Matt DeCourcey

[Citizenship Act, March 9th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to commend the member opposite on the beginning of her speech. I thought it was quite elegant, and I agreed up to a certain point, although I have some fundamental disagreement with the philosophy she espoused since. I would also like to suggest that the comments from the member for Surrey—Newton and his experience essentially, in my view, validate what we are trying to espouse through this new bill and what the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship is leading here.

One of the points that the member opposite did not get to in her speech was the return of partial credits to international students who come to study in our world-class universities. I am proud to boast of two such universities in Fredericton—the University of New Brunswick and St. Thomas University—that attract smart, intelligent, highly skilled, and capable international students every year. They could contribute so much to the community I live in and to the province of New Brunswick, which need these young, industrious, entrepreneurial social leaders to stay and be part of our communities.

I would like the member opposite to comment on her support of the initiative to return some of the credit to international students who come to our communities and who can contribute so much to Canada.

[Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, March 9th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, it is important that Canada attract and retain top international students in order to remain competitive in the global economy.

In Fredericton, the University of New Brunswick, or UNB, and St. Thomas University are working hard to accomplish just that.

Can the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship tell the House about the initiatives the government is taking to encourage top students to remain in Canada?

[Canada's Contribution to the Effort to Combat ISIL, February 23rd, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, by the lack of acknowledgement in the member opposite's speech, she must agree with every other aspect of our plan to combat ISIL.

I am disappointed to hear her speak so unfavourably about our plan to resettle 25,000 Syrian refugees by the end of this month and then continue to welcome Syrian refugees right across the country. In the riding of Fredericton, it has not just been a government effort. It has been a whole-of-community effort, as it is in communities right across the country.

Not only has the minister made the commitment to demonstrate leadership by the federal government to bring in these vulnerable populations, but the health minister has demonstrated leadership in reintroducing the interim health program.

Communities have demonstrated leadership, with hundreds of volunteers spending countless hours in the evenings, on the weekends, and during their own work time to help make these people feel welcome. Fredericton now has more than 400 individual refugees, dozens of families. More than 1,000 individuals are throughout New Brunswick now. That province is punching way above its weight, as are many other communities right across the country.

I wonder why the member opposite speaks so unfavourably about this all-of-Canada approach to resettle these refugees as part of the larger mission to help defeat ISIL.

[Canada's Contribution to the Effort to Combat ISIL, February 23rd, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his speech.

He talked about the multi-dimensional aspect of the mission that we presented to the House.

The most important aspects are diplomacy, which we plan to use in the region at the political level, and increased humanitarian assistance for the people affected in the region. Furthermore, the assistance and military training mission in the region is also extremely important.

A lot of those people who will be overseas have received top-notch training at our military training bases across the country, including many who have passed through Base Gagetown in the riding of Fredericton.

Does the member not think that the multidimensional aspect speaks to just how important a role Canada has to play in this mission in Iraq and Syria to defeat ISIL and its terrible atrocities? Does he think that this multidimensional effort is not important and is not the role that Canada has to play in the world?

[Canada's Contribution to the Effort to Combat ISIL, February 22nd, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his speech. I appreciate his sports metaphors since I was a defender in soccer, although I was never a good goal scorer.

I wonder if the member could expand a little bit further on how this really is a team engagement that we are undertaking as part of a whole-of-government approach, and maybe speak to the multi-faceted efforts that our women and men in uniform, our diplomatic forces, as well as our political leadership will undertake to help resolve the issues that are ongoing in the region where we seek to play a prominent role.

[Canada's Contribution to the Effort to Combat ISIL, February 19th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, I think it is blatantly irresponsible for the Conservative opposition to suggest that this is one slim element that Canada has to play in the international fight against ISIL.

As I mentioned, in having walked through Oromocto, time and time again over the spring, summer, and fall, that community, and the Base Gagetown community that has grown up around it, have so much to offer to Canadians and Canada's international efforts, whether it be in diplomacy, leading humanitarian assistance, or leading in the military training effort they are going to undertake over these next number of years as part of Operation Impact.

