Ignatieff faced about the human
rights records of Canadian mining firms overseas.
He answered by throwing his support behind a Liberal private member's
bill that would require the Department of Foreign Affairs to report
on Canadian miners working abroad.
"We have them in Congo, we have them in Colombia, we have them in
Peru, we have them all over the world. It's absolutely essential to
our honour as a country, our reputation as human rights defenders,
that we have good corporate citizens," Ignatieff said.
Others in the crowd of more than 200 people, mostly students, packed
into UVic's Michele Pujol room wanted to talk about Iraq, Afghanistan
and Canada's armed forces.
George Taylor asked why Ignatieff lent his support to the 2003 U.S.
invasion of Iraq.
"Two statesmen that you respect, Jean Chretien and Barack Obama both
opposed that war at the time. I'm wondering why you ... made the
opposite decision," Taylor said to loud applause.
"I got it wrong, and I've said so," Ignatieff replied.
Some issues raised were closer to home. In response to one student's
question about B.C. coastal tanker traffic, Ignatieff said Liberal
policy hasn't changed since then-Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau placed
a moratorium on it 1972.
His response to another student who asked whether a Liberal
government would soften drug laws was flat.
"I won't legalize cannabis," he said.
Victoria was the second last stop in a five-day, nine-engagement
cross-Canada tour.
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