Mr. Speaker, I have to say in all honesty that I am truly astounded by this fact, but I will share it. As a result of my candour and being frank, I suspect that I will now receive a great many messages from people who are called to military service. If I were to hear from a good many of them, I would understand if they said they were shaken about my having reservations about the military approach being taken by the government.
However, it has been a whole month since the horror of the September 11 atrocities. I represent thousands and thousands of military personnel and their families. In the 20 years since I was elected, I have always had military bases in my riding. In that month I have received only three such calls to my offices asking me why I am standing against a military assault on Afghanistan. However, I have been flooded with thousands and thousands of messages from people directly and indirectly saying the opposite.
Let me read what one of them said: “When will we learn that we don't stop someone from hitting us by trying to hit them harder? Please continue to stand against the pressure to conform. Please continue to express your views and ours”. I take pride in that.
It is a pathetic notion of what our duty is in the House to badger one another by asking members if they are afraid they will lose votes if they stand up to be counted and if they stand up to represent the concerns and the fears of people about where a military response will lead us. I do not accept that. It is not worthy of what we as parliamentarians are called to do in the line of service to Canadians.