Foreign Affairs Committee on March 6th, 2008

[Larry Miller, Conservative, Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound, ON]

So we need to work on the—

[LCol Rémi Landry]

What we need to do is empower the people, and I think the solution is with the people. Provide them order and empower them.

[Larry Miller, Conservative, Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound, ON]

You made that quite clear, and I agree with that, Mr. Landry.

Ms. Mason.

[Peggy Mason]

I would like to come back to the point about providing order. We'd all like to provide that. I think everyone agrees that we want security and order for Afghans, but that's not what's happening.

There has been much discussion about how long it takes, and I think the development community's consensus is—

[Larry Miller, Conservative, Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound, ON]

Ms. Mason, you've made it quite clear in your other testimony that you don't agree with what's there. I may not totally agree with that, but I respect that.

I'm just wondering about the balance of my time, Mr. Chairman.

[The Chair, Conservative, Kevin Sorenson]

You have no more time. I have been fairly strict with our guests, and I intend to be strict with you as well.

Madame Gagnon, did you have any questions?

[Christiane Gagnon, Bloc, Québec, QC]

I want to come back to what you said earlier about military missions in Haiti, Kosovo and Cyprus. The general public was much more favourable to those missions than it is to the one in Afghanistan.

Why is it there is no synergy in Afghanistan, which would make for a more receptive public? In Quebec, a majority of people does not want to see soldiers return to Afghanistan, partly because the mission requires human and financial resources, and also because there is no progress being made, as you said. How is it that in missions like the one in Haiti, for example, the various strategies that were employed did create solidarity?

[LCol Rémi Landry]

Well, Canada was in charge of the mission in Haiti. Therefore, the methods used were Canadian methods. In Afghanistan, as people have already told you, there are a number of chiefs. But, what I can tell you, having personally visited Canadian troops in Afghanistan, is that we are doing extraordinary things there. We are close to the people, we listen to them, and we work with them. We have no imperialist ambitions there. I guarantee you that most people recognize the modest success that Canadians have had everywhere they have been posted in Afghanistan. There is a good reason why you see military amputees on television saying they want to go back.

Canada is playing a constructive role there and that is the danger: that our country will decide to pull out because it has its own way of doing things. We do make a difference. The government has to show leadership and show initiative at the political level to ensure the consistency of our efforts there.

[Christiane Gagnon, Bloc, Québec, QC]

But, do we have the capacity?

[Lcol Rémi Landry]

My sense is that it's because we want to make a difference that we got out of the UN missions and decided to concentrate on Afghanistan.

[Christiane Gagnon, Bloc, Québec, QC]

One gets the feeling that the resources allocated to the mission are inadequate. They are asking for more men elsewhere. There is a plan to abandon part of the mission we are currently investing in in Afghanistan. One doesn't get the feeling that current resources are adequate to meet the tremendous need. The Russians were there for quite a few years…

[LCol Rémi Landry]

Yes, but they were an occupying force.

[Christiane Gagnon, Bloc, Québec, QC]

But it is my sense that people see us as an occupying force. They think we are there more to occupy than to assist.

[LCol Rémi Landry]

I fully agree with you.

[Christiane Gagnon, Bloc, Québec, QC]

There is no sense of the humanitarian side of things. Parliamentarians are being asked to agree to an extension of the mission. However, based on what we see now, we feel it would be difficult for us to support it.

[LCol Rémi Landry]

I am told that, unfortunately, your time is up.

[Christiane Gagnon, Bloc, Québec, QC]

Already? At the Health Committee, we have lots of time. I usually sit on the Health Committee.

[The Chair, Conservative, Kevin Sorenson]

I just want to make sure the committee knows, I'm in your hands here, and we can either break right now and go to committee business or have a couple more questions. I know Madame Gagnon had a question.

[An hon. member]

No, I think we should carry on.

[Vivian Barbot, Bloc, Papineau, QC]

Mr. Chairman, we have always said that we would keep 15 minutes at the end for Committee business.

[The Chair, Conservative, Kevin Sorenson]

Yes, 15 minutes, so if that's the case—

[Deepak Obhrai, Conservative, Calgary East, AB]

On a point of order, Mr. Chair, we have witnesses here and there are some questions that we need to discuss that are more important.

[The Chair, Conservative, Kevin Sorenson]

Yes, but we also have the procedures. We have tried to allow 15 minutes for questions.

[Deepak Obhrai, Conservative, Calgary East, AB]

When--

[The Chair, Conservative, Kevin Sorenson]

I'm going to thank our guests for being here. We've actually had more time than with a lot of the other guests, who have been here for one hour. We thank you for your willingness to come and testify and answer our questions.