Paul Martin Quotes

If we do not step forward, then we step back. If we do not protect a right, then we deny it.

Canada is our country. It belongs to us and we belong to it. Let us join together, in our time, and make history once again.

Don't tell me what's in the Red Book. I wrote the goddamned thing. And I know that it's a lot of crap.

For years governments have been promising more than they can deliver, and delivering more than they can afford.

In Canada, women's rights are a vital part of our effort to build a society of real equality - not just for some, but for all Canadians. A society in which women no longer encounter discrimination nor are shut out from opportunities open to others

At a moment that comes rarely in the life of a country. It is a time when destiny is ours to hold.

I rise today in support of Bill C-38, the Civil Marriage Act. I rise in support of a Canada in which liberties are safeguarded, rights are protected and the people of this land are treated as equals under the law.

The facts are plain: Religious leaders who preside over marriage ceremonies must and will be guided by what they believe. If they do not wish to celebrate marriages for same-sex couples, that is their right. The Supreme Court says so. And the Charter says so.

Put simply, we must always remember that separate but equal is not equal.

It's very clear that we are going to have 10 different [abortion] laws and that we are going to have these laws made by judges

There are nations that resist, voices that attempt to diminish the urgency or dismiss the science, or declare, either in word or indifference, that this is not our problem to solve. Well, let me tell you, it is our problem to solve... To the reticent nations, including the United States, I say this: There is such a thing as a global conscience.

Our veterans connect generations and Canadians. As a country and as individuals, we gain in pride and in purpose from their deeds and their service.

The fact is the statements are perfectly consistent, but more importantly, I don't have all the facts.

I am personally against abortion on demand, but I believe it is very clear that there must be legislation brought in that will deal with what is becoming simply a mish-mash of approaches

Have you ever, on a cloudless night, looked down from a passing aircraft flying over Canada? Endless, glowing strings of cities, towns, and homesteads. Stretching on and on, one province to the next. With only the stars in the distance.

The people of Canada have worked hard to build a country that opens its doors to include all, regardless of their differences; a country that respects all, regardless of their differences; a country that demands equality for all, regardless of their differences.

Every Canadian who wants to learn should have the opportunity to do so.

Since one never knows what will be the line of advance, it is always most rash to condemn what is not quite in the fashion of the moment.

Mr. Anwar is a respected colleague and a man of integrity, who in his capacity as finance minister showed strong dedication to enhancing the financial well-being of the Malaysian people.

The main goal in any criminal statute is to produce what's best for the victim. And sometimes, a mandatory minimum doesn't accomplish that.

I really think Canada should get over to Iraq as quickly as possible.

This is the province that pioneered dreaming big.

As a people, we know what we can do, we know how to do it, and we just want to get on with it. How? By ensuring that Canada's place in the world is one of influence and pride.

Now the bad guy's not targeting cash. He's targeting narcotics. And he's robbing a pharmacy because that's where the narcotics are.

I mean if there are going to be missiles that are going off and there are going to be going off over Canadian airspace whether we want it or not, no I don't think that is acceptable. I think that we want to be at the table.

The fact is that there is now, we know well, a proliferation of nuclear weapons, and that many weapons that Saddam Hussein had, we don't know where they are. That means terrorists have access to all of that.