Mr. Speaker, today we are joined in Ottawa by veterans; representatives from Valour in the Presence of the Enemy, True Patriot Love, the Royal Canadian Legion; retired general Rick Hillier; and the family of Private Larochelle. They are calling for an independent review of Afghanistan-era acts of valour, where new evidence suggests that the criteria for the Victoria Cross may have been met. The issue matters to over 20 million Canadians, as is reflected in motions of unanimous support from the Senate and three provincial legislatures, with two more on their way.
Canada created its own Victoria Cross in 1993, yet it has never been awarded, despite more than 40,000 Canadians having served in Afghanistan. Our closest allies recognize such acts. Canada has not. That absence continues to weigh on veterans and many other Canadians. The case of Jess Larochelle has come to symbolize this concern.
I am honoured to be presenting a petition on this matter later today, and I urge all members of the House to support this important request.