Mr. Speaker, many of us woke up this morning to the shock that Canadian soldiers serving in Afghanistan had been killed and wounded while on a training exercise near Kandahar.
One can only imagine the grief and anguish felt by the families who were informed that their loved ones were involved. For many friends and family members of the Canadian forces the fear of a phone call in the middle of the night is something they think about daily.
The Canadian Alliance joins with all Canadians in mourning the tragic death of our brave soldiers. These individuals answered their country's call in the aftermath of September 11. All Canadians owe them a great debt of gratitude: Sergeant Marc Leger, Corporal Ainsworth Dyer, Private Richard Green and Private Nathan Smith. To all their comrades in the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, we recognize their loss.
On behalf of the official opposition, the Canadian Alliance, we offer them our thoughts and prayers. We will not forget.