Mr. Speaker, let us be very clear. The Liberal Government of Canada, just as much as any other political entity inside this chamber, wants to deal with the issue of terrorism, and we are fighting terrorism in a very strong way. We recognize the values that Canadians have and we will continue to pursue and fight terrorism where ever we can.
It is important for us to recognize the fine work of the men and women of our Canadian Forces, and what they have done for our country, both past and present, and into the future.
Today we are debating the role that Canada should play. The Conservatives seem to be completely fixated on the CF-18s and a bombing role. However, during the campaign the Prime Minister made a commitment to withdraw the CF-18s.
There is an alternative to bombing, and I will give specific examples.
Canadian special operation forces are teaching Iraqi security forces about using heavy weapons. This includes such things as mortars, heavy machine guns, and other weapon systems. They are acquiring lessons on things like site fixtures, target indications, range and rate of fire. This means they can fire more accurately and more efficiently. This reduces the number of unintended casualties and collateral damage.
We are also offering basic shooting skills and sniper training to the Iraqi security forces. Snipers who are part of this training program can effectively shoot up to four times further and ten times more accurately than when we began. The point is that there are alternatives to bombing, and the Conservatives know this full well.
During the election not that long ago, the Prime Minister made a commitment to pull the CF-18s. However, let there be no doubt that the Liberal Party, the Government of Canada, is committed to fighting terrorism. We are going to play an important role in working with our allies.
We understand and appreciate the values that Canadians have. It is but a reflection of the values inside this chamber. If we look at the benches of this chamber, we will see the experience, whether the Minister of National Defence, who has served for many years and has fought in Afghanistan, or our Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence who has served on NATO. We have many members who have served in our Canadian Forces.
All members can rest assured that Canada is taking the right approach when it comes to fighting terrorism on behalf of all Canadians.