[asia-apec 697] Re: Cda Hansard re: APEC '97, Sept.22/98

[PAN Asia Pacific]

The PM's statement is simply not true.  First, funding for the
People's Summit from the Canadian Government fell well short of a
sincere commitment. CDN$60,000,000 was spent on the APEC Leaders'
Meeting, CDN$3,000,000 on the Year of the Asia-Pacific Cultural
Program (designed to promote the Asia-Pacific in light of Canada
hosting the Leaders' Meeting), CDN$500,000 on a Winnipeg APEC Youth
Conference and CDN$100,000 on the Peoples' Summit. The latter
amount was only coughed up after considerable lobbying.  Second,
although we specifically asked for funding for foreign delegates,
the funds came with the specific precondition that they COULD NOT
BE USED TO SUPPORT THE PARTICIPATION OF FOREIGN DELEGATES (or
"protestors"). Axworthy made it clear in a letter that the funds
were for admisitrative expenses only.  The government told the
Canadian Advisory Board that it was CIDA policy not to fund the
participation of foreign delegates.  If this was policy, it
certainly wasn't followed in a number of CIDA supported events that
year. 

As hosts of the Leaders' Meeting, the funding was a face-saving
measure.  Where is Canada's support now?  CIDA is funding a
conference in Malaysia on Engagement with Civil Society in APEC that
has nothing to do with the Asia-Pacific Peoples' Assembly (odd that
CIDA will fund delegates to this conference). This must not be
confused with support for the parallel process or "protestors".

Devlin Kuyek
APPA Secretariat 

>Right Hon. Jean Chr=E9tien (Prime Minister, Lib.): Such rhetoric, Mr.=
> Speaker.=20
>
>I would like to inform the hon. member that, as the Minister of Foreign
>Affairs pointed out yesterday, we provided financial assistance to bring
>protestors to the parallel summit in Vancouver. We ourselves provided
>assistance for protestors to come from other countries to hold a parallel
>summit in Vancouver.
>
>For people who do not want to hear anything about civil liberties, I think
>we have gone further than anyone in issuing an invitation to these people
>and paying their expenses so that they could come and protest.=20
>