Mr. Speaker, on Remembrance Day we should be remembering our veterans and those who have fallen, not announcing new missions.
Last month, the Chief of the Defence Staff, General Vance, said to the Daily Gleaner newspaper, “there is no...Africa mission.” Then on Remembrance Day, the defence minister shamefully announced, via the Toronto Star, that there was going to be not just one mission but many African missions. Then the defence minister's press secretary said that the minister “got a little bit ahead of where we are as a government”.
When it comes to the deployment of Canadian soldiers, who is calling the shots here? Is it the Chief of the Defence Staff? Is it the defence minister, or is it the defence minister's press secretary?