Debates of Dec. 4th, 2017

Opposition Motion—ISIS fighters returning to Canada

[Sheri Benson, NDP, Saskatoon West, SK]

Madam Speaker, Canada has asked the U.S. and the other Five Eyes countries to keep a tight watch on far-right extremists who are increasingly getting international attention and having anti-immigration messages and of course violent attacks. We on this side, the NDP, agree that the fight against terror should be tackled on all fronts. Following the terrorist attack on Parliament Hill in 2014, 500 RCMP members from the organized crime unit were moved to counterterrorism related to radical Islamic militants. As a result, 300 investigations have been put on hold. In light of the increasing threat from far-right extremists and anti-Semitic movements, will the government—I will ask the hon. member to agree with me—allocate the proper resources to gather intelligence on these criminal organizations?

[Bill Blair, Liberal, Scarborough Southwest, ON]

Madam Speaker, I want to assure the member opposite that our national security agencies, the RCMP, CBSA, CSIS, and many others, are committed to identifying and to responding effectively to extremism from any source, whether from the right or from the left. The protection of our country and our citizens is of the utmost importance.

The member made reference to the fact that, under the previous government, a substantial amount of resources was taken from serious organized crime investigations and dedicated to national security. Those resources are still committed to national security, but our government has recently announced $113 million to increase resources for both the RCMP and CBSA in responding to border integrity and organized crime threats, putting some of those resources back that were stripped away from our federal law enforcement agencies responsible for keeping us all safe.

[John Brassard, Conservative, Barrie—Innisfil, ON]

Madam Speaker, I highly respect my hon. colleague's public service in the police force—I too have lots of friends within the police services—and I want to focus specifically on the issue of Omar Khadr and the payment of $10.5 million. The hon. member would know it precludes any judgment in that case saying that somehow the government was going to lose the case, when there were and still are so many people who are upset in this country as a result of that court case, including veterans whom the current government took to court. How could the hon. member reasonably stand up here and agree with a payment like that to Omar Khadr?

[Bill Blair, Liberal, Scarborough Southwest, ON]

Madam Speaker, having spent nearly two decades on the front lines of countering terrorism, I can tell the member with great confidence that the greatest responsibility of law enforcement in this country, and every law enforcement official would agree with me, is upholding the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, the highest law in this country.

The member said that there was no court decision that informed the government's action, but I would quite respectfully disagree. Two Supreme Court decisions made it very clear, not regarding the actions that took place in Afghanistan but in response to the violation of a Canadian citizen's rights under our Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The payment was in respect of the violation of those rights, not for the individual's activities in Afghanistan.

I would simply remind the member that in the defence of our Charter of Rights and Freedoms—all of our rights, all of our freedoms—the least of us deserves the protection of that charter as much as the best of us. Therefore, it is in the best interests of all Canadians to uphold that charter and to respect its tenets to ensure that we all receive its protection.

[Lloyd Longfield, Liberal, Guelph, ON]

Madam Speaker, I would like the parliamentary secretary to expand on that a bit. The previous government tried to take hold of the Supreme Court, the Senate, and the Queen and make all judgments and laws under one roof in the House of Commons. The role of our government is to form the laws. We have a judicial branch that enforces the laws.

I wonder whether the parliamentary secretary could expand on the role of our security and legal professions.

[Bill Blair, Liberal, Scarborough Southwest, ON]

Madam Speaker, I want to assure every member of the House that those responsible for our safety in law enforcement, national security, and border integrity all believe that upholding the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, as defined in our Constitution and charter, is their first and greatest priority. Adhering to that highest law and ensuring that they perform their duties with respect to that law is a tenet of each and every one of those organizations.

[Candice Bergen, Conservative, Portage—Lisgar, MB]

Madam Speaker, I will be splitting my time this afternoon with the member for Elgin—Middlesex—London.

