Mr. Speaker, I listened to the member opposite who suggested that the coalition bombing effort against the Islamic State was ineffective.
Canadian journalist Michael Petro was in Iraq in the last year talking to Syrians and Iraqis who were fleeing the persecution of ISIS. Here is what he said:
I was in Iraq, where every single person I asked—Iraqis, and also Syrian refugees sheltering there—said they wanted Canada to bomb Islamic State."
That is why Bob Rae, former Liberal leader; Ujjal Dosanjh, former Liberal cabinet minister; and Irwin Cotler, former Liberal minister all support the concept of a combat mission to counter the Islamic State. That is why the members opposite need to reconsider their position on the motion in front of this House.
I encourage the Liberals to vote for this motion and to realize that we got here because some people made a cynical political calculation that this position of the Liberal government was a way to win votes instead of looking out for Canada and its citizens' long-term interests.