John Baird

[National Defence, October 21st, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of National Defence is right now in Cold Lake, Alberta, to see off the members of the Canadian Forces who have volunteered to stand up for freedom and liberty against barbarism and against external threats to Canada. We wish him well, as we wish those members of the Canadian Armed Forces well as they undertake this mission.

We will, of course, through ordinary measures, Parliament, accountability, ensure that all the costs come before this House at the appropriate time.

[National Defence, October 21st, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, the combat mission has not even begun, and yet the NDP is already contemplating a quagmire.

What is important is that it is imperative we act with our allies to halt an ISIL spread and to reduce its capacity. We have authorized, for up to six months, an air campaign to participate with President Obama, with the United Kingdom, with France, and with our allies in the Arab world in this regard. It will be tremendously important that there be diplomatic and political work. The establishment of an inclusive government in Bagdad and the appointment of the last two members in that cabinet are another important step forward.

[National Defence, October 21st, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, what the government has done is authorize members of the Royal Canadian Air Force and the Canadian Armed Forces to participate in an international effort to try to halt the spread of a barbaric terrorist regime that is selling women into slavery, that is decapitating outsiders and humanitarian aid workers, that is summarily executing hundreds and thousands of people. We believe that our solution, the air campaign, is one area, as well as providing training, providing heavy lift support. An inclusive government in Baghdad is something that is tremendously important, as well as diplomatic work, humanitarian effort, and the engagement of the Sunni Arab world. All these things will be tremendously important, but Canada is prepared to do its share.

[National Defence, October 7th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister and the government are authorizing, subject to the vote in Parliament this evening, that Canadian Forces troops go and provide combat support to help stop the terrorist group ISIL.

Humanitarian workers are being decapitated, women sold into slavery, people summarily being executed, and that terror threat could very well make its way here to Canada.

We are going to work with our like-minded allies, with President Obama, the United Kingdom, and France, to determine whether we have been successful at stopping that humanitarian and human rights disaster and whether we will be able to push it backwards.

[Foreign Affairs, October 7th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, we have said that we are not going to war with Iraq and we are not to going to war with Syria. We are going to war with ISIL terrorists, people who are decapitating humanitarian workers, selling girls and young women into slavery, people who are summarily executing people of different religious faiths who do not accept ISIL's radical interpretation of Islam.

We have said very clearly in the motion before the House that we will go into Iraq, where the democratically elected government has invited us, and we will take real and significant action alongside our colleagues, whether it is with military support, humanitarian support or encouraging the establishment of an inclusionary government.

[Military Contribution Against ISIL, October 7th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, I think at some point in our history there might have been an opportunity where people came into this place and made impassioned speeches and spoke to the current issues of the day.

I have been here in this Parliament for more than three years. I have yet to see one single member of the official opposition, ever, not once, not one MP on one vote, vote against his or her party.

I, as a minister, a senior minister, have stood and voted against my own government on one or two issues, and I do not have a problem with that.

[Military Contribution Against ISIL, October 7th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, it might surprise the member opposite, but I share his concern. I wish there could be better collaboration between the government and the opposition, and the opposition and the government. When I say “opposition”, I mean all members whether independent, Green, Liberal or New Democratic. It is unfortunate that these things cannot be dealt with. The fact that it has risen to such a level speaks just as much about the official opposition as it does about the government.

When I was in opposition in the province of Ontario, opposition members did something remarkable. We actually worked with the government on a programming motion where, instead of debating day after day the most inconsequential bill, with the most consequential bills getting the same amount of time, we could come up with a motion, get a certain amount of work done in a prescribed amount of time, and all members could structure the debate and allocate how much would be on important issues and how much would be on less important issues.

Unfortunately, we have a situation now where the opposition wants to debate everything without ever having a vote on anything. We also have important responsibilities to move forward the people's business. I wish there could be a greater meeting of the minds and perhaps this debate will inspire everyone to do better.

[Military Contribution Against ISIL, October 7th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, I say to the member opposite that I guess it depends on how one defines “combat”.

The German government is not sending fighter planes. It is providing arms and munitions to troops on the ground there. In the United Kingdom, all three party leaders supported this initiative. They are conducting the combat mission that Canada's is contemplating with the motion before the House, as well as France and the United States.

If we look at our friends in the Arab world, Jordan is participating in a measure similar to Canada. The United Arab Emirates is participating. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is participating as we are. Bahrain is participating as we are. Denmark is participating as we are. Belgium is participating as we are. It is a long list and we are in good company.

[Military Contribution Against ISIL, October 7th, 2014]

—8 p.m. tonight.

We will debate this today. We debated it yesterday. We had an emergency debate on it two weeks ago. We brought the committee back early and debated it every day between 2:15 p.m. and 3 p.m. The opposition, if it would like additional days, has a certain amount of opposition days.

If this is so important, as the member opposite says, there are many opposition days and her party has yet to use one on this issue. If it is the most crucial and important issue, as she suggests, I know it will.

[Military Contribution Against ISIL, October 7th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, what this government is doing is having a vote at eight o'clock tonight. That is the exact time the New Democratic Party wanted to have a vote—