Debates of Sept. 16th, 2014

Situation in Iraq

[Hélène Laverdière, NDP, Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, a lot of confusion and contradictions surround this mission.

I heard the hon. member for Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke say that the role of the Canadian military personnel on the ground will be to evaluate aid needs. At the same time, we were told earlier that the personnel was there to advise. Well, a lot of organizations who are already there on the ground know what is needed in terms of aid. I am therefore a little confused.

Will evaluating aid needs really be part of the role of the Canadian military personnel?

[Cheryl Gallant, Conservative, Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, ON]

Mr. Speaker, in addition to humanitarian aid, the Canadian government will also be providing non-lethal protective gear for the people who are fighting along with the people in Iraq. Part of the assessment is to see what is needed, not only in humanitarian terms but in practical terms as well.

[Brad Butt, Conservative, Mississauga—Streetsville, ON]

Mr. Speaker, Canada is deeply concerned about the recent increase in violence in Iraq and its humanitarian consequences. Canada certainly condemns, in the strongest terms, the targeting of civilians and religious minorities. We are deeply concerned about reports of possible war crimes and crimes against humanity. That is why we continue to call on all of the parties in the conflict to respect international humanitarian law.

In late August, I visited the cities of Erbil and Duhak in Iraq as part of an observer team, sponsored by the Reverend Majed El Shafie and One Free World International. We met personally with the internationally displaced persons, the IDPs, on the ground in the UNHCR camps that have been established. Their stories were heart-wrenching. We sat on the ground and in the tents of our fellow human beings. I have to say that their plight is unbelievable. This is an unspeakable tragedy, for which there is no excuse.

The humanitarian situation in Iraq continues to deteriorate as armed clashes between the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, ISIL, as we know it, and government forces drive displacement. Since January, an estimated 1.7 million people have been displaced throughout the country, which represents one-third of the largest cases of international displacement in the world. Basic services, including health care and water infrastructure, are disrupted, resulting in an acute humanitarian need.

The intensity of fighting in ISIL-held areas has resulted in a security situation that does not allow humanitarian organizations to operate. The persecution of minority groups, whom I met with, including Christians, Yazidis, Shabak, and Shia Turkman, is an ongoing concern.

Current displacement near the Kurdish region of Iraq has been only the latest development in a trend of large-scale displacement across Iraq that goes back to the beginning of the year. In early 2014, conflict displaced an estimated 475,000 people in Anbar province. In June, an estimated 571,000 people were displaced from Mosul. In August, an additional 662,000 people were displaced from the Sinjar area, when tens of thousands of Yazidis remained trapped for several days in dire humanitarian conditions. The size and pace of displacement has overwhelmed the local communities, which I met with, including the Duhak Governorate, which is now hosting more than 400,000 internally displaced persons.

When I met with local officials in Duhak, we talked about their needs. I know that Canada will continue to help in providing assistance for housing and medical needs, particularly as the winter season approaches.

On August 12, the United Nations declared the situation a level 3 emergency, underlining the gravity of the crisis. As a result, the humanitarian response in accessible areas is being rapidly scaled up, and humanitarian leadership will be bolstered.

Approximately 35% of internally displaced Iraqis are living in vulnerable conditions in schools, churches, mosques, and unfinished buildings. We met with the largest group of IDPs in a half-built school in Duhak the last day our delegation was there. There is a concern that the schools will have to be converted back to allow children, obviously, to attend school. They will have no place to go.

Canada is actively working with partners to address the children's needs and to see what more we can do. We are currently working through experienced partners, such as Save the Children and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, to help provide child-friendly environments for displaced children and to give them the psychological support they need. We believe that when adults fight, children's education should not suffer and that the continued academic growth of children must be secured, even in the face of conflict.

The flow of IDPs has also placed considerable strain on health structures, and many health facilities are overwhelmed by large caseloads. I met with the director of health in Duhak and he explained these situations to me.

