Tallinn, Estonia – Cheryl Gallant, MP Renfrew-Nipissing-Pembroke, Chair, of the Canadian North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Parliamentary Association, was pleased recently to lead the Canadian Delegation to the NATO Plenary session in Tallinn, Estonia.
“As a forum that brings together European and North American legislators who share membership in a common alliance, the NATO Parliamentary Assembly debates issues of common interest and concern,” said Cheryl Gallant, MP. Importantly, this is accomplished without the narrow partisan debate we hear in Canada when it comes to issues like defence procurement and the need to have a well-trained, properly equipped Canadian military.”
The NATO Parliamentary Assembly was established in 1955 to provide an essential link between NATO and the elected representatives of the NATO Nations. This helps build parliamentary and public consensus in support of Alliance policies. The Canadian NATO Parliamentary Association consists of membership of all political parties represented in the House of Commons.
In addition to Head of Delegation MP Cheryl Gallant, MP delegates included Laurie Hawn, Brent Rathgeber, Christine Moore, Isabelle Morin, Lawrence MacAulay and from the Senate Raynell Andreychuk, Pierre Claude Nolin, Jane Cordy, Joseph Day.
“The spring plenary had a very full agenda” stated MP Gallant. “I am pleased to acknowledge the work of Senator Nolin in preparing a special draft report for the NATO Parliamentary Assembly on Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (drones). His report is timely for discussion in Canada now that the mission to Afghanistan is drawing to a close.”
As the MP of a riding that includes the largest army base in Canada, CFB Petawawa, I was particularly interested to hear from democratic representatives from other NATO alliance nations, their viewpoint regarding the NATO Afghanistan mission. There is no doubt that Canada’s international stature has increased since we became government in no small part thanks to our courageous women and men in uniform. My NATO colleagues let me know how much Canada is appreciated internationally,” concluded MP Cheryl Gallant.
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