Mr. Speaker, on February 2 HMCS Regina became the sixth ship to leave CFB Esquimalt to help in our battle against terrorism.
I would like to thank the crew of the Regina and indeed all of the military personnel at CFB Esquimalt for their service to protect us. I also salute their families who bravely support these courageous men and women.
Now on the cusp of war our government has chosen this month to cut the cost of living allowances of our soldiers by $151 a month. These cuts are enormous when we consider that an ordinary seaman grosses only $2,200 a month. The government also increased their rents by $100 a month last November. These cuts exceed their raises last year, making our soldiers worse off this year than last.
I wish to challenge the government to do the right thing, and stop these heartless and insensitive timed cuts to the finances of our armed forces personnel. We must respect our soldiers and their families, and not penalize them while they are being sent half a world away to protect our interests.