Mr. Speaker, I have been following the debate very closely, in particular the divergence in points of view on all sides of the House.
I want to commend my colleagues here on all sides who have elevated the debate and who are keeping front and centre in their minds that we are really here speaking on behalf of 35 million Canadians, and that we have a special and perhaps even higher obligation, to make sure that we keep in mind we are also here because there are lives at stake: members of our Canadian Forces who are dedicated, members of our diplomatic corps, members of our international humanitarian assistance organizations and departments. They, in my view, deserve special recognition and treatment throughout this debate, and I think they have been getting it.
I want to pick up on the theme last mentioned by my colleague, the Minister of Transport. For Canadians who are watching this evening, let us just situate this debate for a second in the context of our Canadian role. As the Minister of Transport stressed, there are over 60 countries and partners involved in the coalition.
Let us situate our role in that coalition context. We are working together. Progressive, enlightened forces, countries, jurisdictions have come together to deal with a very serious threat. However, it is important for Canadians to remember that each and every one of those partners in those organizations that are involved, those countries, have taken on separate roles.
What we have is a continuum. It is a continuum of responsibilities shared amongst partners, like it was during the First World War, the Second World War, and other skirmishes that have since followed. For example, for Canadians who are watching, they might want to turn to the Internet and do some research, get the list of the 60-plus coalition partners and see what their specific roles are. Israel, for example, is focusing exclusively on intelligence aid. Germany is focusing exclusively on military aid, and so on and so forth.
As a sovereign nation, it is important for all of us to remember that we have taken a position. We have communicated it clearly, and we are having an open and objective debate about it for several days.
Of all the elements of the motion that we are debating here, the one, perhaps, of which I am most proud is the following. It is towards the end of the motion where we ask the House to:
....express its appreciation and pride to the members of the CAF, diplomatic and intelligence personnel for their participation in the fight against terrorism, to Canadian humanitarian workers for their efforts to provide critical support to conflict-affected populations, and reconfirm our commitment to our allies in the coalition against ISIL....
The sum is always greater than its parts. We know that. We have pulled together.
To be personal for a moment, I am reminded often of a maxim that my parents used to use with their 10 children. They used to say, “You have a choice in life, siblings. You can either pull apart and feel like you're 5, or you can pull together and feel like you are 20.” My mother, in her wisdom, would say, “Pick a door”.
I think here, we have picked a door. We have said we are going to co-operate fulsomely, taking on very specific, very important foundational roles with respect to this most important of missions. We are broadening. We are improving. We are redefining our contribution to that very effort to combat ISIL by better leveraging Canadian expertise.
Each and every member of the coalition is doing the same. Each and every member has comparative advantage and comparative strengths. Thus it is in a Canadian context. We are looking, and we are finding where Canada is best able to dig down deep and provide the best backstopping, the best contributions to this combined effort. When we listen to some voices in this House, particularly from the official opposition, Canadians would think this was a unilateral effort by one sovereign nation called Canada. It is not.
The plea I make to Canadians is to dig down deep and understand that there are 60-plus partners in this global effort and that under the judicious choices of our government, Canada has picked carefully of where it will bring its expertise to bear to deal with this scourge called ISIL.
We are going to be making a meaningful contribution to the global coalition's fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, but we are also going to strengthen the ability of regional governments and local authorities to defend themselves and rebuild over the long term. Why? It is because if all is lost, it is all for naught. It can be all for naught if we do not look out, if we do not cast out and backtrack and backcast, so to speak, and ask how we can get to a place of political stability.
Ultimately, the solution in the region will be and must be political. We know that. If we were to ask each and every one of the 60-plus coalition partners what its preference is, whether it would rather be in the coalition and actively prosecuting this war or rather be trying to find an immediate political solution, I dare say, speaking freely, perhaps presumptively, on behalf of all of those partners, that each and every one of them would prefer finding a political solution as soon as possible. No country or government takes pride in putting the members of its own forces in harm's way. This is not the first choice.
The first and ultimate choice will have to be finding a political solution, and the whole-of-government approach that we have brought to bear as a series of building blocks, in pincer movement with our partners, is precisely to take us to a place of good governance where we can rebuild infrastructure, promote the rule of law, foster democracy, and move on with bringing a number of troubled and torn states to join us in the 21st century, in the world of modern post-21st century states, so they too can participate fully in international trading, international peace, international environmental efforts, education, health care, and all the things that make a society a civilized one.
Some of the specifics will include our tripling of the size of our training force in northern Iraq, and significantly increasing our intelligence-gathering resources. We are making a multi-year commitment to provide $1.1 billion in humanitarian and development assistance as part of what I called a moment ago a comprehensive strategy, which also balances security and stability.
As I said a moment ago, it bears repeating that the solution to the crisis in the region must be, first, foremost, and always, political. That is where we have to keep our mind focused. That is where we have to keep our eye on the ball. It is not about an all-or-nothing proposition when we hear members of the official opposition clamour that this is an all-or-nothing proposition. They are wrong and they know it.
In fact, I think they should join us in supporting this broad, multi-pronged, whole-of-government approach to be able to bring to bear Canada's best: our background in training and teaching. I have often said in my political career that the most important investment a country can make anywhere is in lifelong learning. Training and learning are going to be foundational for progress to achieve that political outcome in the region and around the world. Our humanitarian assistance will continue to target the most vulnerable, including children and survivors of sexual and gender-based violence.
This is precisely the kind of combined effort that draws on the very best of Canada and Canadians: members of our Canadian Forces, members involved in humanitarian assistance, our diplomatic skills, the rule of law, good governance, and judicial training. Those are the hallmarks of the contributions we are making, and I think they are going to go a long way in helping to achieve the outcome we all desire.
