Mr. Speaker, the degree of danger and very real battle conditions that our brave men and women of the armed forces are facing in the former Yugoslavia is a source of both worry and pride.
We feel pride when we recognize our maple leaf emblazoned on the uniforms of those brave people who are putting their lives on the line to represent Canada and to bring a modicum of justice and humanity to that desperate part of the world.
Despite the obvious bravery of our troops and the harsh battle conditions they can be exposed to, we have not chosen to honour our troops with the Canadian Special Service Medal. This medal was authorized in 1984 and was created to recognize the service of Canadians in special circumstances. It has been awarded to Canadian troops serving with NATO in western Europe and has not been extended to our brave men and women in the former Yugoslavia.
I pray that the minister of defence will realize the oversight of the department in not extending this award and will take steps to bestow recognition as that recognition has most definitely been earned.