Madam Speaker, I will be sharing my time with the hon. member for Sudbury.
I am very pleased to take part in this debate on redefining the Canadian mission against the Islamic State. Two weeks ago, our government presented a detailed plan to broaden, improve, and redefine our contribution to the effort to combat ISIL.
Today, I would like to address the House about some of the key aspects of this plan. Last week, the Minister of National Defence summed up quite well the context in which our new approach was taken. He illustrated how different the current situation is from the situation that existed when the Canadian military mission began in the fall of 2014.
At the time, the situation in Iraq and Syria was worrisome. The Islamic State was progressing rapidly in both those countries, claiming territory and recovering abandoned military equipment for its own use. The group was in full expansion.
In the past 15 months, the situation on the ground has changed a great deal. The coalition attacks conducted by the United States in which Canada actively participated helped stop ISIL's progress and weaken its combat capability.
Since then, local military forces have conducted offensive military operations and have been able to reclaim territory, for example, in Ramadi. This progress encouraged our mission partners, led by the United States, to review their strategies, and Canada did the same, as dictated by the realities of the mission.
The first step should be an in-depth analysis of the situation which, as I mentioned, significantly evolved on the ground. We reviewed the impact we want our contribution to have, in light of the tools at our disposal and in light of Canada's tradition as a peacekeeping nation that helps local populations, not an aggressive nation. The city of Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu had to deal with the fallout of our attacks, namely the death of Warrant Officer Patrice Vincent on October 20, 2014.
We have developed a comprehensive, long-term strategy that is consistent with Canadian values. This strategy reflects that of our partners in the international coalition. We have consulted our closest allies and our partners, as well as our troops on the ground, and we sought opinions from military commanders and local military forces in Iraq.
The ministers of National Defence, Foreign Affairs, and International Development consulted senior executives in their respective departments to better assess the skills and tools available within the Canadian Armed Forces and the Government of Canada as a whole.
Together, they succeeded in redefining the contribution that Canada will make to the international coalition against the Islamic State in order to meet existing needs. Security, humanitarian aid and development will play a big part in this plan, as will our military contribution and diplomatic presence.
It is now clearer how the military action that will be taken under the new approach fits into a broader plan. This integrated approach will help establish conditions that will promote long-term stability in the region.
When it comes to military action, we firmly believe that the people of Iraq are ultimately responsible for stabilizing their country. We will provide local military forces with the expertise they need to strengthen their capacity and properly prepare to confront ISIL fighters.
As the Prime Minister and the Minister of National Defence announced on February 8, we will triple the size of Canada's train, advise and assist mission in northern Iraq. We are also going to considerably increase our intelligence capabilities. This enhanced contribution will be of critical importance as we transition to the next phase in the fight against ISIL.
We will also provide the Government of Iraq ministerial liaison personnel to the ministries of defence and the interior and we will work more closely with the governments of Jordan and Lebanon.
We also committed to increasing our medical presence to support Canadian personnel and that of other coalition countries. We also offered additional training to Iraqi security forces. We will deploy a small helicopter detachment with air crew and support personnel to provide safer and more reliable transport for our troops and also for our material and equipment.
As the Minister of National Defence and the Chief of the Defence Staff said, the fight against ISIL is a dangerous armed conflict that carries inherent risk to our men and women in uniform.
This mission will be riskier than air operations, but as our partners within the international coalition pointed out, at this point in the campaign more training and increased intelligence efforts are essential activities to ensure future success and the defeat of ISIL.
As all our government spokespeople have indicated since the announcement was made on the new definition of the Canadian mission, we will do everything in our power to keep our military and civilian personnel safe. All deployed personnel will benefit from the enhanced situational awareness that will come from our bolstered intelligence capabilities. The Canadian Armed Forces comprise highly trained and experienced men and women who know how to operate effectively in a conflict environment.
The Collège militaire royal de Saint-Jean in my riding wants to help our troops maintain their expertise. It wants to offer a social sciences program to promote the training of world-class leaders who have the skills needed to intervene in the area of conflict resolution. Having the capacity to on the ground by supporting local forces is part of university training in social sciences. This approach fits in with the action plan set out by DND and this government. Our forces are training in order to carry out their mission and, in this case, help defeat ISIL.
Over 60 countries are taking part in the international coalition against ISIL. This is an approach that fits in with the new American action plan for the fight against ISIL. A Pentagon spokesperson said that Canada's announcement was the kind of response that the U.S. Secretary of State was looking for from coalition members at a time when we are trying to accelerate the campaign against ISIL.
This approach is what our key coalition partners want from us. This approach is perfectly in line with what the coalition intends to do, as it is entering a new phase. The international coalition is going to benefit a great deal from our efforts. We need to increase our efforts with local partners to create real, long-term security solutions in the region.
We carried out a thorough analysis of the mission to fight ISIL. We consulted our partners and our allies, and we made decisions based on their input. We have gone through a concerted process to ensure that Canada's contribution remains central to the international coalition's campaign against ISIL. This new approach is coherent, comprehensive, and exhaustive. It draws on Canada's skills and some of our key strengths. It reflects Canadian values and is in line with the international coalition's current needs. Together, our government is focusing on defending our interests and the freedoms of individuals.
As many other members of the House have done during this debate, I too would like to offer my most heartfelt gratitude to those who have served, are serving, or will serve as part of Operation Impact. We owe them and their families an enormous debt of gratitude. I would like to pay tribute to the men and women who represent us so well here and around the world as they carry out their missions and, in this case, help to defeat ISIL. I do so on my own behalf and as the federal MP for the riding of Saint-Jean, a region with a significant military tradition.
