Peter MacKay

[Afghanistan, December 2nd, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, I know the Leader of the Opposition would model himself after other countries. We are taking a unique Canadian approach. We have an ambassador in Afghanistan. We have a whole of government approach that has in fact been the envy of other countries. We have seen, in General McChrystal's report, an endorsement of the approach that Canada and the Canadian Forces have pursued in Afghanistan.

Guess what? It is working. It is working to great effect in Kandahar city where Canadian Forces again are doing marvellous work. It is working with our CIDA representatives. It is working at the PRT. We are making great progress in many areas, all because of professional, hard-working, dedicated Canadians who can make us proud.

[Afghanistan, December 2nd, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, I know all Canadians and members of the House will applaud the announcement yesterday by President Obama to surge 30,000 additional forces into Afghanistan, predominantly into the south where Canadian Forces are carrying out marvellous work, as are our diplomats and aid workers.

With respect to change, we have been pursuing a whole of government approach that is coupling with our efforts of diplomacy, coupling with the efforts of aid workers, all under the umbrella and rubric of security provided by Canadian Forces and NATO allies. This is the struggle of our time. Canada is pulling its weight. Canada is doing marvellous work in Afghanistan.

[Afghanistan, December 2nd, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, there will be no change, per se, on the ground in Afghanistan. However, what we have seen is an endorsement of the good work being done by the Canadian Forces in this mission.

What we have seen, and the Leader of the Opposition will acknowledge, is an endorsement of the model which has been employed by Canadian Forces and this is confidence in their commanders and in the good work of the Canadian Forces. I know the hon. member will want to join me in congratulating that work.

[Afghanistan, December 1st, 2009]

Yes, I can confirm that, Mr. Speaker.

[Afghanistan, December 1st, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, what happens on the ground with respect to operational deployment of troops really is a testament to the high regard with which Canadian soldiers are held by our allies, particularly the United States. With respect to the command structure that is in place, Canadian generals, Canadian commanders actually have command over other countries. We have assumed this type of responsibility.

With respect to territorial responsibilities, the Arghandab Valley is an area for which Canada had previously held responsibility. This is where the Dahla Dam project takes place, an important contribution, a signature project that provides water and irrigation for Afghans.

We can be very proud of the professionalism and the magnificent work of our men and women in uniform.

[Afghanistan, December 1st, 2009]

Again, Mr. Speaker, we improved the situation. We invested more heavily in improving the justice system and human rights system in Afghanistan.

With respect to documents, we continue to provide all legally required documents, documents that are available, documents that have to be vetted by the Department of Justice for content to ensure no national security risks will occur, that no information was received by the Canadian government from other sources to ensure we protect the interests of the Canadian Forces for operational reasons on the ground.

I think even a member of the Bloc could understand there are security concerns that we have to protect.

[Afghanistan, December 1st, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, what again is so irresponsible, so inflammatory and so false is for the hon. member to try to parse her words and suggest somehow that the Canadian military was complicit in torture, suggesting that those hard-working, honest officials and military on the ground would deliberately transfer detainees, Taliban prisoners, to Afghan authorities knowing they would be tortured. That is a backhanded way to cast aspersions on the good work being done by our military and our professional public service. That is what those members are doing.

[Afghanistan, December 1st, 2009]

Despite that rambling dissertation, Mr. Speaker, I will take Canada's record on human rights over China's any day.

I go back to the issue at hand. What we do as a government is act responsibly. We enhanced the arrangement to allow for greater monitoring inside prisons. We upped our ability to train, monitor and mentor prison officials. We invested in the physical prisons themselves. Those are the responsible things we did, and we started doing that immediately after taking office.

Contrary to the allegations, we acted responsibly, quickly and improved the situation in Afghanistan.

[Afghanistan, December 1st, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, talk about sucking and blowing. We are being accused of not releasing documents but leaking them at the same time.

There is a mandatory obligation on public officials to ensure that when information is released, it is in compliance with the Canada Evidence Act. That legislation was made more robust by, and wait for it, the previous government.

With respect to information, I think most people, even the hon. member, can understand that we want to protect operational matters, information received from other countries, other sources, confidential sources, national security. Those are the reasons these documents are being examined by the Department of Justice.

[Afghanistan, December 1st, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, the ranting and raving and unfounded allegations from the member opposite are not going to change the facts.

We acted and acted responsibly on advice that came from senior military advisers, military generals and commanders on the ground in Afghanistan. We acted on the advice of Mr. David Mulroney, who was a senior bureaucrat, a public servant and an impartial person helping us with decisions in Afghanistan.

That is the responsible thing to do. That is in fact what I would suspect the member opposite and his government did when they were receiving this same type of advice. The difference of course is that we took action. We took responsibility. We improved the arrangement. We improved the resources, as we did with the military.

That is our record. Let him defend his.