Mr. Speaker, I would like to start by thanking the hon. member for Tobique—Mactaquac for putting this motion forward. A motion is not a bill. It calls on the government to turn its attention to a problem and try to find a solution. Motion M-190 states:
That, in the opinion of the House, the government should establish a fund to help ensure the maintenance and the preservation of war memorials in communities across Canada in honour of our war veterans.
We agree with what this motion states.
The Conservative Party suggested earlier that this is the jurisdiction of the provinces or the municipalities. When veterans turn to the federal government for help, this means that they have already knocked on every other door. It means that memorials are in a terrible state of disrepair and it is time to fix them up and make them look good again.
For example, we have a memorial in Caraquet. It fell down a few years ago, and was damaged. Help was sought from the department for the legion, our veterans, in Caraquet. But there is no budget to help our veterans with their war memorial at the federal level. That is unfortunate.
We must also consider the fact that issues relating to our military, our veterans, are not provincial or municipal issues. These veterans fought for our country, Canada. They fought for the freedom of Canadians. This is really a federal jurisdiction, especially when requests come from legions or veterans. I have great respect for that, and these requests are made at the appropriate level. If a municipality wants to look after the situation, that is great, and it should be congratulated for doing so. If a municipality can afford it, that is great. The same if a municipality decides to go ahead. But there may be municipalities which are financially strapped. It is not easy for them with all the cuts that have been made in recent years: federal cuts, provincial cuts. Cuts have affected the municipalities, and money is short.
There are 6,000 war memorials across the country. Some are in pretty bad shape.
On November 11, we take pride as politicians, as MPs, in spending the day with our veterans. For them, a war memorial is a place to remember the war of 1939-45, the other wars in which Canada took part, and those who were lost in those wars. The purpose of the 11th of November is to honour those who lost their lives in wars.
This is, therefore, a totally appropriate motion and I feel it would be absolutely shameful not to support it here in this House of Commons. As I said, when November 11 rolls around, we are all proud—and I am sure of that—to spend the day with our veterans, to support them, to spend time with them. They are equally glad to have us there. But when the time comes to give them something, they seem to always be at the bottom of the list.
The 60th anniversary of the end of the war will be celebrated from April 30 to May 10. We are proud to attend events with them, but now there is a symbol. That symbol is not there just for the November 11, we drive by it every day. We see it in cities, towns and villages. We see the cenotaph and we remember. No one wants to travel somewhere and find a memorial in disrepair. Our veterans deserve far more respect than that. This is one way of respecting our veterans and helping them. They will need our help and support, and this is the way to provide it.
That is the reason we in the NDP will support this motion. For me it is a very important motion respecting our veterans. They went to war for us and gave us the liberty that we enjoy today. When we go to some villages and cities it is very sad to see cenotaphs that are not in good shape.
There was a suggestion from the Conservatives that this is the jurisdiction of the provinces or the municipalities. I say no. These people fought for our country and as far as I am concerned it is the jurisdiction of the federal government. The federal government has to put in money when it is asked to do so by veterans. Veterans do not ask the provinces or municipalities. They fought for our country. When their request is made it is because they have decided they want help from the federal government and the country they fought for. We have the responsibility at the federal level.
That is why I want to thank the member for Tobique—Mactaquac for bringing this motion to the House of Commons for us to make a decision on. We must make sure that we make the decision, because I have raised this question before. I asked the minister if he could help us with one of the monuments that we wanted to repair. The minister said he would love to do it, but there was no budget for it, there was no rule for it and the government could not do it.
This motion will provide the opportunity for the government to come up with a program. It is in respect of all veterans. Veterans listening tonight are happy, I am sure, and are hoping that this motion goes through. Then they will not have to try to collect money for this. They have other things to do. They fought for us. I do not think we should throw it back in their hands and tell them if they want monuments for themselves they will have to work to get them. They have done their work. They went to war for us. They have done their work for Canadians. Now it is our responsibility to respect them. One way to respect them is to do the right thing. The right thing is to support this motion and finally have a fund.
To me it is a housekeeping matter. It is only a motion. The motion says to establish a fund. I am sure we can sit down together and make rules that Canadians will say will be used the right way, rules that will be fair and rules which will allow us to participate in respecting our veterans.
I think that if we do this, the veterans will be proud, and not just on November 11. We must think of our veterans every day of the year and not only on that date. I have a hard time understanding that November 11 is the only day we celebrate the veterans who saved our country and that we forget about them the rest of the year. We must remember them and help them all year long.
I am sure the hon. member for Tobique—Mactaquac enjoys support from veterans for his motion. I am sure he did not draft it all by himself and that he discussed it with the veterans who support it.
In my riding, the veterans have supported this proposal. They ask why the government does not want to pay to help them maintain their monuments. At their age, they are no longer interested in setting up a table in a shopping centre to collect money. They have done their jobs, they have worked hard, and they went to war for the country. Now it is time for them to have a little rest. As a country, it is our duty to take care of them.
I also think it is the right thing to do. I cannot repeat often enough that taking care of the cenotaphs is a way to pay tribute to our veterans. We must keep remembering the sacrifice they made. Many of them went to war as volunteers.
That is why the New Democratic Party supports motion M-190. We hope the hon. member has the support of his government and that the government will also vote in favour of the motion.
We hope this motion will be passed. In doing so, we will be doing a very honourable thing. On Remembrance Day, when we meet the veterans, we will be able to take pride in the fact that we have done something good, something to be proud of.
Our veterans would also be proud of this little thing we are doing in honour of the big thing they have done. Their contribution is huge: they put their lives in danger and they lost comrades and friends.
We can only do this one little thing, honouring them and respecting their monuments. Voting in favour of this motion will be honouring them. I thank the hon. member for proposing this motion.