Brad Butt

[Public Safety, April 22nd, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, the international jihadi movement has declared war on Canada and her allies. We have seen horrific terrorist attacks against two Canadian Armed Forces members. Our Conservative government took strong action by bringing forward the anti-terrorism act 2015 to combat the jihadi threat.

Could the Minister of Public Safety please update the House on what financial resources economic action plan 2015 will allocate to this fight against terrorism?

[Petitions, April 20th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, the second petition calls upon the Government of Canada to enact a policy to reduce the risk of anaphylactic reactions for airline passengers.

[Petitions, April 20th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, I am presenting two petitions today.

The first petition calls on the Government of Canada to eradicate poverty and to support Bill C-233.

[Intern Protection Act, April 20th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, this was a complete shock to me. I was not consulted on this motion. I am glad that the NDP, I am assuming, supports the motion. I wanted to have the opportunity to speak to the motion in the House. It is my motion, after all. I would be delighted to work with the opposition parties to get this motion passed, but I feel that today I am completely caught off guard. I was not consulted in any way on this and I would like the opportunity to speak to my own motion.

[Military Contribution Against ISIL, March 30th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, I know the member is a very passionate supporter of our brave women and men who serve in our Canadian Armed Forces, and she represents a riding where one of our strongest bases is located.

I have had an opportunity to speak to some of the Canadian Forces members who are passionate about the work they do for Canadian interests. I would like to ask the hon. member to take an opportunity to share with the House what she is hearing from the men and women she represents, on why it is important that Canada play a role in this effort to make sure that Iraq, Syria, and other parts of the Middle East are safe from the efforts of ISIL trying to destroy these countries and people's lives. I would like to give her an opportunity to share her views from the men and women she meets with on a regular basis.

[Military Contribution Against ISIL, March 26th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, first, this is coming from the party that took us into Afghanistan and never had a debate in the House of Commons on that. There was never a debate in the House of Commons like we are having tonight.

Second, I am glad the hon. member met with members of the Kurdish community. I did, too, last Friday, with the Minister of National Defence. They said that they want Canada there protecting their people. They want us to do more. They want our military presence there. They support Canada's involvement in fighting ISIL. They made it extremely clear.

Only the Liberal Party can have it both ways. Liberal members can pretend they support these things, and vote against them. We are taking action. We are standing up for the people in Iraq and Syria who have suffered at the hands of this barbaric cult. We will continue to work with our coalition allies to do the right thing to make sure people can live in peace and freedom in their home countries.

[Military Contribution Against ISIL, March 26th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, from my personal experience in actually meeting with victims of these very vicious attacks in Iraq and listening to their stories, all I can say is that they were only attacked, raped, and brutalized because they were women. They were only attacked, raped, and brutalized because they were Christian, or Chaldean, or Yazidi, or any of the other religious minorities that had lived in Iraq for centuries with no difficulty. They got on with their lives and raised their families, generation after generation.

We are there to support our fellow human beings who are being viciously attacked by this barbaric cult. That is our role. I am proud our government is standing up for these people and helping them out.

[Military Contribution Against ISIL, March 26th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to speak in support of this important motion concerning Canada's continuing response to the situation in Iraq.

As we have heard, the terrorist organization, the so-called Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, or ISIL, has killed thousands of innocent people, seized significant portions of Iraqi territory over the last year, and threatens to further destabilize the region. In fact, were it not for the men and women of the Canadian Armed Forces and our coalition allies, it would continue to spread.

In early March I visited the Kurdistan region of Iraq as part of a delegation of One Free World International. This was my second visit to the region and it gave me a first-hand view of the ISIL attacks. I met with government officials, peshmerga troops, victims, and refugees. I personally heard their stories. Young women who had been captured and brutalized by ISIL shared their horrific experiences with us and reinforced why this barbaric group must be stopped.

Amid the unfolding crisis, Canada is committed to helping the Iraqi people and assisting Iraq's security forces. As the direct result of military action by Canada and our coalition allies, ISIL's alarming spread and expansion has stopped and it is currently, thankfully, on the defensive. However, we cannot back down. We need to continue degrading ISIL until it is no longer a threat not only to the region but to Canada. Doing so is not only a moral imperative, but it is also a continuation of the strong leadership role Canada has taken in many international operations. From responding to natural disasters to defending unarmed populations, our nation's interventions are guided, in part, by our moral compass and our determination to assist those in need.

The moral imperative we face in this mission is clear. The death cult, ISIL, has declared war on Canada. It has called explicitly for attacks against Canadians. The savage brutality of ISIL is one that requires us to act. It is military and expansionist in its scope. It is genocidal and merciless. It disproportionately targets—and this is one of the most disgraceful parts of it—religious minorities, women, and anyone who disagrees with its savagery. This is not a distant fight that we can debate in the abstract. This is not an enlightening philosophical examination of our role in the world. This is a fight that is very real and it is right here at home. These terrorists hate our society and the Canadian traditions of freedom, democracy, and the rule of law.