In addition, food security is a growing concern. Normal supply routes have been interrupted by conflict and insecurity. The next harvest is at risk in the areas affected by the conflict, and that accounts for nearly one-third of Iraq's wheat production. Millions of Iraqis are likely to face food shortages later this year unless the challenges are resolved.

A key challenge for the humanitarian community continues to be the difficulty of being able to get into the conflict areas to reach people who really need our help. The sheer number of different locations people have fled to, as well as their mobility, adds a layer of complexity that makes matters even more difficult for humanitarian organizations.

Canada is working through experienced humanitarian partners, such as the United Nations, humanitarian agencies, the International Red Cross and Red Crescent movement, and non-governmental organizations, to get lifesaving assistance, and I saw it on the ground getting to those who need it.

Today Canada has provided more than $28 million in humanitarian assistance to Iraq, of which $18.8 million will address needs from the conflict and $9.6 million will be used to address the needs of Syrian refugees who have sought refuge in Iraq due to the conflict in their own home country. We are working to provide support across a range of needs to ensure that there are no gaps.

Canada's funding is helping to meet the health, shelter, water and sanitation, protection and food needs of those who need it. For example, we are providing mobile health clinics through Plan Canada and are providing medical supplies to the International Committee of the Red Cross. The Canadian Red Cross is currently looking to determine what more can be done. On August 28, our first planeload of humanitarian relief supplies arrived, and more will be done.

Canada is currently the fifth-largest donor to the response to the crisis, and it is worth noting that we are also the fifth-largest donor to the UN's central emergency response fund that has provided more than $10.8 million in response to the Iraq crisis.

When I was on the ground, we also had the opportunity to meet with our ambassador to Iraq and Jordan, Bruno Saccomani, and I asked him what we are doing on the ground. His report back to us was outstanding. Canada truly is a leader. We have shown great initiative and great support, and our people on the ground there are fully committed to making sure that Canada's role in humanitarian and other assistance to the Kurdish government and the Iraqi national government is clearly there.

It was a profoundly moving experience for me, as a member of the House, to visit Iraq to meet with the victims of these ISIL attacks. I will never forget that as long as I live. Fathers, mothers, children, grandpas, grandmas, friends of a community that had their friends and neighbours slaughtered in these attacks escaped with their lives to try to rebuild.

It was profoundly moving. I want to thank members of One Free World International for taking the time to invite me and two of our colleagues in this House to join them to meet with these people and to share Canada's support. May God continue to bless them all, and may we all pray for all of them, for peace, and for better days ahead.

[Marc-André Morin, NDP, Laurentides—Labelle, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague opposite for his testimony. I do not doubt for a split second his conviction and sensitivity, but what I find terrible about this conflict is that everything happening now was predictable years ago. The country has been destroyed and completely ravaged by war. Control of the situation has been taken by the group that is most fanatic, most hateful and most heavily armed. They are completely mad. For them, life has no meaning. Death is a release, a fulfillment. Their idea of complete success is to give their lives for the cause.

As the defence against people like that, we need people with a real interest in defending their territory. The Peshmerga, for example. Peshmerga, by the way, means “those who face death”. They have been fighting for years.

If the Americans had taken the Kurds seriously from the outset, the situation in Iraq would never have degenerated to the point we have reached now. We have to start asking ourselves questions. Are we going to become the team that always does the cleaning up after the Americans have made a mess of things? Or are we going to end up admitting that we have to let people solve their own problems in their own countries? That does not prevent us from providing them with assistance, or even weapons.

[Brad Butt, Conservative, Mississauga—Streetsville, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I am a strong believer in exporting Canadian values around the world, and one of the strongest values we have is that we protect people who are being persecuted. We protect people who are being attacked. We stand with people who only due to the fact of their religious beliefs or their faith are being slaughtered around the world. Canadian values say that our Canadian government stands up for people who are being attacked simply because of their faith.

