MPs debated a federal government motion today seeking an extension and expansion of Canada鈥檚 anti-ISIS mission in the Middle East.
MPs began debating the motion in the House of Commons shortly after 10:15 a.m.
The motion, tabled by the government on Tuesday, extends the mission to a 鈥渄ate not beyond March 30, 2016,鈥� and calls for airstrikes to expand to include targets in Syria.
Some of the arguments made by MPs from all sides of the House were captured below in our live blog before daily question period began as scheduled at 2 p.m.
1:57 P.M. Joyce Murray cites a today from the Parliamentary Budget Officer that says Canada鈥檚 defence costs are 鈥榰nsustainable鈥� over the next decade.
1:40 P.M. Scott says 鈥渢here are good reasons鈥� that the Official Opposition is seeking 鈥渓egal clarity鈥� and is asking to see the legal opinions for expanding the mission into Syria.
Nicholson replies that the government is on the same legal footing as the U.S, 鈥渁nd Iraq has asked for help."
1:30 P.M. NDP MP Craig Scott says an attempt to look at lawfulness of the mission as beneath debate in the House 鈥渋s degrading to democratic discourse.鈥�
Scott accuses the federal government of failing to consider the legality of expanding the mission into Syria, and rushing to use the U.S. mission as its justification.
鈥淭he legality is an after-thought,鈥� Scott says.
1:27 P.M. Julian Fantino is up now. "Most Canadians are on side," he says of the government's plan, after citing a long list of atrocities in Iraq and Syria.
12:57 P.M. Blaney says Canada 鈥渉as to work on both fronts鈥� in combatting ISIS. Fighting home-grown terrorism, but also go overseas and fight terror abroad.
12:54 P.M. NDP MP Francoise Boivin asks why the federal government鈥檚 motion to extend and expand the mission does not mention dealing with radicalism at home.
Blaney responds that the government has a strategy to curb home-grown terrorism, but accuses the NDP of voting against its anti-terror measures.
12:48 P.M. 鈥淭his young man was assassinated by another terrorist who was inspired by the extremist ideology of the Islamic State,鈥� Blaney says of Cpl. Nathan Cirillo, who was killed in last year鈥檚 attack in Ottawa.
鈥淐anada cannot stand aside and do nothing,鈥� Blaney says.
12:46 P.M. Blaney is speaking about the attacks in St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que., and at the National War Memorial in Ottawa. "We have the moral responsibility" to ensure that such attacks never happen again, he says.
12:41 P.M. Public Safety Minister Steven Blaney is up to speak now.
11:52 A.M. The best way to defeat terrorism in this region, May says, quoting UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, is through a strategy of political inclusion.
As a community of nations, we must work to end the threat of ISIS, Boko Haram, and other groups 鈥渁s yet unnamed,鈥� and this motion 鈥渄oes not do that,鈥� she says.
11:48 A.M. May says that under the 鈥渞esponsibility to protect鈥� principles, Canada could have gone into Syria four years ago to help Syrians suffering under the brutality of leader Bashar al-Assad.
鈥淲e鈥檝e turned a blind eye for the cries of help from the rebel forces of Syria and those who want to get rid of Assad,鈥� she says.
Now, Canada has to go into Syria without legal justification, and 鈥渨e have to hope鈥� that Syrian government aircraft don鈥檛 shoot down Canadian planes.
11:43 A.M. Green Party Leader Elizabeth May begins by condemning the 鈥渄isrespectful patterns鈥� of discourse during the debate. 鈥淲e should be able to discuss this like grown-ups,鈥� she says.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 think anyone in this place thinks that Canada should do nothing,鈥� she says, or underestimates the threat of ISIS.
11:39 A.M. Conservative MP Harold Albrecht says in order to deliver humanitarian aid, 鈥測ou need security鈥� so NGOs can 鈥渄eliver aid to the people who need it.鈥�
Says Canada has previously pledged $40 million to Iraq, and another $25 million to surrounding countries.
Murray responds by noting that there isn鈥檛 a new pledge of humanitarian aid in the current motion.
11:36 A.M. Deputy Speaker Joe Comartin reminds MPs that this isn't question period and asks for greater decorum, after Kenney heckles Murray while she speaks.
11:30 A.M. Kenney responds to Murray鈥檚 speech by saying that Canada has resettled more than 20,000 Iraqi refugees. Kenney says he has met with some of them in recent days, and they support the government鈥檚 current motion to expand its anti-ISIS mission.
He also says again that it is military action that will stop the creation of more refugees.
11:28 A.M. Third, Canada should increase numbers for settling refugees. She notes that Canada accepted 50,000 Vietnamese refugees over two years in the 1970s.
Murray concludes by noting that of the four resolutions in the government's motion, the Liberals support the fourth: support for Canada's soldiers.
11:25 A.M. Second, Canada can lead a humanitarian effort to help those suffering in the region. UNHCR says that 3.8 million Syrians are now listed as refugees, while 12 million displaced people need help within Syria, Murray says.
The refugee crisis is threatening security and stability in the region, she says.
