Evidence of meeting #124 for National Defence in the 44th Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was evacuation.
A recording is available from Parliament.
NDP
Lindsay Mathyssen NDP London—Fanshawe, ON
The ombudsman at the time, Gregory Lick, raised this while you were the minister of national defence, and you chose not to act.
Can you explain some of that reasoning there?
Liberal
Harjit S. Sajjan Liberal Vancouver South, BC
I think it's important that the current Minister of National Defence answers those questions now.
NDP
Lindsay Mathyssen NDP London—Fanshawe, ON
Okay.
One thing we know is that a letter was received by all members of the committee today. It was a letter from the Manmeet Singh Bhullar Foundation, Khalsa Aid Canada and the World Sikh Organization of Canada. They raised their concerns about this motion, stating:
At a time of increased anti-immigrant sentiment and the targeting of Sikh Canadians, we are concerned that the influences of politicization and partisanship will have a long-lasting impact on Canada’s past and future efforts to answer the call for humanitarian assistance when the world is in need.
For those of us who engaged with the Minister at that time, we know it is a blatant misrepresentation of the facts to suggest that his motivation to assist the Sikh and Hindu population to leave Afghanistan during the summer of 2021 was due to his sharing the same faith as these vulnerable people.
Can you comment on this letter sent by these three quite significant organizations, and your concerns, when they talk about the “time of increased anti-immigrant sentiment”?
Liberal
The Chair Liberal John McKay
Again, I would just caution, Minister, that this is a bit beyond the scope of the motion, but—
Liberal
Harjit S. Sajjan Liberal Vancouver South, BC
I think, just to answer the question there, that there are many organizations of folks who actually do follow things very closely.
There is a significant concern right now, given that we're dealing with foreign interference from many different countries and especially, currently, from India. When it creates an anti-immigrant sentiment, it can mean that any future governments would not want, potentially, to support vulnerable people around the world.
That's what I conclude from that, but like I said, I would like to stay on the motion at hand.
NDP
Lindsay Mathyssen NDP London—Fanshawe, ON
During the evacuation, there were many NGOs, as you spoke about, reaching out to the government to protect a lot of those marginalized communities. They spoke, obviously, about the challenges facing feminist activists and 2SLGBTQIA+ community members. Sikhs were included in that. Hindus were included in that. Why was it that the NGOs were raising this at the time before the government acted?
Liberal
Harjit S. Sajjan Liberal Vancouver South, BC
You would have to talk to the Minister of Immigration about that, or Global Affairs.
One thing I can tell you as a member of Parliament is that I had my own advocacy work that was taking place, but one thing I can assure you of is that once I had the authority, we put in every effort possible to evacuate as many people as possible, and—I want to say this—safely as well. That was a very key concern: to make sure that we did it in a safe manner.
I wish we could have gotten out all of the vulnerable populations we needed to get out, who were on our list, but we can also say that many people who are here today.... I and, hopefully, some of you have met some of those folks and their families who have made it here safely because of those efforts. Again, I want to thank the Canadian Armed Forces for putting themselves at extreme risk to pull off a very important mission.
Liberal
November 5th, 2024 / 5:05 p.m.
Conservative
Cheryl Gallant Conservative Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, ON
Minister, did you get all the Canadians out of Afghanistan? Are they all out? Did you get them all out?
Liberal
Harjit S. Sajjan Liberal Vancouver South, BC
I can't answer that question for you. You'll have to talk to Global Affairs Canada. They hold the information regarding that.
Conservative
Cheryl Gallant Conservative Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, ON
Would you consider the evacuation to be a success, despite leaving 1,300 Canadians and interpreters who are forced to fend for themselves against the Taliban?
Liberal
Harjit S. Sajjan Liberal Vancouver South, BC
I wish we could we have gotten more. However, given the circumstances and the security threat that we were dealing with, I'm extremely proud of what the Canadian Armed Forces pulled off with our closest allies.
Conservative
Cheryl Gallant Conservative Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, ON
Can you give us an exact estimate of how many of those are left behind today?
Liberal
Harjit S. Sajjan Liberal Vancouver South, BC
Again, we don't track...and I'm not the minister in charge. Global Affairs normally holds that database and that information.
Conservative
Cheryl Gallant Conservative Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, ON
What actions have you undertaken to take responsibility for the 1,300 Canadians and interpreters you left stranded back in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan?
Liberal
Harjit S. Sajjan Liberal Vancouver South, BC
I answered a few of your questions, but what I would say is that I thought the questions were regarding the motion at hand, regarding the Afghan Sikhs: whether I actually inappropriately and used Canadian Armed Forces members to get vulnerable people out. I just want to again make it clear, so you are fully aware: Those folks were actually part of the government policy and I was executing government policy at that time.
Conservative
Cheryl Gallant Conservative Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, ON
Yes, and I'm talking about the mission as a whole.
Why was it that the Prime Minister called the election on the same day that the Taliban overtook Kabul?
Liberal
Liberal
Conservative
Cheryl Gallant Conservative Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, ON
What kit and equipment were provided to the soldiers to undertake the direction provided to the CAF by the minister during Operation Aegis?
Liberal
Conservative
Cheryl Gallant Conservative Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, ON
What kinds of vehicles were provided for Operation Aegis?