Mr. Speaker, I rise in the House today to express my gratitude, on behalf of the citizens of Prince Edward—Hastings, to Corporal Mathew Belear, a brave young soldier, and to his family.
Mathew, a member of the 1st Battalion of the Royal Canadian Regiment, was serving his second deployment in Afghanistan when he was injured in a mortar attack during the recent Canadian-led Operation Medusa. I spoke with his mom, Demetra, earlier this week in Belleville. Thankfully, Mathew is home and well.
Just as we remember the courage and sacrifice of young soldiers like Mathew, let us too not forget their families. They suffer as well from stress, anxiety and sleepless nights, worrying about the safety of their young son or daughter.
Despite everything this family has been put through, Mathew's father Bob had this to say in the Belleville Intelligencer about the mission:
We should all show our support for the troops in Afghanistan no matter what our politics are, or whether or not we think Canadians should be there.
It is sentiment I could not agree with more strongly.
I have the utmost respect for what our troops are accomplishing. For the sacrifices they and their families make, we must say thanks.