Women and girls held captive, used, and sold as sex slaves; gay men pelted with stones, thrown from the rooftop because they are homosexual; children taken from their families and turned into suicide bombers; tens of thousands of innocent humans placed in mass graves: these are just a sample of the awful, horrible, and repugnant stories we have heard time and time again from territory controlled by ISIS and its fighters.

However, these awful tragic events are happening literally on the other side of the world, so we actually have nothing to worry about, right? I guess that is what some would think. We, on this side of the House, are being called fearmongers, because we are actually suggesting that what is happening in ISIS-controlled territories on the other side of the world actually does affect Canada and could have an even more lasting effect on Canada. We are being told we are wrong and that we are fearmongers.

In our present day, with our modern technology, terrorism and terrorist groups are not geographically limited. They recruit, they inspire, and they fundraise right around the globe, including here in Canada. Do not take my word for it. Let us look at what the experts say.

In its most recent annual report to Parliament, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service said:

The principal terrorist threat to Canada remains that posed by violent extremists who could be inspired to carry out an attack in Canada. Violent extremist ideologies espoused by terrorist groups like Daesh...continue to appeal to certain individuals in Canada.

This is a concern to us. Let us talk not just about those individuals here in Canada who may espouse these values but about those who have taken that additional step to go to Syria and Iraq to join ISIS and fight with them and have then returned to Canada. With that in mind, let us think about potential dangers these ISIS fighters pose to Canada.

Sadly, shockingly even, this does not seem to trouble our Prime Minister. In fact, when our Conservative leader pressed the Prime Minister last week, right here in the House of Commons, on the troubling pattern of Canadians fighting for ISIS and then returning to Canada, we did not get an answer. What did we get? We got an angry, attacking Prime Minister who tried his very best to slap a racist label on those important questions.

Islamophobia is what the Prime Minister called our concerns and the concerns of Canadians. Invoking that label is wrong, and it is cheap politics. It ought to be beneath the Prime Minister. These are concerns Canadians have. These are letters, emails, and social media that are full of the concerns Canadians have. These are legitimate questions that should not be dismissed with name calling, including fearmongering or Islamophobia. That is wrong.

ISIS does not represent Islam, nor does it represent the overwhelming majority of the almost two billion peaceful and peace-loving Muslims on this earth. What ISIS does do is represent a narrow-minded, extremist, and radical ideology, rooted in violence, seeking a religious cloak.

Sadly, we know that some Canadians have fallen prey to these extreme ideologies and recruitment approaches. Some have even travelled to the Middle East in aid of ISIS. Some of these fighters have come back to Canada, and that is what we are talking about today.

Although it does not seem to be a major concern for the Prime Minister, it is a concern for our professionals in the security and intelligence field.

Retired CSIS director Michel Coulombe, said:

Daesh, in particular, has developed a robust social media presence, allowing it to successfully recruit thousands of individuals, including Canadians, to travel to Syria and Iraq.

These extremists also pose a potential threat if they return to Canada.

Those are not our words. Those are the words of CSIS director Michel Coulombe. Let me continue his words:

For instance, they may radicalize others, help with logistics and financing for those who may want to travel abroad, or engage in attack planning here in Canada.

Terrorism is a global threat and we are not immune from its reach.

It is a global threat from which Canada is not immune. That principle has been recognized by successive governments in their approach to fighting terrorism.

Jean Chrétien's Liberal government, following the 9/11 terrorist attack, brought in the Anti-terrorism Act and the Public Safety Act, 2002, to establish a legislative framework to address terrorist crimes. Paul Martin's Liberal government authorized the deployment of Canada's troops to Kandahar to support our allies in Afghanistan.

Stephen Harper's Conservative government, in which I had the honour to serve, had a very long track record of fighting terrorism. We extended the mission in Afghanistan, brought in stronger anti-terrorism laws, and made it an offence to travel abroad to engage in or facilitate terrorist activities. It is against the law. When they come back to Canada, they could be prosecuted for that. That is the law we brought in, but this government refuses to actually enforce it. Conservatives also created a process for removing Canadian citizenship from convicted terrorists who were dual citizens. Under Stephen Harper, Canada joined a global coalition to fight ISIS.

