This morning, I rose in the House of Commons to ask the Minister of Defence a very important question during Question Period. The Liberal government is still not being completely transparent with Canadians with regards to Canada’s contribution to the anti-ISIS mission. The withdrawal of our CF-18 fighter jets, combined with the addition of four Griffon helicopters, is just further proof of the Liberals’ incoherent strategy in the region.
Their plan is increasing the risk to our troops and they must be held accountable for their decisions. As a Member of Parliament, I’m proud to stand up for the many military families in my riding, and voice their concerns for the lives of their loved ones.
Click here to view the clip of my question during Question Period.
42nd Parliament, 1st Session
Official Report (Hansard)
Friday, February 19th, 2016
Oral Questions
Mrs. Cheryl Gallant (Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, Conservative):
Mr. Speaker, the families of soldiers well remember the 2002 friendly fire when U.S. jets fired on Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan, killing four.
Our CF-18s would have known they were Canadian boots on the ground, and now we are back to relying on other countries for air cover.
What did the minister mean yesterday when he said our special forces in Iraq need anti-armour?
Did he withdraw the CF-18s before putting necessary protection in place for our soldiers on the ground?