SoVote

Mr. Alex Ruff (Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound, CPC)

Mar/31/22 6:42:21 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I rise tonight not really as the member for Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound representing my constituents, and not even really as a Conservative member of Parliament. That is the privilege I have to be able to rise. I rose and asked the Minister of Foreign Affairs a question last week in reference to a quote that she made, where she stated that Canada “is not a military power.” As I stated in that question, I have had the privilege of leading some of Canada's finest warriors in Bosnia, Afghanistan and Iraq, and I would like to educate the minister. That was the point I made in that question about how the strength of our Canadian Armed Forces personnel and our Canadian military is based upon the fact that we are a military power. It was a simple question to the minister, and that is why I am here tonight to give the minister the opportunity to put it officially on the record, to all our combat veterans across this great nation of ours, that she will acknowledge that the Canadian Armed Forces personnel are among the best in the world and that we are a military power. Let me expand a little bit, just because there are a lot of myths out there about Canadian Armed Forces personnel and what we have been doing throughout the history of Canada. I think this is even more important as we are approaching the 105th anniversary of Vimy. That is where, really, Canada became a great nation because of our military power and because of our victory on Vimy Ridge, 105 years ago next week. In my own experience, I turned to my first platoon warrant officer when I was in Oscar Company of the 3rd Battalion of the Royal Canadian Regiment. We were in Bosnia, but before we got there, I was talking to my platoon warrant officer, and he explained that when he first rolled in from Germany down to Bosnia and Croatia, during the conflicts of the mid- and early 90s, he got into a situation where he got into a roadblock. He was being held up. He took that opportunity to push back with those forces that were trying to oppose his soldiers and say, no, they could not do their job of keeping the peace. He was able to point up to the ridge line and that anti-armour TOW system that was geared up and pointed directly at that roadblock, and that military power allowed him to do his job of keeping the peace over there. What disappointed me very much in the response was that the minister chose to go partisan. As I said, my question had no context and no partisan angle to it. I was not asking as a Conservative. I was asking as a veteran of the Canadian Armed Forces, and she said that the question was rich coming from the Conservatives. I served from 1993 to 2019. I started under Chrétien's government and I lived through the decade of darkness under that Liberal government. I lived under the Harper government, when we got Chinooks, we got strategic lift and we got tanks delivered to us. I even served under the current government. In the end, all I am asking for the minister to do is to acknowledge that we have some of the best military personnel in the world in our Canadian Armed Forces and that we are a military power.

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Context: House Hansard - 50 - Mar/31/22

Mr. Bryan May (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Defence, Lib.)

Mar/31/22 6:45:49 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I thank the member opposite for giving me the opportunity to speak about Canada's role on the international stage. I know that all members here today have a profound respect and admiration for the work our military members do and for the dedication and sacrifices of all who have served. I will start by sincerely thanking those currently serving, as well as veterans, for their service. I would also like to thank the member opposite for his service to Canada as a member of the Canadian Armed Forces. For over 100 years, members of our military have served in some of the most difficult and dangerous circumstances imaginable: the Battle of Vimy Ridge, the harsh seas during the Battle of the Atlantic, and protecting the skies in countless air operations during wartime and peace. From the liberation of the Netherlands to the Battle of Kapyong to combat operations in Kandahar, Canadian soldiers have been on the front lines of some of the most significant conflicts in modern history. When disasters have struck here at home, they have deployed time and time again to help their fellow Canadians when they need it the most. Right now, we are seeing the impact that the Canadian Armed Forces' efforts have had in Ukraine. Tens of thousands of Ukrainian security forces are leveraging the training they received through Operation Unifier as they fight for their country's right to freedom and self-governance against Russia's horrific invasion. While all the credit goes to the people of Ukraine, we are proud of the training work that the CAF has undertaken with their personnel. As the member opposite said in the House last week, Canadian Armed Forces personnel are among the best in the world. I think we can all acknowledge that they are some of the most highly skilled and professional armed forces personnel there are. From counterterrorism missions to training and capacity-building to helping enforce UN sanctions, the Canadian Armed Forces play a central role in upholding international peace and security. When the now Deputy Prime Minister outlined her vision for Canada's foreign policy approach back in 2017, she noted that “Principled use of force, together with our allies and governed by international law, is part of our history and must be part of our future.” Simply put, having a strong and capable fighting force is critical to Canada's diplomatic presence internationally, and that is why our government has been making critical smart investments in our forces, in addition to increasing spending by 70% between 2017 and 2026, to ensure our armed forces have the right people, the right equipment and the training to do the difficult tasks we ask of them. As part of these efforts, the Prime Minister and the Minister of National Defence have indicated that they are exploring options to further increase our investment in defence. We are proud of Canada's reputation across the globe as a source of stability and a significant diplomatic presence. At the same time, we know that having a robust, well-funded and well-supported military helps us maintain our seat at the table. The Canadian Armed Forces are a vital part of Canada's efforts abroad. I know our allies and partners are grateful for the support of our people in uniform and I know Canadians are proud of them as well.

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Context: House Hansard - 50 - Mar/31/22

Mr. Alex Ruff

Mar/31/22 6:49:34 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, first off, my thanks to the parliamentary secretary. I take his words to heart. I know he is a strong advocate for our Canadian Armed Forces and our veterans, having sat on the veterans affairs committee with him in the last Parliament. However, I am actually disappointed. My question was directed to the Minister of Foreign Affairs. The whole question was directed at her actions. It was not to the government and not to the parliamentary secretary, but to her specifically, as to whether she will recognize how good our Canadian Armed Forces personnel are. I will ask the parliamentary secretary to take that message back. Other Liberal MPs have apologized on her behalf; I want her to actually state in this House how good our military personnel are.

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