Then these Liberals took office, and everything changed. The Liberals withdrew Canada from the global anti-ISIS coalition. These Liberals passed legislation allowing convicted terrorists to retain Canadian citizenship and enjoy their Canadian passports. These Liberals introduced Bill C-59 to unwind and roll back the tools our police and intelligence agencies have to fight terrorism. These Liberals are welcoming ISIS fighters back to Canada with a reintegration program, thinking they can de-emphasize violent terrorist instincts. These Liberals cut a $10.5 million cheque to a convicted terrorist, Omar Khadr. That is the shameful record of these Liberals.

Canadians expect their government to protect them and to keep them safe. Knowing that terrorist fighters are in Canada is worrying enough. Our government welcomes these fighters, arranging group meetings and supportive meetings and asking them to please stop being involved with those bad people and running around with bad gangs. The Liberals think that will be sufficient.

No wonder Canadians are upset. No wonder we are hearing from our constituents. Right across the country, people are concerned. When we label those concerns and call them names, it does not stop the concerns. It actually makes them even worse.

What the federal government, and the Prime Minister, really ought to be doing is making sure that we can, and do, bring these fighters to justice. ISIS fighters and other terrorists should be made to face the full legal consequences for their actions. They should be charged, they should be prosecuted, and they should be in jail. The federal government ought to make sure that the RCMP and its provincial and municipal partners have the tools, the legal authority, and the resources needed to bring charges and secure convictions against these returning terrorists.

We need to keep strong relations with our allies in fighting terrorism to ensure that we have the information, the intelligence, and the evidence necessary to prosecute terrorists and to protect our citizens. However, that is not what we have been seeing from the other side of the House. Instead of focusing on what can be done to keep Canadians safe, we see a government obsessed, for reasons we just do not understand, with avoiding any appearance of being tough on terrorists here in Canada. As Professor Randall Hansen, the interim director of the Monk Centre, said last year, “there's nothing admirable in letting other countries do the fighting while you hide behind liberal pieties”.

Canada's contribution of fighter jets to the anti-ISIS coalition was pulled, abandoning our allies. We have deprogramming coffee circles set up for ISIS fighters who come back to Canada.

When Omar Khadr, a convicted terrorist, sued the federal government, what did the Liberals do? They gave in. Let us not be fooled that this was somehow a charter issue. No court ruled that Omar Khadr should receive $10.5 million. The Liberals hiding behind that is a fraud. Repatriation was the settlement. Repatriation is what happened. The Liberals could have fought the lawsuit. They could have said that the Supreme Court's ruling was enough, but they decided to make this terrorist, a videotaped bomb-maker and convicted killer, into a multi-millionaire.

Let me just finish with this. Canadians are concerned, but in less than two years, these Liberals are going to have to take their record to the country, and they will answer. The year 2019 cannot come soon enough.

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Madam Speaker, this is Conservative old-style spin at its very best.

I ask my friend across the way what exactly did Stephen Harper do differently when terrorists from abroad were returning back to Canada? What exactly did Stephen Harper do, as prime minister, that was different from what is taking place today?

[Candice Bergen, Conservative, Portage—Lisgar, MB]

Madam Speaker, first of all, I want to caution my hon. colleague. He can insult us and say that our concerns are old school, but he cannot refute the fact that Canadians are emailing, writing, and talking about this on social media. I really caution him not to disregard their concerns.

As for what Stephen Harper did, he passed legislation stating that if someone left Canada to participate in a terrorist attack it was against the law, and if that person came back, they would prosecuted.

It is pretty simple. If the Liberals do not want to do that, why do they not just say that although it is illegal to leave Canada to participate in terrorism, they have no intention of prosecuting these people? We did something. If we were in government today, we would be telling Canadians that their fears and concerns are not Islamophobic and fearmongering. They they are legitimate concerns. That is what we would be doing. Liberals just ignore, and are arrogant toward, Canadians' concerns.

