Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to rise and speak to this important motion. Before that, I would like to make a comment with regard to some of the comments we have just heard from the member of the Liberal Party. I would remind that member that we are talking about our brave men and women who have made a tremendous contribution to our country and to the freedom that we so dearly enjoy. I would encourage him to stop spreading misinformation and using the scare tactics that he and his party employ.
One example he used in his remarks was how Veterans Affairs is destroying thousands of files and boxes, and so on. I can assure the House that none of those files or boxes would affect veterans who are living or receiving benefits. They are files and boxes from years ago. However, that member continues to spread misinformation and use scare tactics. These are real people—men, women, and families—we are dealing with. We need more respect for our veterans, especially from that member and that party over there. I hope that he and his party will stop spreading this misinformation, especially comments of the kind he made on Remembrance Day on national television. He knows well what those are. I would encourage him to refrain from making comments such as those and have some respect for our veterans.
It is a privilege to rise and offer my support for this very important motion that calls upon the Government of Canada to honour our Afghan veterans by creating a permanent memorial at an existing or new site in the national capital region.
I would first like to congratulate the hon. member for Palliser, who has proposed the motion and has been accorded the well-deserved honour of opening this debate.
With parliamentary approval, this motion will be a fitting tribute and a recognition of the contribution and sacrifices made by the brave men and women of the Canadian Armed Forces and the memory of those who have made the ultimate sacrifice on behalf of all Canadians.
I am pleased to confirm that the government will support this motion and I thank the Minister of Veterans Affairs for his hard work on this important subject. I personally would like to thank him for continuing to build upon the accomplishments this government has achieved in recognizing and supporting Canada's veterans. Our government has invested nearly $5 billion in new funding to improve the benefits and services we provide to our veterans and their families. We have reduced the red tape so that our veterans can access the benefits they need, in addition to adding 600 points of service across the country from coast to coast to coast.
This government remains committed to continuing to work with Canadians on initiatives, such as our Helmets to Hardhats program to help Canada's veterans transition to fulfilling second careers in the private sector. Toward that time, those of us present today have the duty and indeed the honour to put the process in motion, if members will pardon the pun. I would submit that all members should take an active role in providing their input, and that of Canadians, as to where the memorial should be located, and continue to address other key elements of this important undertaking.
There are memorials throughout our great nation from coast to coast to coast, some only a short distance away from this chamber, that stand as an unwavering testament to our proud military history and the incredible men and women who have served Canada with bravery and distinction.
The Afghanistan mission is another chapter in that proud history.
I have a responsibility, as all members do, to promote and preserve such a record of courage and commitment. We are the ones who debate and decide the mission to which we commit our fellow citizens who wear the uniform bearing the flag of Canada on their shoulders.
Canada's mission in Afghanistan has been the most significant military mission since the Korean War. It has been costly in that 158 of our soldiers, sailors and airmen and women, and four Canadian civilians made the ultimate sacrifice combatting the spread of terrorism. Canada has lost some of our finest and bravest. Over 2,050 Canadians have been wounded, and for some their wounds are so severe that their military career has ended or will come to an end. Some face months of treatment and rehabilitation before returning to their units, their comrades, and their noble duties. Some need our support in their transition to civilian life and meaningful employment. Many have wounds that are less visible but equally troubling and challenging. These brave men and women are deserving of our support and recognition, as are their families and other loved ones who form such a vital part of their support network.
When I refer to Canada's veterans, I speak of Canadians who do not question the causes to which we commit them. They are highly trained professionals who apply their respective skills in the defence of the ideals and values that their fellow citizens define and believe are worth protecting.
From us and their military commanders, they expect a clear explanation of their mission and the provision of tools to get the job done. In return, they do not expect praise or reward. Their modesty and professionalism is simply astonishing. In short, they exemplify the Canadian way. They get the job done and move on.
In closing, I would like to remind my fellow members of the Afghanistan Memorial Vigil, unveiled and displayed here on Parliament Hill, which is travelling across the country. This vigil consists of the original memorial plaques from the Kandahar airfield cenotaph that honours those who gave their lives courageously defending Canada's shared ideals and values. As it travels across our great country and appears in the constituencies we represent, I urge all members to make every effort to support its purpose and promote its presence.
Our government has kept and continues to keep faith with those who have defended Canada. Canada's veterans stood up for us and we will always stand by them.
Let us do the right thing. Let us put actions to our words. We must keep faith and prove by our passing of this motion that we will never forget. The eyes of those who fell, the eyes of those who serve and the eyes of those who support them, are upon each and every one of us. We must not, we cannot fail them. Let us do our duty and pass this motion. Lest we forget.
