‘Counter-terrorism efforts’ expanding
Liberals and NDP say they will not back combat role
Canada could be sending its military into a combat mission in Iraq over the objections of both opposition parties, as Prime Minister Stephen Harper tells the House of Commons on Friday what his government’s next steps are in the campaign to stop extremists from Islamic State, also known as ISIL or ISIS.
Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau issued broad hints Thursday that his party, like the NDP, won’t be on-side with a combat role.
On Thursday evening the opposition parties were informed that Harper will deliver a statement in the House on Friday “outlining Canada’s additional support for counter-terrorism efforts against ISIL,” said the Prime Minister’s Office.
Jason MacDonald, the prime minister’s spokesperson, said Harper’s statement will outline Canada’s contribution to the “counter-terrorism operation, as well as our ongoing humanitarian support.” A motion will be introduced in Parliament that MPs will debate, and vote on, Monday.
In a speech at a conference hosted by think-tank Canada 2020 Thursday, Trudeau agreed that this country must play a role in the battle against Islamic State. The Liberal leader spoke in favour of Canada helping in a variety of ways: non-combat training; airlift transport; medical aid; and humanitarian aid for refugees.
But he said Prime Minister Stephen Harper has not yet explained why a combat mission involving CF-18 fighter bombers should be part of the Canadian response to the crisis.
Trudeau accused the prime minister of “playing politics” with the issue and of refusing to address key questions such as: How has Canada offered to help the U.S. military? How long would Canada’s combat mission last? What difference would Canada’s CF-18s make to the coalition’s objectives?
“Mr. Harper is intent on taking Canada to war in Iraq. He needs to justify that. He has not made the case for it. He hasn’t even tried,” Trudeau said.
“Canada has asked a lot of our men and women in uniform over the last decade. And too often they have returned home only to be let down. If we are to ask more of them now, we had better have a good reason.”
Trudeau departed from the formality of his speech with an off-colour joke when questioned by the event moderator on whether the Liberals will support a combat mission. He spoke of the need to help refugees and suggested that Harper is adopting a macho posture by favouring direct military action.
“Why aren’t we talking more about the kind of humanitarian aid that Canada can and must be engaged in?” he asked those at the Canada 2020 conference. “Rather than, you know, trying to whip out our CF-18s and show them how big they are. It just doesn’t work like that in Canada.”
Later at the conference, Conservative Employment Minister Jason Kenney said he was “disturbed” by Trudeau’s wisecrack.
“To make a juvenile high school joke about the use of the Royal Canadian Air Force in a global coalition to combat a genocidal terrorist organization says a great deal about Mr. Trudeau’s judgment,” said Kenney.
Trudeau said that unlike previous prime ministers, Harper has made no effort to build a non-partisan case for war.