[John Brassard, Conservative, Barrie—Innisfil, ON]

Madam Speaker, there have been a lot of questions today about what the previous government did. In fact, what it did was increase the RCMP and CSIS by over a third. It also increased the number of CBSA border guards by a quarter. Moreover, it declared as no-travel zones the areas where these types of activities existed, and if someone did travel to those zones, they would be charged.

I will give the hon. member a chance to speak on exactly what the previous government did to help in this regard.

[Candice Bergen, Conservative, Portage—Lisgar, MB]

Madam Speaker, my hon. colleague is correct about our increasing the resources of our protective services and changing the legislation so that those services could communicate with each other.

However, I want to talk about something else. This last weekend I had the privilege and honour of meeting with some young women from the University of Toronto. I met with a group of young Muslim women who were smart, intelligent, forward-thinking, amazing young women. The Islamic faith is such a faith of peace. It is a faith that is being taken advantage of by these ISIS fighters. I think we all agree that we need to look at the dangers of ISIS and bring some safety and security to Canadians, but not make this into a religious battle.

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Madam Speaker, the member referred to how we have international terrorist organizations that actively attempt to recruit people here in Canada through social media. The previous questioner said that the Conservatives enhanced our services to deal with that. In reality, we actually saw $1 billion cut from the security services that deal with terrorism and the radicalization of people here in Canada.

How does the member across the way or the Conservative Party respond to the lack of any attempt by the previous government to deal with radicalization of young people in Canada by foreign terrorists?

[Candice Bergen, Conservative, Portage—Lisgar, MB]

Madam Speaker, not surprisingly, that member's characterization is completely false. We did not cut money. I should not be surprised, because this is the same party that said it would only run a $10-billion deficit. It has a lot of problems with math and the facts.

Here is the fact, and we took a lot of heat for this. The Conservative government is the one that made sure terrorists would not be able to organize in Canada. It enacted laws against terrorism being promoted on the Internet, which are being rescinded, by the way, if we look at what is happening with Bill C-59. We were criticized for the work we did because we were working so hard to invest money to keep Canadians safe.

The Liberals' approach to this is what is causing the problem. They are not taking this issue seriously.

[Karen Vecchio, Conservative, Elgin—Middlesex—London, ON]

Madam Speaker, I am thankful for the time today so we can discuss this.

I have listened to much of this debate. Luckily I am on House duty today, and it has been a very good debate, especially on this side where we are talking about this.

To begin, I hope that the member for Avalon will not mock people as I read the letters I have received from people throughout Canada, from the east coast to the west coast. They are telling us to please stand up for them, and so I am hoping I do not hear any further mockery. We must be non-partisan about this, because the bottom line is that it is in the best interests of Canadians. That is what I want to remind everyone of.

We have heard a lot of back and forth today. I was not part of the previous government, but I worked for a member of Parliament at that time and am very proud of the work we did. However, I do not want this to be a partisan debate. This is about the security and safety of fellow Canadians and the security and safety of refugees who sought Canada to get away from the terror that was happening in their own countries. Unfortunately, I think we are forgetting that point during this debate. I am hoping members will listen to this.

Tuesday last week was a historic day for the Prime Minister because of his apology to the LGBTQ2 community. At that time, we saw all four leaders stand and put forward apologies in support of the Prime Minister's words. Within two hours of that apology, I started receiving emails from Muslim gay men. By the next day, I had a group come forward to me. In less than 24 hours, they came to me fearing for their lives. They recognized that because of my work on LGBTQ2 issues, I was on their side and that their thoughts mattered. This is why I want to read their letters today. I have 10 in hand right now, but I can tell members that by the time I get home, I am sure I will have more, because over just a couple of days they started contacting me, a member whom they might not know but heard of me and knew that I was on their side.

For their own security, I will not read their names, because one of the gentlemen has already been targeted on Facebook, being told that they will be coming after him. I am hoping that all members can listen and not comment, because these are atrocities to our public security.