I am very proud of the response of our government to date in humanitarian assistance but also because we have asked some of our brave women and men to go over to help. By the way, I met with people from the Peshmerga army over there, and they said they would love to have Canada's help and assistance to get them where they need to go to ensure that they fight this terrible organization, ISIL, and protect their people in Iraq.

[Kirsty Duncan, Liberal, Etobicoke North, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague for his caring and compassionate speech. He spoke about an unspeakable tragedy, and $28 million is not enough. In the words of the minister, it is insufficient, and we hope that more aid will be coming.

However, according to UNICEF Iraq, testimony gathered from displaced civilians in northern Iraq has revealed disturbing accounts of killing, abduction, and sexual violence perpetrated against women and children. The agony these girls and women are now suffering as a result of such ordeals requires an urgent scaling up in the provision of specialist mental health care and medical support as part of the broader response to this unfolding tragedy.

In June, the Minister of Foreign Affairs stated that “The time is now for the world to take action against sexual violence in conflict”. I would like to know how much of the aid for Iraq has been earmarked to combat sexual violence in conflict.

[Brad Butt, Conservative, Mississauga—Streetsville, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague from Etobicoke North because I know she has been very outspoken and passionate about this issue. She cares, just as we do, about the plight of the people on the ground, particularly women. I can tell her that we met with a number of people on the ground who told us the horrific stories of women who have been taken into slavery, daughters who have been sold by ISIL, and that is the reality on the ground.

I will continue to stand here and support and urge our government. Even though we have done very much, I will continue to push our government to do more specifically in these areas where I think we can provide a lot of humanitarian assistance to women in particular. Religious minorities are absolutely being devastated and persecuted in this situation, but women and children are suffering the most. I will give the member my support that I will continue to work with my government officials on this side of the House. We should do more to protect women and children in particular in this terrible situation.

[Hélène Laverdière, NDP, Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, there is one thing that we can definitely do for Iraq and that the Iraqis want us to do for them, and that is to provide humanitarian aid to alleviate an unbearable situation on the ground and help displaced persons within the country.

Thousands of families have had to leave the conflict zone. Over 1.5 million people are affected, including 1.2 million displaced persons. People always mention these figures when they talk about disasters in one place or another, but I am trying to think of it this way: 1.5 million people is the size of Montreal, or twice the size of our wonderful national capital. It is important to picture the number of people who have been affected to their very core by this disaster and try to look beyond simple numbers.

These people have an urgent need for humanitarian aid. Current conditions are very difficult. These people have been displaced in unbearable 40-degree heat, and now winter is coming. People often think that winter in those areas is rather mild, but they are not. The winters can be very harsh.

The situation is so difficult that the United Nations has declared it a level-three emergency, which does not happen very often. It is rare for there to be several at a time, and unfortunately there are currently four: Syria, the Central African Republic, South Sudan and Iraq.

These 1.2 million people need everything: food, water, shelter, medication and healthcare. They basically have nowhere to go because the neighbouring countries are already overwhelmed by the large number of Syrian refugees. Even Syria has a lot of Syrian refugees.

I forgot to mention that I will share my time with the hon. member for Abitibi—Baie-James—Nunavik—Eeyou.

These people have nowhere to go. They can only be displaced in a country that is already facing significant problems. These people want to stay in their country and do not want to leave. As I mentioned, that is not the issue for them. They need aid and particularly they need refugee camps.

My colleague from Ottawa Centre, the foreign affairs critic for the official opposition, went to Iraq. He told me when he came back that the people he spoke to only asked for aid and camps. I found that fascinating.

These people also need protection. Some of them are members of Christian or other minorities and they are persecuted and murdered. The conduct of the Islamic state in Iraq and the Levant is barbaric. In addition to the murders, there is a worrisome phenomenon that unfortunately is all too frequent in this type of situation: the use of rape as a weapon of war and sexual violence against women, girls and boys, especially those belonging to religious minorities.

