Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise today because I want to talk about cruise missile testing in the Northwest Territories. Honourable Members will know that for several years the Government of Canada and the United States have had an agreement to test cruise missiles in northern Canada. There are no warheads on these missiles, I am told. They are unarmed and are only being tested. However, these missiles fly through Dene airspace in my constituency. Mr. Speaker, I have talked to people who are in the bush on their trap lines and they have seen these missiles fly above the trees. They
are followed by B-52 bombers. From the way they described it, it was a very awesome and astonishing sight.
Mr. Speaker, I want to say that I am opposed to cruise missile testing and I am also opposed to war. Last January I saw the coverage on television which showed how cruise missiles were used in the war in Iraq. I saw how destructive these cruise missiles could be. I saw on television where they wiped out a hotel and a bomb shelter. We were not allowed to see all the destruction that was caused by these cruise missiles. In both cases, there were pictures of Iraqi people who were bleeding, including women and children. I had troubled feelings in my heart, Mr. Speaker. I felt like the Northwest Territories had contributed to that destruction by allowing those missiles to be tested in the air over our traditional lands.
I am still troubled today, Mr. Speaker. The 1983 pact between Canada and the United States which allows cruise missile testing over the Mackenzie Valley, is about to expire. However, last week Ottawa announced that it will be renewed for another ten years. Mr. Speaker, I am sure you recall that three previous Legislative Assemblies have passed motions expressing their opposition to continue with cruise missile testing in the Northwest Territories. My predecessor, Nick Sibbeston, and my honourable colleague from Deh Cho have spoken out in the House many times against using the peaceful north as a testing ground for these war machines.
I truly hope that our Premier and her Cabinet make these views known to our federal counterparts in Ottawa. I think all northerners would be very interested in knowing more about the process that surrounded the decision to involve the Northwest Territories in further testing of the cruise missile. Mahsi Cho, Mr. Speaker.
---Applause