The first wrote the following:

My name is [YC]. I am a 30-year-old Gay Muslim. I was born in a small town in Eastern Turkey close to the Syrian border named Kahta. My town is officially run by the Turkish government but unofficially run by mullahs and radical Islamists. In my very early age I was aware of my sexual interest.

Growing up I heard about only 3 homosexuals, and their stories were scary enough for the rest of the homosexuals to hide themselves. One of them was buried alive by his Islamist relatives, despite all the pressure his family would not kill him and relatives see Ibrahim (people called him Ibo) dishonor to their tribe. Ibo was one of the first victim of gay honor killing that I have heard of, who I have met in person growing up in same neighborhood. The second gay man that I heard of was from near by village, all we heard is that family cleaned its honor and buried him alive. Third person I knew was [H]. People called him all kind of names male dog, top (Turkish stand for fag), ibne (insult for gay people similar to fag), raping him, harassing him, beating him, etc.

I sit here thinking, oh my gosh, this is what we are welcoming. It is unbelievable. The letter continues:

His family is open-minded compared to Islamists and they did not kill him. Instead they put him in a mental hospital. Some said that they were worried that his relatives were Islamic terrorists and that they would kill him.

On Tuesday when Prime Minister apologized and mentioned all the LGBTQ2 people all around the world, I was so happy. Finally someone was going to uncover the pain of the forgotton LGBTQ2 communities around the world. Finally someone is going to be a voice to gay muslims who are being victim of honor killing. All my memories, all my fear, all my pain of growing up as gay man in a very religious town pass through my eyes. I was free and there might be chance to free other gay muslims.

After I left the gallery, chatting with some people I heard that the Prime Minister is trying to bring ISIS members. I was in shock and did not believe them. I went home and did my research and find out they were right. Our Prime Minister who spoked for LGBTQ2 rights also emporing enemy of LGBTQ2 people and enemy of humanity. Prime Minister is not only bringing those terrorist back here but their ideology. In addition, Prime Minister is sending a wrong message to those who killed, rape, and torture gay people in muslim countries and a heartbroking message to the LGBTQ2 community in muslims countries who suffered from those Islamist.

Maybe being an openly gay Muslim activist and my friends, who are fighting for the liberation of Muslims of the community, are in fear. We are afraid to lose our freedom of speech, freedom to walk in our beautiful cities without fear of being attacked. I hope this will, in turn, be a non-partisan action and stop this tragedy before it is too late. The Prime Minister is constantly talking about constitutional rights. I guess we Canadians have the same constitutional rights and we must be protected, feel safe and secure.

I have a number of others, so hopefully, Madam Speaker, you will say, “Karen, you have a couple more minutes.”

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, NDP, Carol Hughes]

I would remind the hon. member that she cannot use her first or last name, or the name of somebody else sitting in the House.

[Karen Vecchio, Conservative, Elgin—Middlesex—London, ON]

Another wrote:

My name is [F]. I am a gay man from Iran who escaped from persecution. I am a member of a gay middle eastern group with my friend [Y] and [O]. Recently I read Canadian government is bringing back ISIS people. I am in a shock and fear to know ISIS people are going to be leaving in our cities. I escaped persecution two times Iran to Turkey, Turkey to Canada we have no other place to go. Please help us to stop ISIS members coming into this country. Instead of wasting our tax money on ISIS people help to empower gay middle eastern people who been persecuted by Islamic regimes.

A further letter states:

Hello, I'm writing to you concerning the governments wish on trying to re-integrate ex. ISIS militants back into Canadian society. I believe this is a grave mistake that could have tragic outcomes. These people decided to leave Canadian society and throw away the values we hold dear to our hearts in order to join an extremist ideology that has killed scores of innocent people including children. They believe in beheading and burning alive those who don't submit to their twisted views and have wrecked havoc all over the world. There is no guarantee that attempts to rehabilitate these terrorists will be successful. Frankly, this is not a risk I am willing to take. In the event that even one of these people decides to commit another act of terror- lives will be lost. Is it worth risking our nations civilians to try and help those who have already decided to slaughter us? Is the risk really worth bringing them back into our neighbourhoods? I would rather leave them to rot in jail than put even one of our citizens lives at risk.

