It is important to recognize that NATO is an alliance of sovereign countries. We always maintain our sovereignty. That is a vital principle for the member countries. That does not, however, prevent the alliance from supporting us or those countries that choose to intervene or undertake operations. Clearly, not all NATO members will provide the necessary troops for a given operation, and as Canadians, we have to recognize that. At some point in the future, we too may decide not to take part in certain missions, but that does not detract from the alliance's relevance; nor does it mean that Canada should question the alliance's value. It still provides the foundation necessary to undertake these missions abroad.
By no means is it perfect, I admit. But the alternative is to rely strictly on other Anglo-Saxon countries. Do we really want to be in a position where the only members of the alliance are Great Britain, Australia, New Zealand and Canada? We have the NATO option of working with 28 member countries, or we could opt for just a four-member alliance. In light of the Canadian dynamic, I believe it is preferable to remain in NATO, rather than limiting ourselves to four very specific allies.