I know that the people in the riding that I have the honour to represent, and those right across Canada, are proud of our women and men in uniform.

[Canada's Contribution to the Effort to Combat ISIL, February 19th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, as a government and as parliamentarians, we have a duty to ensure that we look out for our men and women in uniform and that we make informed decisions when we send them into conflict zones.

The men and women who pass through Base Gagetown, which is on the outskirts of the Oromocto community in the riding that I have the honour to represent, receive some of the best training delivered to any military personnel in the world. It is this sort of training, expertise, and sophistication that our military women and men are going to be bringing overseas to help capacitate Iraqi forces and help deliver some added stability to the region.

I will also mention the huge humanitarian assistance effort that goes along as part of this whole-of-government approach, and helping, as part of the coalition, to take down an evil force in the world in ISIL. Canada has an important role to play in this.

I have the utmost respect and confidence in our women and men in uniform to represent us well overseas and to do the job that we as parliamentarians and Canadians have tasked them with doing.

[Canada's Contribution to the Effort to Combat ISIL, February 19th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, it has been one of the greatest privileges I have ever had, to witness the coming together of the community of Fredericton in the welcoming of some 400 individuals and a number of families who have come to us as Syrian refugees. These people have arrived and told us their stories of having come from deplorable situations, and about how well received and how welcome they have felt by those in the community.

I do not think we can underestimate the situation that many of these refugees have found themselves in over the last number of years and how important a role Canada has to play in welcoming these refugees, as well as helping our Lebanese and Jordanian partners to accommodate refugees in camps in that part of the world.

It is about providing humanitarian assistance, compassion, and relief to individuals, but also providing some assistance to those who are carrying a heavy shoulder in this refugee effort in that region of the world.

[Canada's Contribution to the Effort to Combat ISIL, February 19th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, I will be splitting my time with the member for Don Valley East.

I am proud to rise in the House today to endorse a motion that supports the government's decision to broaden, improve, and redefine Canada's contribution to the effort to combat ISIL. This decision will help better leverage Canadian expertise and complement the work of our coalition partners to ensure maximum effect.

I am also proud of and grateful to the members of the Canadian Armed Forces and the diplomatic corps for doing their part in the fight against terrorism. I also want to thank the Canadian humanitarian workers for their efforts to provide much-needed help to the people affected by the conflict. I want to reiterate my support for our country's continued commitment to our coalition allies in the fight against the Islamic State.

This decision will refocus our military contribution by expanding the advise and assist mission of the Canadian Armed Forces in Iraq. It will significantly increase intelligence capabilities in Iraq and theatre-wide, and see the deployment of CAF medical personnel. It will enhance capacity-building efforts with our defence partners in Jordan and Lebanon to advance regional stability. As well, it would see the withdrawal of our CF-18s while we maintain air force surveillance and refuelling capability.

This decision will help to improve the living conditions of those affected by the conflict, and help to build the foundations for long-term regional stability, including in Lebanon and Jordan. It will lead to significant investments in humanitarian assistance, and an enhanced role for experienced humanitarian partners working to support the basic needs of conflict-affected populations, including children and victims of sexual and gender-based violence.

This would allow us to engage more effectively with political leaders throughout the region. It would help us increase Canada's contribution to international efforts aimed at finding political solutions to the crises affecting the region and would reinforce our diplomatic presence to facilitate the delivery of enhanced programming. This decision would see us increase CAF deployments, strengthen dialogue with local and international partners on the ground, and generally give Canada a stronger voice in the region.

As well, this decision will see us complete our goal of welcoming tens of thousands of Syrian refugees to Canada.

Last month, constituents throughout Fredericton, New Maryland, Oromocto, and the Grand Lake region were proud to welcome home troops leading Operation Provision, an important part of this whole-of-government approach to combatting ISIL. On January 12, in the wee hours of the morning, 58 soldiers returned to 5th Canadian Division Support Base Gagetown, after working in Beirut and Amman to process Syrian refugees destined to Canada. These military personnel spent months supporting staff from the Department of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, aiding with security patrols, data entry, and medical screenings.