He continued, but we are getting the idea.

Yet another one states:

I am a proud Canadian who immigrated here from the Middle East where I could not enjoy freedom. When I come to Canada I realized how beautiful, peaceful, and secure life is. I enjoy walking with my children with out fear. I enjoy speaking my mind with out fear of being attacked. I enjoy my individual freedom in my beautiful home, Canada.

Recently I heard that the ISIS is coming back to Canada under: the rehabilitation program. My dear those people who step on our constitution, fought against our heroes, killed our allies, raped women and children should not be allowed to walk among us. They should be in prison. They made their choice. We do not want to lose our freedom because of their wrong choice. We do not want to leave in fear because of their ideology. Help us. Sincerely, [MK].

I am going to put the rest of these on the record. I know that with my speech, I could probably put them all through as part of it, but what I really want to say today is that we are talking about politics. We are talking about Conservatives and Liberals. We have to stop talking that way and start talking about the people who are now fearing for their lives. There are people out there every day who are living in terror and fear, especially this specific community. Last week we were embracing them, and this week they feel like they are being throw to the wolves.

Therefore, I ask this. Instead of making this partisan as I have seen it to be, let us talk about the people who have to walk down the streets and realize that somebody they may have known or may have seen in a photograph, or variety of different things, may be out there ready to target them. Let us not put our heads in the sand. These are people's lives and they have rights as people who live in Canada, fought for Canada, and whose home is Canada. When did their rights become lesser than the rights of terrorists who left Canada, went over there, and are now coming back? They left Canada.

I recognize that this could be a constitutional issue, but let us get our heads and hearts right and recognize that there are people living in fear because of government decisions. I am asking the government to look at the policies it is making and start having conversations with the groups who are now being attacked.

[Sean Fraser, Liberal, Central Nova, NS]

Madam Speaker, it is always a pleasure to engage with my colleague, who serves as the chair of the Status of Women committee. It is my pleasure to sit on that committee alongside her.

If I were sitting at home listening to the remarks and accepted everything I heard verbatim to be the case, I could see why it would inspire fear. Facts matter greatly and we owe it to Canadians to be factual and give them the opportunity to be engaged in a nuanced debate.

Would the hon. member opposite acknowledge that the number of extremist travellers in Canada cited by the minister is of same order of magnitude as under the previous government? This is not some partisan initiative to welcome ISIS fighters to Canada in large numbers. This is something she can do today to help put fearful Canadians at ease and understand there is no program to bring ISIS fighters into our country in big numbers.

[Karen Vecchio, Conservative, Elgin—Middlesex—London, ON]

Madam Speaker, I want to make two points. First, the numbers being used may be inaccurate. Second, and I will have to put on my partisan hat unfortunately, our government came up with the idea of a travel ban. We felt that people who went to those countries and did not need to should be questioned as to why they were going there in the first place.

In our 2015 Conservative platform, we stated that if Canadians were going to regions they had no business going to, then it would be deemed they were probably going to fight with ISIS.

We need to look at that. I am not sure if the Liberal government has put in any of those provisions, but we have to look at it from all angles.

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Madam Speaker, I would like to continue on along the line of my colleague's question.

Surely to goodness the member recognizes that this is nothing new. This took place when Stephen Harper was prime minister. We need to be careful to not cross that fine line.

The Conservatives have consistently tried to put a spin on active terrorists coming to Canada as being completely new. There are real and tangible consequences for someone identified as a terrorist. Stephen Harper ensured that this was the case, and the same is true with the current Prime Minister. Not one member of the House of Commons supports terrorism. We all want to fight it.

What specifically did Stephen Harper do that was any different than what we are doing? We rely on those individuals who have the expertise to ensure Canadians are safe, and they are safe.