ISIL has called for attacks against Canadians. It has called for attacks in our streets against innocent bystanders with the deliberate intent of making us all feel unsafe. It is doing this by preying on those who are vulnerable, on our most impressionable, on the isolated and the young, through its network of disgusting propaganda, and turning them against us.

This is the nature of the evil we face. There is no reasoning with an evil like ISIL. We are not sitting down to have tea with its members. There is no reasoning with a death cult that wants to massacre, rape, and pillage the developed world. We cannot condescendingly dismiss this as not our fight. ISIL has declared war on us. It has called for attacks on us. It has inspired attacks on us.

There has already been blood spilled in Canadian streets because of ISIL. We cannot say that is not our fight. We owe that to all of those who have been affected by this death cult. We owe that to all of those who fear for their sons and daughters being brainwashed by ISIL propaganda. We owe that to those who live under the tyranny of ISIL right now.

I can assure the members of the opposition who have suggested that we refocus our efforts on humanitarian aid that there is, indeed, a strong role for Canada in providing humanitarian aid in response to this very troubling situation. When I visited the Kurdistan region, I was told by several officials that Canada was an absolute leader in providing humanitarian aid, and they were very thankful. In particular, they paid tribute to our ambassador to Iraq, His Excellency Bruno Saccomani, for the leadership role he has played in working with them. We should be very proud of that.

Our ability to provide food, education, and shelter to those in need can only be done effectively if ISIL is pushed back. I heard that again from the government officials. Yes, there is an Iraqi security force, but we cannot give this fight to it alone.

Canada has the capacity to make a difference in this fight, and the first six months of this mission have demonstrated that. ISIL continues to be on the defensive, which is a welcome new trend. ISIL's recent attempts to regain territory in northern and central Iraq both failed as its onslaughts were successfully fended off by our coalition. By keeping ISIL out of these areas, we are saving lives. We know the difference it makes, because we know so well what ISIL is doing.

We have all heard about mass executions, and I heard that first-hand on my recent visit. We have all heard about the rape and sexual violence. I heard that from brave young women who told me their stories. We have all heard about the horrors that ISIL wages. We have discussed these already in this very place. This is why we cannot let ISIL have a base of operation from which it is unchallenged. ISIL cannot have a safe haven.

The last six months in Iraq have shown that our coalition has the capability to counter this evil head-on. We have decided to join our allies, who have been attacking ISIL in Syria without resistance from the Syrian government. The United States and other coalition partners have had six months of experience attacking ISIL targets in Syria. We will conduct air strikes against ISIL in Syria on the same legal and operational basis as our allies have been doing.

ISIL fighters and equipment have been moving freely across the Iraq-Syria border. ISIL has been consolidating and moving some of its heavier equipment into Syria because of the significant impact that the coalition air strikes have had on ISIL operations in Iraq. We have had success attacking ISIL targets in Iraq, and we will now expand to where ISIL is consolidating.

The Canadian Armed Forces record on the world stage is truly impressive. The men and women who serve our military continue to demonstrate their skill and dedication. Thanks to the readiness and agility of the Canadian Armed Forces, Canada is able to provide strong leadership and support to the international community.

It is because of our commitment to promoting international peace and security that we are assisting the people of Iraq. That is why I am proud to stand in the House tonight to support the government's motion for our continued role in helping people around the world who need our help and support. Canada is a world leader. We have so much to be proud of, and there is much more that we need to do.

God bless the people of Iraq and Syria as they go through the terrible situation that they are dealing with. Canada will always stand with them.

[Military Contribution Against ISIL, March 26th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, I certainly understand that NDP members will not support this mission.

However, in the first week of March, our March break week, I was in Kurdistan. I was on the ground and met with refugees. I met with young women who had been tortured at the hands of ISIL. When I asked these people what they wanted, they said that they just wanted to go home. They wanted to go home to the cities, communities and neighbourhoods they had lived in for centuries.

If we do not push ISIL out, if we do not remove it as a threat, how do we get those people back into their homes that they have had for hundreds and hundreds of years? The Yazidis, Christians and Chaldeans have all lived in these regions for years. They have no way to get back home unless ISIL is removed. Why does the NDP not understand that we have to remove the threat?

[Manufacturing Industry, March 25th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, manufacturing in southern Ontario remains critical to our nation's economy and long-term prosperity. Since we came to office, we have taken action to support manufacturing and all the jobs it supports in southern Ontario and across Canada.

While our government continues to create and stand up for jobs in the manufacturing sector, the leader of the Liberal party has been very clear in saying, “A large part of it is transitioning away from manufacturing-based employment as a driver in the economy”.

These comments are further proof that the Liberal leader is an economic novice, who is not capable of managing the Canadian economy in a still fragile global economy. Canadians deserve better.

That is why our government will continue to focus on jobs, fostering economic growth, and ensuring long-term prosperity for all Canadians.