Mr. Speaker, as the member of Parliament for Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke which includes Base Petawawa, I am honoured to fill my role in defending the brave men and women who serve in the Canadian armed forces from the actions of a callous uncaring government.
I want the military community in Canada, and particularly the families of each and every member who is part of Operation Athena, the current deployment to Afghanistan, to know that I will honour the deaths of their fallen comrades by holding the government accountable, particularly the Minister of National Defence, for their unnecessary and tragic deaths.
The Minister of National Defence is hiding in his statements when he says now is not the time to raise these questions. When it comes to the safety of our troops, now is always the right time.
Time and again the Minister of National Defence has demonstrated an absolute callous disregard for the safety of our soldiers. This was done when the minister ordered Canadian Forces logistics personnel in Afghanistan to give up their weapons. It was done when the decision was made not to provide proper arid uniforms. It was done when the decision was made not to provide the ballistic plates for the fragmentation protection vests until they were forced to.
And now it has been done with ordering Canadian soldiers to patrol in a combat zone in the Iltis jeep that affords no protection to its occupants from landmines.
The defence minister knew he was sending Canadian soldiers to their deaths when he went around making the statement “expect casualties”. The minister would not have been making that statement if he did not believe it. He was telling the families of our soldiers to expect casualties because he knew that the deaths were inevitable, given the state of some of the old equipment soldiers are expected to make do with.
Pre-announcing casualties was part of an elaborate PR campaign to try to deflect criticism when bodies started to be shipped home. If the minister spent as much time securing equipment for our troops as he does as an apologist for our old helicopters and leaky second-hand subs, our soldiers would have the equipment they need.
With a defence minister who is a pre-eminent armchair warrior, I know that he wants to deny the facts. The truth is, if our soldiers had the equipment they need, they would be alive today.
Former U.S. ground commander Colonel Frank Wiercinski warned Canada that the Iltis jeep was a death trap for any soldier using it in Afghanistan.
For Canadians who are unaware, the Iltis is a 25 year old vehicle based on a Volkswagen which at the time was built under contract by the perennial Liberal Party financial donor, Bombardier.
To the credit of our allies the Americans, they told the Minister of National Defence to leave the Iltis jeep at home when the 3rd Battalion of the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry were deployed to Afghanistan last year. Knowing that Canada is short of having the proper equipment, the Americans insisted on supplying armoured Humvees that provide some element of protection for the occupants from landmines.
It is said that history repeats itself. We have a defence minister who is a modern day equivalent to Sam Hughes of World War I fame. The decision to provide our soldiers with a rifle that jammed more often than it was fired because it was provided by a “friend of the party” is still remembered by legions across Canada today.
Helicopters, jeeps, leaky subs, we can take our pick.