[Karen Vecchio, Conservative, Elgin—Middlesex—London, ON]

Madam Speaker, I thank the member for using our former prime minister as an example. He did a great job.

Let us be honest here. We are seeing some changes. People are still writing to us today. I am not saying the previous government did all of the right things with respect to this. Terrorist attacks were taking place, even in Strathroy, Ontario, where people were looking at doing things in our great country. These people were raised here and radicalized here.

There is no perfect option to this. That is why I urge the government to hold consultations. The word consultation is used all the time. I would ask the government to please start listening to people, to please start giving rights back to Canadians who have not gone against their own country like these ISIS fighters have.

Let us ask questions. Are we going to have them sign up for a group? Do we know if it is going to be a program like AA but it has to be by choice? Is it going to be an individual's right? If there are ISIS fighters, do they have the same rights as a person who drinks alcohol? These might sound like crazy questions, but that is the direction in which I am afraid we are going. A person will have that right and not an obligation to the country.

I am very fearful on how this will go out. I have seen other things rolled out by the Liberal government, so I am a little skeptical.

[Jean Rioux, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Defence]

Madam Speaker, I will be splitting my time with the member for Central Nova.

I am happy to take part in this debate on the horrible acts committed by Daesh fighters and on the safety and protection of Canadians. If we are having this debate today, it is largely because the international coalition, to which Canada has greatly contributed, has managed to fight Daesh and push its fighters out of Iraq and Syria, which has made the region more stable. If the coalition had not been successful, we would certainly not be here today debating the fate of young Canadians who left to join Daesh’s ranks.

I would like to take advantage of this opportunity to talk about Canada’s contribution to the efforts to fight Daesh and its influence in the Middle East and around the world. I am honoured to be here today to remind Canadians of the exceptional and ongoing work of the men and women in the Canadian Armed Forces as part of Operation Impact, Canada’s contribution to the coalition against Daesh.

I would also like to remind the House that we vehemently condemn the horrible acts committed by Daesh around the globe and, through the efforts of the Canadian Armed Forces, we condemn Daesh itself. Our forces make the world a safer place, but we also know that, ultimately, their efforts are directly related to the safety and protection of Canadians at home.

In February 2016, shortly after the election of the current government, the Prime Minister, the Minister of National Defence, the former minister of foreign affairs and the Minister of International Development announced the refocusing of Canada’s military contribution to the fight against Daesh. This reorganization of the mission was debated at great length in the House. During the debate, which lasted five days, no fewer than 98 hon. members gave their opinion on the matter. Canada’s new Middle East engagement strategy, involving $1.6 billion over three years, included a military contribution designed to optimize our country’s unique capabilities while supporting our partners’ efforts.

The situation on the ground has evolved in such a way that it is now clear that, in order to effectively counter the threat posed by Daesh, the coalition’s efforts must be based on a combination of security, diplomatic, humanitarian aid, and development assistance initiatives.

Canada is currently involved in the coalition’s five lines of effort: the military component and the four civilian components. We are investing more than $2 billion over three years to deal with the crises in Iraq and Syria and to mitigate the impacts in Lebanon, Jordan and elsewhere in the region.

As I said earlier, our government has refocused our mission. It is now focusing more on providing training, advice, and assistance for Iraqi security forces to help them weaken and defeat Daesh. It has pledged additional military resources to support the coalition with intelligence personnel and staff to help the Iraqi security forces conduct offensive operations and retake control of their territory from the terrorist organization.

In June, the government announced the extension of our mission until the end of March 2019. In this announcement, Canada committed to providing $371 million over two years to support the costs of this renewed contribution to the global coalition against Daesh. It was another opportunity for Canada to show its commitment to supporting the coalition and the Iraqi security forces until the situation on the ground has improved.

It is important to remember that, in its June announcement, the government authorized the Canadian Armed Forces to continually re-evaluate the needs of our coalition partners and the Iraqi security forces to allow Canada to adjust its contribution in order to support them as effectively as possible.

