Mr. Speaker, the hon. member who has just spoken said he was looking at it from the bigger picture. When he sat down after
his second last comment he said he had nothing further to add. I might say that he had nothing to add in his entire speech.
If the member is looking at the broader picture, if he is looking at the history of it, heaven help history students. We know what has happened in world history when people have failed to come together and unite for a common, humanitarian, good cause. We have had world wars started from this very part of the world. Are we to stand by and let them go to it again? Are we to put the world at risk and all those young people in the free world today coming up in the future in the armed forces? He wants to know what the cost of this will be. What is the cost of it if we do not do it? That is the question that has to be asked.
When we are debating these things on the floor of the House of Commons, let us look at the broader picture. I welcome the invitation to look at the broader picture. But if we are to look at the broader picture we have to understand what has happened along the road in history itself.
When we were over there as a defence review committee we met with a Croatian mayor, a Bosnian mayor and a Serbian mayor. Each of them had a solution and everything was different. Today, the peaceful world, the world that wants peace among humanity, will have to go in there and lay the groundwork. We talk about starting governments up. Of course we have to start putting governments in place. Nobody will walk away from something when things are going well. However, it takes courage and determination on the part of united countries and the United Nations to move in and do things when the going gets tough. It is the same thing as debates in the House of Commons. We do not sit in our seats and listen when the going gets tough. We get up and add our points.
I want to look at the broader picture. I compliment the government, I compliment NATO and I compliment the UN for showing the guts and the courage they have. In doing so they are supporting every young person in this world who may end up in a broader conflict. Yes, let us look at the broad picture. Let us look at the cost of this war. Also, let us consider the cost of not doing anything at all.