Page 801 - Week 03 - Tuesday, 12 March 1991
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Gulf War
MR STEFANIAK (9.48): Mr Berry, maybe "good" was a bad choice of words. No war is good because in wars people die. Perhaps a better choice of words might be "a just war". As for the peace movement, I do not think a peace movement is terribly effective when by appeasing dictators and aggressive nations it leads to a large number of people being killed. We saw that in the 1930s. We saw 50 million people probably needlessly killed in World War II.
That did not occur in this case because the allies stood up to an aggressor and, thankfully, in the armed struggle that ensued, the fight was over very quickly and a limited number of people were killed. I do not grieve only for the allied casualties; I grieve also for those poor Iraqis who were led to the slaughter by their brutal dictator. That need not have happened. If they did not have such a lunatic as Saddam Hussein controlling that country, there might be about 80,000 or 90,000 more innocent Iraqis who would be alive now, as well as our casualties.
Gulf War
MR DUBY (Minister for Finance and Urban Services) (9.49): Mr Speaker, I am going to be short and brief. I feel that Mr Berry, frankly, is being pedantic in opposing the use of the word "good" in the way in which Mr Stefaniak used that word. Mr Stefaniak said quite categorically, "A good war is one in which our losses are minimal". Like it or not, this country was involved in a conflict. The losses of the allies were minimal and I think that is a good thing. There is nothing wrong with that.
For Mr Berry to suggest that Mr Stefaniak was somehow implying that it was a good war, something which we could all enjoy, I think is being very pedantic. I think it is unfair of Mr Berry to put those sentiments in that regard. It is almost as if he is wishing to get something in the record that he can then snip out. From the way he spoke, he is somewhat disappointed that the allied losses in that conflict were not higher.
Ms Follett: I take a point of order, Mr Speaker. That is a clear imputation - - -
MR SPEAKER: Mr Berry can make a personal explanation. I do not believe that it is a point of order.
MR DUBY: The simple fact is that Mr Berry expressed the sentiment. I might point out, by the way, that the person doing the objecting was not here to listen to Mr Berry make his comments. The Leader of the Opposition was not here.
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