This condition is critical, because the situation on the ground is rapidly evolving, and Canada’s contribution will be more useful if we can adjust it based on the most pressing needs. Our soldiers’ exceptional contribution has garnered the praise of all our coalition partners. Their exceptional skills and professionalism are recognized around the world. Their contribution is remarkable. I repeat, if we are having this debate today, it is because of the military success of the global coalition and Canada’s contribution.

Our armed forces played a crucial role in the fight against Daesh by providing the Iraqi security forces with exceptional military training. To date, Canada has trained more than 2,000 members of the Iraqi security forces in tactical skills and the law of armed conflict.

The coalition’s ministerial liaison team, led by a Canadian general and made up of strategic military personnel, is another important component of the training and advice offered by Canada. The team, made up of senior Canadian Armed Forces personnel, provides support for high-ranking Iraqi departmental leaders and ensures improved operations and planning coordination. More recently, Canadian personnel has begun training allied troops in mine clearance, since it was becoming increasingly clear that this was a truly necessary skill in the region.

Our soldiers are among the most valued instructors in the world.

We have used this skill set in several missions in recent years. Unfortunately, the ideology of groups such as Daesh and al Qaeda continue to inspire, and we cannot change the situation overnight.

We know that the threat Daesh poses goes beyond borders. We are certain that the women and men who work in the public safety portfolio will do whatever is necessary to ensure Canadians’ basic right to safety.

With the same assurance, we can also count on the support of members of the Canadian Armed Forces to do the same at home and abroad. They are effective and essential partners in the global fight against Daesh.

Canadians should be proud of the members of the Canadian Armed Forces working to restore peace and stability. Every day, they represent Canada abroad, tackling the difficult and sometimes dangerous tasks our government asks of them with professionalism and exceptional dedication. Our soldiers are exceptionally good at what they do, and we are immensely grateful.

[Pierre Paul-Hus, Conservative, Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles, QC]

Madam Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague from Saint-Jean for his speech. Like him, I am thankful for the members of the Canadian Armed Forces who have been fighting ISIS so doggedly for several years.

However, my criticism is that his government withdrew the CF-18 fighter jets that were so effectively bombing our common enemy, ISIS.

This being said, on this opposition day, the subject is the problem of Canadians who fought alongside our common enemy. There were Canadians over there who were fighting against our proud soldiers in combat and against our pilots who were busy bombing enemy positions.

Can my colleague tell me how he thinks these cases should be managed? What should we do? Should we tell Canadians they are here and who and where they are?

[Jean Rioux, Liberal, Saint-Jean, QC]

Madam Speaker, I regret that my colleague neglected to mention the role played by the air force, because 3,400 sorties were conducted. The CC-150 tanker aircraft flew 850 sorties, the CP-140 Aurora patrol plane went on 875 missions, the Hercules aircraft conducted 260 sorties, and 60 members of the 408 Tactical Helicopter Squadron flew 1,378 sorties. They played an important role. All this was also done to ensure our safety here in Canada.

In Canada, we can count on the intelligence service to ensure Canadians’ safety. I think that people have faith in our system. I am from a riding that was affected, the home of the late Warrant Officer Vincent.

I think that people feel reassured. That is why they elected a new government.

[Lloyd Longfield, Liberal, Guelph, ON]

Madam Speaker, I thank the parliamentary secretary for building on the confidence we have in our armed forces as well as the systems we have in place for the peace and security of Canada.

Could he could comment on the rule of law in Canada and how everyone falls under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, but when people act against the law, we have ways to handle that as well?

[Jean Rioux, Liberal, Saint-Jean, QC]

Madam Speaker, Canadians' rights are determined by the Charter and the rule of law. These fundamental rights are the pride of all Canadians. Every Canadian citizen has the right to equal justice, and we are proud of that.

We would be the first to invoke that right when we get in trouble, to make sure we are treated fairly. All of us are against Daesh and those who combat alongside them, but those people also have the right to be treated fairly and with dignity.