OTTAWA - Peter MacKay, the newly minted defence minister, says the government has to do a better job of telling Canadians about the progress being made in Afghanistan.
MacKay, who swapped foreign affairs for defence in the cabinet shuffle two weeks ago, is still boning up on the details of his new ministry. But he clearly sees that selling Afghanistan to a skeptical public is a big part of the job.
"We have to articulate, perhaps a bit more forcefully, just what we've been able to accomplish," he said in an interview with The Canadian Press.
His predecessor, Gordon O'Connor, who was moved to the Canada Revenue Agency in the shuffle, was perceived as a stiff, even uncomfortable speaker when it came to offering a vision of the Afghan mission.
Public opinion polls have shown growing opposition to Canada's combat role in the country. Pollsters suggest the growing casualty lists - 70 dead and counting since 2002 - seem to be fuelling that opposition.
MacKay said the emotion surrounding the casualties can overshadow what's been accomplished.
"That's not to in any way diminish the sacrifice, but people have to translate that. These are sacrifices that have paid enormous dividends."
He said he wants Canadians to understand that there has been progress and that progress is directly linked to the military presence which helps provide the stability needed for development.
"In my opinion, there's a lot of important, tangible evidence and information that has to be relayed to the public more effectively."
Canada and its NATO allies are helping "to bring peace and security and stability to that country that for decades has been war-torn," he said.
Canadians need to hear about "the millions of Afghans who have returned, the six million children who are now in schools - who were not there previously - that fact that girls can attend school where they couldn't previously, the fact that women can not only work and contribute and access micro finance to help feed and clothe their families, but they can even sit in the government."
"These are landmark changes that have occurred during the last five and six years."
He spoke of infrastructure improvements, from wells and roads to schools, hospitals and clinics.
There have been complaints from some quarters that aid seems to be flowing slowly, that some hospitals in Afghanistan remain short of supplies and personnel.
MacKay countered that many of these clinics didn't even exist before NATO moved in. While they may not be up to Canadian standards, they are far ahead of where things were.
The government is committed to keeping troops in Afghanistan until Feb. 9, 2009. Liberal Leader Stephane Dion has said he will bring a motion into the House of Commons setting that date as a firm end to Canada's combat role.
MacKay said the government wants a vote in the Commons, adding that Dion wasn't big on Commons approval when he was part of the former Liberal government. The Liberals deployed troops with a take-note debate in the Commons, but no vote.
"He was part of the government in 2003 that sent men and women into Afghanistan ... without a vote in Parliament, with no parameters whatsoever as to when the mission would end."
MacKay wouldn't say whether the Conservative government might consider a vote on Afghanistan as a confidence measure which could precipitate an election.
"We would want to see exactly what that motion stated."