For these people, fear, and I would even say terror, is ever-present, as is hunger and possibly the cold, because winter is coming; in addition, they constantly worry about the future, which must be terrible.

I appreciate the fact that Canada has donated money. It has donated $28 million, including $19 million to deal with this specific situation. Moreover, Canada's contribution will also help provide, among other things, psychological help, especially to victims of sexual violence. However, we must do more. The problem with this type of situation is that we cannot say that we have made a contribution and stop there. The crisis and everything the people are going through do not stop. We cannot give once and think that we are done.

The needs are still enormous. On September 5, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees issued the following statement:

The [United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees] urgently needs more financial support to be able to meet the needs of forcibly displaced people and host communities across Iraq. As part of the UN humanitarian relief effort, UNHCR will soon launch an appeal for US$315 million to meet the needs of the internally displaced in Iraq. The main focus will be on providing life-saving protection services and assistance to respond to the most urgent basic needs of displaced Iraqis, including winterization support.

Once again, the subject of winter comes up. I would like to add a little note here, because I see that a small portion of the aid Canada is offering will go towards preparing for the winter and providing supplies accordingly. However, it is not very much. We need to do more, now. I have heard reports about various organizations in Syria that issued pleas for supplies for the winter. They issued their pleas at the end of the summer and did not get a response until the spring, when of course it was too late. I hope we can move more quickly this time.

In fact, Canada responded favourably to the NDP's requests to support refugees, combat sexual violence and ensure respect for international humanitarian law. We therefore expect the Canadian government to make additional commitments in those areas in the coming days.

I think we can all agree that we always need to ask for more to be done. There is no doubt that the current situation is very difficult. I have talked about the Central African Republic, South Sudan, the Ebola crisis in West Africa, the situation in Ukraine and in Syria, as well as the most recent conflicts in the Middle East. However, it is our moral duty to be there. Furthermore, Canada's contribution in the area of humanitarian aid—our trademark for many years—could help to improve our international reputation, which has unfortunately suffered greatly in recent years.

[Laurie Hawn, Conservative, Edmonton Centre, AB]

Mr. Speaker, one of the things we were talking about tonight is the unpredictability of situations like this, and that is a given. We go somewhere with the intent to accomplish certain things at a certain time, but of course somebody else has a vote in that: the folks on the other side, whether it was the Taliban in Afghanistan or whether it is ISIS in this particular situation.

Does my colleague have an assessment, her assessment, of the ultimate intent of ISIS, of where they think they want to go? Does she have an assessment of that?

[Hélène Laverdière, NDP, Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I think it is fairly clear. They simply want to maintain their territory and expand it as much as possible, not only in violation of international law and human rights, but also, as we have often seen, in defiance of our dignity and human solidarity, in which I still believe.

The fundamental issue is to determine what kind of humanitarian aid Canada can provide to these 1.5 million persecuted and displaced people, including women, children and seniors.

In the wake of a disaster, we often write the victims' names on cenotaphs. In cases such as this, we would simply recite the names of all these people so that we do not forget that we are talking about a tally of 1.5 million people.

[Marc Garneau, Liberal, Westmount—Ville-Marie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for her comments and I agree with her that we need to increase our contribution for humanitarian aid to Iraq. This need is considerable and extremely urgent.

Would the New Democratic Party consider a non-combat military role for Canada in Iraq to help the other coalition members dislodge ISIS and to ensure that the people now in refugee camps can go back to their villages?

[Hélène Laverdière, NDP, Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, once again, we should start by defining this role, by debating it and by voting on what Canada is proposing to do. We must have a real discussion with accurate information and transparency. We have seen in the past where a project lacking transparency, debate and discussion can lead us.

We in the NDP, unlike the Liberals, are not prepared to give the Conservatives a blank cheque on such issues as the free trade agreement with Europe or the issue being debated tonight. We want to see the details of the matter. We want to be able to discuss them and then vote.

