Canada extends mission against ISIL
PARLIAMENT: Motion passed to continue deeper military campaign in the Mideast
OTTAWA — Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s Conservatives used their majority in the House of Commons Monday night to pass a motion in support of a deeper military mission in the Middle East.
Members of Parliament voted 142-129 in favour of the government’s plan to extend the mission by another year, and to bomb ISIL.
The vote came after a debate in the Commons that was divided along party lines.
The governing Tories called on all MPs to back the new mission to provide “moral clarity” to Canada’s plan to “degrade” ISIL until it no longer poses a threat to Canada and the world.
But opposition leaders have been highly critical, arguing the government has neither made the case for an expanded mission nor identified an “exit strategy,” and there are better ways — such as humanitarian assistance — for Canada to help.
MPs from the NDP, Liberals and Green party opposed the motion and cast their votes against it. But the Tories, who have had a majority in the House since the 2011 election, had the power to pass the motion.
Harper, who announced the mission in a speech to the Commons last week, released a written statement after the vote in which he reiterated his government’s plan.
“We cannot stand on the sidelines while ISIL continues to promote terrorism in Canada as well as against our allies and partners, nor can we allow ISIL to have a safe haven in Syria.”
Senior cabinet ministers spoke in the final hours of debate in favour of the mission.
Earlier in the day, Harper spoke about the mission at a news conference in southern Ontario, saying ISIL “represents a serious threat to this country” and must be “degraded.”
In the past few months, he said, ISIL’s strength has been diminished in Iraq, but “there’s more to be done” against it in Syria.
“I would hope we will continue to degrade this organization so that its capacity to strike outside of the region continues to diminish. I’m not going to put a timeline on that. But, obviously, this is of great concern to our five dozen allies who are there as well.”
NDP Leader Tom Mulcair and Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau delivered speeches in the debate Monday evening.
Mulcair said the mission violates international law because Canada doesn’t have the consent of Syria to drop bombs in that country.
“The very foundation of this House, the foundation of everything we do here, is prescribed by law,” Mulcair said. “To abandon the law so recklessly for the sake of political expediency, as the prime minister is eager to do, threatens the very principles we were sent here to defend.”
He said the airstrikes in Syria, which is ravaged by civil war, “implicates” this country in that conflict and “could suck Canada into decades of conflict.”
In his speech, Trudeau said the Liberals believe Canada has a “role” to play in the crisis — but that it does not include military combat. He said the government should put more emphasis on humanitarian aid and immediately work to accept an additional 25,000 refugees.