11:22 A.M. Liberal MP Joyce Murray says there are three things that Liberals do support. First, if Canada works with allies to increase training of more Iraqi soldiers. 鈥淪urely there is a need for more trainers,鈥� Murray says. Canada supplied 1,000 in final years in Afghanistan, she notes.
11:13 A.M. Murray up again, to say that Liberal MPs do not support the motion 鈥渂ecause it is not in the Canadian interest.鈥�
ISIS is a serious threat, and Canada must 鈥減lay a constructive role鈥� in combatting it, she says. But the new motion proposed by the prime minister 鈥渄oes not measure up.鈥� Unclear legal justification, unclear scope and it 鈥渇ails the national interest test.鈥�
11:11 A.M. NDP MP Eve Peclet accuses the federal government of refusing to help Turkey and Lebanon as they took in refugees from Syria鈥檚 civil war. Now, four years later, Peclet says, the federal government is recognizing a humanitarian catastrophe.
Dewar follows up to say the federal government 鈥渃omes to things late in the game.鈥�
11:08 A.M. Liberal MP Joyce Murray is up again to ask Dewar whether the NDP is opposed to all aspects of a military mission, even if it were well behind the front lines?
Dewar replies that 鈥渨e would take our soldiers out of theatre.鈥�
11:04 A.M. Defence Minister Jason Kenney is up now, saying that it is military action that will prevent genocide, ethnic cleansing, sexual slavery and other war crimes. 鈥淗ad we not begun this military operation months ago, there may have been tens of thousands of additional victims鈥� of ISIS.
11:02 A.M. The amendments call for an end to airstrikes, and for the government to ramp up humanitarian and diplomatic efforts.
10:59 A.M. Dewar proposes NDP amendments to the motion under debate.
10:53 A.M. 鈥淭he truth is that most of those in need in Iraq are not in ISIS-controlled territory. They are refugees and internally displaced persons whose livelihoods have been stolen from them by chaos and carnage,鈥� Dewar says.
10:51 A.M. 鈥淏y bombing in Syria, we reduce the prospects for a lasting political solution鈥� to the ongoing conflict in Syria, Dewar says.
10:47 A.M. Canada must act in a way that it can to best add value to the coalition, and 鈥渞espects international law and our values as a country,鈥� Dewar says.
Concerns he highlighted when initial mission was proposed are the same now, he says. 鈥淭he new notion does not rule out the possibility of deploying ground combat troops in the future,鈥� Dewar says.
10:43 A.M. Up now is NDP MP Paul Dewar, who says that there should be no doubt that the opposition believes that 鈥渢he crimes perpetrated by ISIS are appalling and abhorrent.鈥�
The situation in Iraq and Syria 鈥渄emands an international response,鈥� Dewar says.
10:42 A.M. Green Party Leader Elizabeth May asks if Canada has "any idea how this will play out in international law." Canada is sending soldiers into harm's way to help the Assad regime, she says.
10:40 A.M. 鈥淲e have been very clear that (ISIS) is a direct threat to Canada,鈥� Nicholson says. We have 鈥渟een their rhetoric, we have seen their actions.鈥�
Canada is supporting the coalition to protect civilians in Iraq and Syria, but also protecting ourselves.
10:38 A.M. ISIS should not have a 鈥渇ree ride鈥� in Syria because Canada doesn鈥檛 support Syrian President Bashar al-Assad鈥檚 regime, Nicholson says. Canada can鈥檛 allow ISIS to have a 鈥渟afe haven鈥� in the region.
10:35 A.M. Liberal MP Joyce Murray is up now to ask for clarification of the meaning of 鈥渙n the ground objectives.鈥� Degrading ISIS 鈥渋s pretty broad,鈥� she says. Murray also asks about an exit strategy, and who would be in power if militants pushed out of Syria.
10:33 A.M. 鈥淭his mission has no end,鈥� Harris says. He asks for defined objectives, 鈥渟o that the people of Canada might know how long we are going to be in this war.鈥�
Nicholson responds that the government has been open about the mission鈥檚 details.
Up now is NDP MP Jack Harris.
10:31 A.M. 鈥淲e may either stand on the sidelines, or take real and measured actions. (ISIS鈥�) barbarity is an affront to human dignity and to the civilized world,鈥� Nicholson says.
10:30 A.M. 鈥�The airstrikes have one goal and one goal only, and that is to degrade ISIS,鈥� Nicholson says.
10:29 A.M. Nicholson promises 鈥渓arge-scale humanitarian assistance鈥� to help victims of ISIS. No specifics.
10:24 A.M. 鈥淎s this menace grows, so to does our responsibility to act, to do our part in defence of human dignity and values,鈥� Nicholson says. "ISIS has declared war on Canada...and seeks to wage its jihad against our people."
10:20 A.M. 鈥淎lthough the threat of terrorism continues to evolve, our reaction to this threat persists as the greatest test of this generation,鈥� Nicholson says.
10:18 A.M. First up to speak is Foreign Affairs Minister Rob Nicholson.
10:16 A.M. The Speaker is reading the motion out loud in the House of Commons. The debate is just about underway.
