Release
Date:
February 15, 2008
For
Release: Immediate
Open
Letter to Prime Minister Stephen Harper from the Hon. Stéphane Dion,
Leader of the Opposition
Dear
Prime Minister,
Today
Canada carries a heavy burden in Afghanistan. Our brave men and women in
the Canadian Forces and our civilian officials face very real risks every
day, as they serve their country and the people of Afghanistan by working
to bring hope and stability to this troubled region.
We are
in agreement that we cannot abandon the people of Afghanistan, as there
remains much to be done to ensure that the stability and governance
institutions are in place to allow Afghans themselves to resolve their
differences. But Liberals
recognize that Canada’s mission has to change. We cannot simply continue
to extend the same mission indefinitely.
That is why we have provided the government with an alternative
plan for the future of Canada’s mission in Afghanistan.
The
Liberal plan is consistent with our longstanding position that Canada’s
mission in Kandahar must change in February 2009. It brings clarity to our
goals in Afghanistan by placing a greater emphasis on stronger and more
disciplined diplomatic efforts, and striking a better balance with respect
to the reconstruction and development efforts that will be essential to
creating a stable Afghanistan.
In drafting this
new wording, we were guided by three simple principles that we thought
were lacking from the government’s motion:
·
The mission must change – NATO must
ensure the rotation of new troops into Kandahar so that Canadian troops
can shift in February 2009 to training of the Afghan National Army and
police, and protection of reconstruction efforts;
·
The mission must end – we must have a
clear end date of February 2011, not a further review date that will lead
us down the path of a never-ending mission; and
·
The mission must be about more than the
military – there is no exclusively military solution to the conflict in
Afghanistan so our efforts must be balanced between defence, diplomacy and
development.
Liberals
also believe that clarity, honesty and transparency are essential to the
success of the mission. To
this end, we believe, and our amended motion stipulates, that the
government should provide the public with franker and much more frequent
reporting on events in Afghanistan.
For
example, Canadians’ faith in the Afghan mission has been undermined by
the troubling reports of abuse in Afghan prisons and the government’s
secrecy surrounding these allegations.
Canadians must have faith that core values, including respect for
human rights and the belief in the dignity of all people, are at the heart
of this mission.
In the
coming weeks we will continue our national debate on Afghanistan.
It is
my continued belief that the future of Canada’s mission should be openly
discussed in Parliament with all of Canada watching.
On
Tuesday, we put forward this clear and substantive position, which we
believe represents the common ground that best reflects the values of the
majority of Canadians. The
government immediately expressed openness to our position.
It is
my hope that you will consider accepting the terms of the Liberal motion,
which was put forward with the objective of defining values and goals for
the mission that all Canadians can respect, and not with partisan
political calculations in mind.
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Contact:
Press
Office
Office
of the Leader of the Opposition
(613)
995-5904
