Mr. Speaker, e-petition 6661, tabled today, calls for an independent review of military decorations from the Afghanistan mission. This is not about reopening the past. It is about ensuring that when new evidence emerges, our system allows us to look again.
Canada established its own Victoria Cross in 1993. It has never been awarded, despite more than 40,000 Canadians serving in Afghanistan. Our allies have conferred their highest honours, but Canada has not. That reality weighs on many veterans.
In my riding, Afghanistan veterans tell me their service is not fully reflected in our national remembrance. The case of Private Jess Larochelle of Nipissing—Timiskaming has come to symbolize this concern, and senior officers involved have since indicated that new information warrants a review. An independent process would strengthen confidence in our honours system and not weaken it.
This petition comes forward at a time when recent remarks by Donald Trump risk distorting the records of Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan. In turn, it provides the opportunity to show with equal clarity how Canada honours its own and recognizes courage and sacrifice at the highest level.