[Carol Hughes, NDP, Algoma—Manitoulin—Kapuskasing, ON]

Mr. Speaker, clearly tonight's emergency debate is focusing on the fact that parliamentarians should have the opportunity not only to discuss, but also to vote on this issue. That is the real debate in the House. The government promised parliamentarians that it would give us that opportunity with respect to missions.

A request was made for humanitarian aid, including water, hygiene kits, shelter and other pressing needs. All of a sudden the government is sending in troops instead of humanitarian aid.

Does my colleague know whether there has been a direct request from the Iraqi government, the UN or anyone else, apart from President Obama, to send troops into Iraq?

[Hélène Laverdière, NDP, Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague for her question.

Indeed, that is all very vague. At the risk of repeating myself, the Liberals and Conservatives would love it if we took them at their word and gave them a blank cheque. However, everything is vague and we do not have all of the information.

Moreover, the information about the number of military personnel involved seems to change every few hours. It has been a bit of a nightmare. President Obama is able to give an exact number and explain, in detail, what the mission will consist of. I am somewhat surprised to see that the Canadian government is unable to do the same thing.

[Romeo Saganash, NDP, Abitibi—Baie-James—Nunavik—Eeyou, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I am honoured to rise this evening and privileged to follow the NDP member for Laurier—Sainte-Marie. I truly respect her contribution to the House and the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development because she brings to bear her experience as a diplomat around the world. We appreciate having her with us, and it is an honour to follow her this evening in this deeply important debate.

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the member for Westmount—Ville-Marie for taking the initiative to propose an emergency debate on Canada's response to the situation in Iraq. We can all agree that the situation must be addressed urgently.

It is always an honour to rise in the House to discuss a situation that demands our full attention. We do not often have the opportunity to discuss situations that are not only urgent, but also critical. That is why tonight's debate was given its title.

The situation in Iraq must command our attention as MPs, of course, but also as a country. We all agree that the violence employed by the Islamic State of Iraq is extremely horrible and shocking. It is totally reprehensible. That cannot be said too often. We have agreed almost unanimously that Canada should be involved in certain aspects of the situation.

As an aside, when it comes to Canada's role in the world, I would like to add that I have participated in processes at the international level for the past 23 years. I have participated in multilateral negotiations for the past 23 years to negotiate declarations, specifically. There was a time when Canada's reputation was the envy of countries around the world. I would even say that ours was a very enviable position. I can attest to the fact that, when Canada took a stand on a contentious issue during the debates and multilateral negotiations held by the United Nations, other countries listened. Our role is therefore to define our foreign policy. Over the past few years, we have lost the important role we used to play.

The hon. member for Vancouver Quadra just said that our reputation is undermining our role in the international arena, or something like that—I only quickly jotted down what she said. I think it is worse than that because it particularly undermines our credibility when we take leadership in the international arena. It undermines our credibility and, as a result, our influence on the world stage. How can we influence others in a critical situation if we no longer have credibility and have lost the reputation we once had? It is unfortunate that it has come to that.

The same challenges arise in all similar situations we have seen around the world virtually forever; these challenges are complex and difficult, on both a political and humanitarian level, as my colleague from Laurier—Sainte-Marie just mentioned. I would add on a human rights level, too. Indeed, we are also currently dealing with human rights issues in Iraq.

Anyone who has listened to the debate so far will certainly know that these challenges are political because of the positions expressed by both sides. Some people are looking for answers before sending in the military, which is absolutely commendable. Anyone who takes a reasonable position in this case must know what they are getting into. No one has all the answers. I was elected to the House to make informed decisions, which is what I have tried to do all my life in the positions and roles I have held. When I negotiated agreements, my people always demanded informed responses before a decision was made in order to act accordingly. We do not have that opportunity right now. There is already a political problem.

Some members are looking for answers, while others want to move forward without providing these critical and fundamental answers. Their allies in the House are saying that they do not have all the answers but that they will move forward anyway. Earlier, the Leader of the Opposition said that the NDP will not agree to proceed in this way. We cannot move forward with certain aspects of the proposal until we are fully informed. That is very important.

