One of the biggest mistakes this new Government has made in their short time in office has been leaving our troops without the adequate air support the CF-18 Fighter Jets were providing for them. The decision to triple the number of Canadian soldiers on the ground in the fight against ISIL to compensate for our withdrawal of the CF-18 jets affects our community directly, as it affects our local base, Garrison Petawawa. Those soldiers will come from the Canadian Special Operations Regiment (CSOR). They, and their families, are my friends and family, I see their faces every day. That’s why I was proud to represent the interests of our troops and their families by speaking in the House today on the Liberal’s plan.
Canadian soldiers do not complain. They do their job. We owe it to give them the proper equipment and resources to do the job we ask them to do. The Prime Minister and his advisors cynically hope Canadians have forgotten what happens when troops are caught in a war zone without proper air support. The new Defence Minister is very quick to tell Canadians he has the first-hand experience of serving as a reservist in Afghanistan. That would suggest he has direct knowledge of the consequence of sending soldiers into conflict without the proper tools and resources. It is my hope, that this Government comes to the realization that this plan doesn’t provide the full support our soldiers deserve in their fight against ISIL.
Please take a moment to view my speech and join me in reminding the Liberals that our soldiers deserve the very best, and nothing less than that.