Madam Speaker, I am pleased to speak to the motion. It is my privilege to share my time with the very distinguished member for Edmonton North.
It is interesting that today we are talking about the process of engaging our military in an offensive action. It is incredible that we are at this point but reality deems that is what we have to do and it is what we will do.
We support the government's involvement in military actions if that is what it takes. We totally support it. It is our tradition as a country and it is our obligation as a country. Even though Canada is not where the terrorism acts occurred, Canadians were victims. Our economic and transportation systems were also impacted. It is very clearly our obligation to participate.
It is our obligation to involve the armed forces but it is also our obligation as parliamentarians to participate and do our job. If we are asking the military to do its job, we must do our job. That includes voting on the decision on how the armed forces will be committed, how they will be put in harm's way and put at risk. We did our job in the gulf war. At that time we met, debated and voted on that issue, on whether or not our armed forces would participate in the conflict. We should do it now. It is simply our job and our obligation.
As politicians we have an obligation as well to the people in the military, the people whom we will ask to do that job, the people who will fight for us and represent us, and who will maybe risk their lives in Afghanistan. We have an obligation to those people. That obligation is to find alternatives to military action. Military action should be the last action. We have an obligation to do everything we can to find alternatives. That includes exploring economic avenues to resolve these issues. It includes diplomacy. Diplomacy is a key role for us as parliamentarians and politicians.
I want to give an example of a diplomatic effort that has great promise but is now at risk. It is called the Halifax peace forum. The process evolved after several meetings with Palestinian and Israeli diplomats in Canada. Both sides repeatedly said that Canada is in a unique position to help. We are respected on both sides. We are seen as objective and we can do a lot to bring these two parties together in the Middle East. We can build bridges and open lines of communication that are not there now and never have been. From that recommendation by the Palestinians and the Israeli diplomats to Canada, a plan evolved to bring six members of the Israeli Knesset and six members of the Palestinian legislature to Canada to meet with Canadian members of parliament.
The meeting was established. Everyone had agreed to it and it was set to go in Halifax. We had the co-operation of individuals who donated time, money and volunteers. We had groups representing people with Israeli, Jewish, Muslim and Arab backgrounds. Businesses were prepared to contribute goods, services and money. We had the co-operation of the municipal, provincial and federal governments. Even the archbishop of the Catholic church agreed to hold a joint reception for all cultures at Halifax city hall during the forum which was to take place on October 14.
As a result of all this activity the member for Toronto Centre--Rosedale and I joined with a group of MPs from all parties to put the plan together and bring the members of the three jurisdictions together. All sides have agreed and committed. Even as late as this morning diplomats from both sides indicated their strong support and desire to have the forum go forward. They and many other people say now it is more necessary than ever. I read a passage in the Globe and Mail this morning which said: “You must talk to each other, and the sooner the better. That has been the repeated message to the Israeli and Palestinian leadership from U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell and yesterday by the British foreign secretary and by the French foreign minister”.
It is evident and obvious that the Palestinians and the Israelis must talk now. However, last night the Government of Nova Scotia asked us not to proceed with the forum at this time. We must understand that Halifax just experienced an onslaught of 10,000 unexpected visitors which strained its system, its emergency measures and every other aspect of it.
We respect their request to not proceed in Halifax but it does not reduce or eliminate the need for this forum. We want it to proceed, even if we have to move it.
It appears that the only way we can proceed now is to move the process to Ottawa. Ottawa is appropriate under the circumstances since September 11. Security is well established here. There is an RCMP presence everywhere on the Hill. CSIS is close by, as is the Hill's own security service. In Ottawa the security measures organizations are familiar with the challenges of state visits and high risk visitors under strained situations. The RCMP, CSIS and Hill security are right here on the spot.
Over the next few days we will be asking the government to assist us in moving the process, the Halifax peace forum, to Ottawa. I want to point out that this is parliament to parliament, not government to government. The minister and the department have been totally supportive and co-operative. They have helped us bring this together. Without their help we could not have done it to this point. Now we are making a last minute request to them to help us move the process to Ottawa.
At this time when we are asking our military forces to participate and to perhaps risk their lives, we as politicians must take action to find alternatives and this is an excellent way to do that. We only need help with facilities, logistics and arrangements. I am sure the government can help us although it has helped us in every way it can until now. As parliamentarians we are today debating sending the youngest and the best of the armed forces into harm's way. We owe it to the people of Halifax, Shearwater and Greenwood and to people all across the country to use every diplomatic and economic strategy that we can come up with.
The peace forum is a very modest initiative which will be unique and will open lines of communication and build bridges that are not available now and never have been. If it is to proceed we need the support of all members of parliament and the government. I want to emphasize that this is parliament to parliament, not government to government, and it is a last minute request.
It is just simply our job. We are asking the military to do its job and we must do our job. We must vote on the bill and we must take every step we can to find alternatives to military action.