I am proud of these soldiers' contribution to this operation. When they returned in January, I was also happy to see them reunited with their loved ones and colleagues. We all owe these women and men our gratitude for their service and praise for their work.

We cannot understate the tremendous effect that this nationwide community resettlement effort has had on the over 21,000 Syrian refugees who have come to us as vulnerable global citizens.

As has been recognized numerous times by the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, my home province of New Brunswick, and the riding I have the honour to represent, Fredericton, have punched well above their weight in this resettlement effort. New Brunswick has now welcomed nearly 1,000 new residents, and I am proud to say that Fredericton now boasts of 400 new community members.

The leadership and support of our military, our community resettlement agencies, and the outpouring of generosity and support from everyday citizens in Fredericton and clear across this country has been nothing short of inspiring, outstanding, and heartwarming. All of these community leaders deserve our gratitude for their tireless efforts.

There is no doubt that, as part of this government decision, military efforts will continue to play an important role in setting the conditions necessary to deal with the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.

In the town of Oromocto, 5th Canadian Division Support Base Gagetown, Canada's largest military training base and home to some 6,000 military and civilian personnel, will surely play a leading role in the mission to defeat ISIS, deliver increased stability to the region, and develop capacity for local good governance, peace, and security. Consisting of two large formations and numerous larger units, the Combat Training Centre at Base Gagetown is organized around five distinct training schools: armour, artillery, infantry, tactics, and military engineering.

As Canada triples the size of its train, assist, and advise mission to help Iraqi security forces plan and conduct military operations against ISIL, the expertise and sophistication delivered from our women and men in uniform, many of whom will have passed through Base Gagetown, will prove essential and vital to efforts.

These CAF members will provide high-demand expertise in the areas of operational planning, targeting and intelligence. CAF medical personnel will provide training to Iraqi security forces in the conduct of casualty management in a battlefield context. Our personnel will examine ways to enhance in-theatre tactical transport.

Another key objective of this government's whole-of-government strategy is to promote security and stability. Canada's efforts will help prevent the spread of violent extremism by enhanced capacity-building efforts with security forces in Jordan and Lebanon.

Other Government of Canada security initiatives include $145 million over the next three years for the fight against terrorism and for stabilization and security programs.

Canada will also continue efforts to support capacity-building and training of security forces of law enforcement organizations, stem the flow of foreign terrorist fighters, and prevent ISIL from accessing funds.

Canada will work with experienced partners to deliver $840 million in humanitarian assistance over the next three years to support the basic needs of those hardest hit by the conflict, including children and survivors of sexual and gender-based violence. Canada will also deliver $270 million over the next three years to build local capacity to provide basic social services, enhanced infrastructure, and help with accountable governance.

Canada's new approach also gives priority to enhancing Canada's diplomatic role.

Canada's new policy to address the ongoing crisis in Iraq and Syria and the impact it is having on surrounding regions will make a meaningful contribution to the global coalition's fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. It will help to strengthen the ability of regional governments and local authorities to defend themselves, and allow them to rebuild over the long term.

It is a whole-of-government approach that allows several federal departments to work closely together to enhance security and stability, provide vital humanitarian assistance, and help partners deliver social services, rebuild infrastructure, and help with good governance. It is a whole-of-government approach that requires the ongoing leadership of the hard-working citizens of the riding of Fredericton, including men and women in uniform who pass through Base Gagetown.

It is a whole-of-government approach that I am proud to support.

[Operation Provision, February 18th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, last month constituents throughout Fredericton, New Maryland, Oromocto, and the Grand Lake region were proud to welcome home troops serving in Operation Provision.

On January 12, in the wee hours of the morning, 58 soldiers arrived at 5th Canadian Division Support Base Gagetown after working in Beirut and Amman to process Syrian refugees destined for Canada.

Military personnel spent months supporting staff in the Department of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, aiding the security personnel with data entry and with medical screenings.

We were proud to see these soldiers contribute to this operation and proud to see them reunited with their loved ones and colleagues. I would like to personally thank these men and women for their service and congratulate them on their work.