Despite the $28 million that has already been allocated—and we commend the parliamentary secretary for that—there are still ongoing needs in several areas. For example, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees said:

[There is an urgent need for] more financial support to be able to meet the needs of forcibly displaced people and host communities across Iraq. As part of the UN humanitarian relief effort, UNHCR will soon launch an appeal for US$315 million to meet the needs of the internally displaced in Iraq. The main focus will be on providing life-saving protection services and assistance to respond to the most urgent basic needs of displaced Iraqis, including winterization support.

We must commend our government for the funds that have already been allocated, but we also need to reassess the situation and meet the needs that were identified by the United Nations.

I would like to quickly come back to the role that Parliament must play in this situation and in the government's current proposal. Parliament has a critical role to play. We are elected officials and we are here to make decisions. They must be smart and informed decisions. What is more, Parliament must play a decision-making role when it comes to military interventions and deployments abroad. It seems as though we will not have that opportunity. We are being told not to worry and that everything will work out. We cannot accept such a proposal.

[Laurie Hawn, Conservative, Edmonton Centre, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I listened carefully to my colleague's remarks, and at one point he said our roles define our foreign policy. I would suggest my personal point of view that a lot of our roles have been more about going along to get along than actually taking a principled approach on certain issues.

Dante said that the darkest recesses of hell are reserved for those who try to remain neutral at a time of moral crisis. I have two questions. The first one is whether my colleague thinks we are at a time of moral crisis, and second, rather than our roles defining our foreign policy, does he not think that maybe our Canadian values should define our foreign policy and, by extension, the roles we play in any particular situation?

[Romeo Saganash, NDP, Abitibi—Baie-James—Nunavik—Eeyou, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague opposite for the question.

Of course, the political situation is critical, not only in Iraq, but also all over the world. Each country must address these situations in its foreign policy. These policies are being challenged, to put it mildly. There are currently some very difficult situations all over the world.

However, since we are talking about Canadian values, I want to say that when I arrived here in Parliament, it was my understanding that one Canadian value was that Parliament had a role to play in these types of decisions. Parliament is the highest democratic institution in our country, and parliamentarians, who are elected by the Canadian public, must be allowed to vote on decisions related to military deployments. That is a Canadian value. That is what the member's leader promised—first in 2004, and against in 2005-06. He just broke his promise. I do not think that is a Canadian value.

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Winnipeg North, MB]

Mr. Speaker, I think we can agree that there is a huge need for humanitarian aid, and the government has, in fact, fallen short in terms of meeting the demand for that humanitarian aid.

I ask my colleague to my right to recognize the plight of the literally thousands of refugees who are in different camps and whose only desire is to stay in their homeland but be able to go back to their villages. If I may, I would ask him to put himself in a position of being in government and having to make a decision on having Canada play a non-combative role, because that is, in essence, what we are really talking about here. Does he feel there is any situation where Canada could be providing some form of assistance, but not combative? Are there situations where he would be in favour of that?

[Romeo Saganash, NDP, Abitibi—Baie-James—Nunavik—Eeyou, QC]

Mr. Speaker, my colleague is asking me how I would react if I were part of the government. I can assure my colleague that that I will be in 2015, and Canadians will confirm that quickly enough.

This is an urgent situation. Parliament has to make a fundamental decision, and we are being asked hypothetical questions. We do not have all the information. We are not well-informed. We cannot make an informed decision on this subject. What is worse, we are not even being given the democratic opportunity to vote on this issue.

[Costas Menegakis, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration]

Mr. Speaker, I will be sharing my time this evening with the hon. member for Edmonton Centre.

I am pleased to speak today on this pressing global issue, the complex human crisis in Iraq. I am particularly honoured to speak in this House on how Canada is joining its international partners to meet this complex challenge head-on.

Our engagement in Iraq incorporates a range of measures to tackle the various security, humanitarian, human rights and political aspects of the conflict.

With the time I have, I would like to speak on how our government is addressing these many faces of Iraq's conflict, using all of the military, development, civilian security and diplomatic tools at our disposal.

The Prime Minister, ministers of foreign affairs, defence and development, as well as others participating in today's debate have already clearly expressed through words and deeds the extent to which Iraq is a priority issue for our government.

The violence and hateful ideology promoted by the so-called Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, ISIL as we know it, threaten the stability of the region, including the security of our friends and allies, like Jordan and Israel.

Spaces under the control of these insurgents can also become safe havens for groups and individuals who would do harm to Canada and our allies. At the same time, these groups are bringing untold misery to the people living under their influence. This is especially true of women, children and religious minorities.

As a result, the scope of the challenge is indeed daunting. The capacity, authority, inclusiveness and legitimacy of the Iraqi state must be restored. Victims of violence must be protected and returned to their homes.

Human rights and the rule of law must be defended and ultimately must prevail. The safety and security of Canadians, whether in the region or here at home, must be ensured.

The crisis in Iraq is a concern for the entire world. That is why many countries, including many of Canada's NATO allies, are coming together under a collective and collaborative effort to support the people of Iraq.

Just yesterday our colleague the Minister of Foreign Affairs met in Paris with more than 20 other world leaders intent on working together to combat the heinous actions of ISIL.

To quote our minister as to why Canada will join this coalition:

No country alone can tackle this problem. We must work together, to each of our strengths and abilities. We must stand together to extinguish this threat.

Canada's coalition partners are no less committed to this collective cause. On the margins of NATO's summit in Wales, 10 countries met to consider the international and comprehensive strategy to counter the threat from ISIL. Convened and chaired by the United States and the United Kingdom, the meeting included Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Poland and Turkey.

Participants talked about a range of options to thwart ISIL and agreed to meet in the coming weeks to coordinate ongoing actions to support security forces in this fight. NATO also agreed to facilitate among allies to ensure the efficient delivery of humanitarian and security assistance.

In addition, many of Canada's closest likeminded countries and partners are providing support in different ways. The United Kingdom and Australia have joined the effort of delivering weapons and ammunition to Iraqi security forces, while Albania has donated a large stockpile of its surplus weapons, many of which were transported into Iraq by our very own Royal Canadian Air Force planes.

For over a month, the United States has conducted air strikes against ISIL, against its positions, and has committed approximately 1,600 military personnel to advise Iraqi forces in the fight against the terrorist organization.

In addition to its own direct military support, U.S. leadership and coordination is helping to galvanize support around a global coalition.

Of particular note, on September 7, Arab League foreign ministers made the welcome commitment to take all necessary measures to join Iraq and the international community in confronting ISIL and other militant groups, including stemming the flow of foreign fighters. Canada especially welcomes the engagement of key Arab partners in the region to encourage and support their involvement in defeating the threat posed by ISIL.

For its part, Canada is responding in line with the scope of the challenge. Some of our contributions, including our significant deployment of military advisers and sizable provision of humanitarian assistance, are being discussed in further depth by others here today. However, beyond these measures designed to address the most immediate security and humanitarian challenges, Canada is actively rolling out forward-looking initiatives that will help Iraqis make the eventual transition toward longer term recovery and sustainable peace.

Thus far, Canada has identified more than $64 million in assistance for Iraq. The hon. Minister of Foreign Affairs has announced $15 million in new security programing alone. This sizable contribution is being used to strengthen the capacity of security forces in Iraq by providing them with non-lethal assistance, including vehicles, computers, radios and personal protective equipment such as helmets and body armour. Canada is also using these funds to advance regional efforts aimed at limiting the movement of foreign fighters into Iraq and Syria.

Long-term stability in Iraq will depend upon the ability of all Iraq's diverse communities to share a common space in Iraqi society and political life, where human rights, pluralism and the rule of law are respected. Canada is already supporting dialogue between high-level leaders across Iraq's sectarian divides, to promote reconciliation and reduce violence, while at the same time working with local political institutions to enhance representation—for example, by bridging the gap between elected representatives and the public in Kurdistan.

Canada has consistently urged the formation of an inclusive, democratic, representative and federal Iraq. This is why Canada will support religious freedom projects to assist Iraq's persecuted religious communities. Canada has expressed its willingness to share any best practices and lessons learned from our federal model with Iraq and the KRG in case this should be helpful to settling their differences.

In addition to the political security dynamics of the crisis, Canada is committed to doing its fair share for Iraq's longer term recovery and development. The government is working quickly to establish an overall framework for Canadian development programing in Iraq over the next five years to build the economic and social foundations that are vital for a prosperous and stable future for the people of Iraq.

In the immediate term, Canada will also soon finance a series of initiatives in the areas of northern Iraq that are supporting large populations of internally displaced persons. We will work with communities and municipalities that are struggling to maintain basic services as a result of increased demands, such as education, water supply and waste management.

The scale and scope of the challenges we are facing in Iraq are daunting. Nothing short of a concerted international effort is required to end the threat posed by ISIL and the deepening sectarian divide in Iraq. Our allies are taking up their share of the burden and through a comprehensive effort involving all the development, diplomacy and security tools at our disposal. Canada is doing the same. We do so not just because we wish to do right by the people of Iraq, but also because it is our responsibility to the people of Canada.

[Kirsty Duncan, Liberal, Etobicoke North, ON]

Mr. Speaker, my friend and colleague across the way said the challenge is daunting, and it is. I think of children. Children are always disproportionately affected by displacement in armed conflict. I am deeply concerned about the critical humanitarian needs facing children and families affected by the conflict.

According to UN monitoring, up to 700 children have been killed or maimed in Iraq since the beginning of the year, including summary executions. ISIL has tasked boys as young as 13 years old to carry weapons, guard strategic locations, or arrest civilians. Other children are being used as suicide bombers.

The government is contributing $28 million. The Minister of Foreign Affairs has said it is insufficient. I will ask the government this again tonight. Will it provide more for humanitarian aid? What more it will undertake to protect the most vulnerable, the children?

[Costas Menegakis, Conservative, Richmond Hill, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for her question and also for the passion with which she delivered it. She always speaks so compassionately of the plight of children in difficult situations around the world, and indeed I think her question is very well placed tonight.

We all know that this is an extremely difficult situation in Iraq, very difficult for the people there. In a neighbouring country, in Syria, I had the opportunity to see the effect that war has had on the children there.

That is why our Minister of Foreign Affairs just visited Iraq with parliamentary colleagues from the other parties as well, certainly from the NDP and the Liberal Party. We wanted to show a united government to the Iraqi people and indeed, to the international community, because humanitarian aid is required there to help the children who are displaced from their homes, the families displaced from their homes. This will have a lasting effect on these children as they grow up. They will never forget this difficult time in their country.

We have committed humanitarian aid, particularly to assist those families. The minister is closely monitoring that. He is discussing it with our partners around the world, and will continue to do so. One thing is certain. Canada will be there for those who are most affected in Iraq.

[Paul Dewar, NDP, Ottawa Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I just want to note that this issue has been underlined by the government and others in the House as being absolutely critical. I just want to put on the record that it is unfortunate we did not have more senior members speak here tonight. If this is the most important issue facing our country as a foreign affairs issue, and I say that with respect to my colleague for actually participating and thank him for it, we would have also hoped to have seen more senior members of the government and even the other opposition parties.

On that note, it is really important that we see—

[An hon. member]

Oh, oh!

[Paul Dewar, NDP, Ottawa Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I am talking about the leader. It would be nice to have the leader here to represent the Liberal Party.

If this is the clarity we need in terms of the debate of having—