QUESTION PERIOD — National Defence
National Monument to Canada’s Mission in Afghanistan
November 7, 2023
Government leader, in May 2014, former prime minister Stephen Harper said a national memorial to those who served in Afghanistan would “ . . . ensure that their contributions are forever in the hearts and minds of Canadians . . . .”
Here we are approaching Remembrance Day almost 10 years later, and this monument is still not in place. An official design was only announced this past June, and its selection process is surrounded by controversy, as the Trudeau government overruled a professional jury’s design choice. Last week, the Minister of Veterans Affairs confirmed to a House committee that construction has still not begun.
Leader, why has the Trudeau government mismanaged the creation of this monument so badly?
Thank you for your questions. With respect, I do not believe that the project has been mismanaged at all.
The National Monument to Canada’s Mission in Afghanistan will be a solemn tribute to the 40,000 Canadians — the military, police and civilians — who served there. I understand that in the process, Veterans Affairs Canada heard from more than 10,000 Canadians about the monument designs. The Team Stimson design best reflects the input of veterans, their families and others who served on the mission.
I beg to differ because, as I said, it’s been 10 years since this promise was made. An NDP-Liberal government official said last month that, according to the current tentative timeline, the National Monument to Canada’s Mission in Afghanistan will not be unveiled until 2027.
Leader, given your government’s poor track record for getting anything done, especially in regard to this particular monument, why should Canadians have confidence in the 2027 date?
The process that the government has undergone is deeply rooted in the needs, interests and input of veterans and their families. Although the government appreciates the work that the jury did in evaluating, the design that was chosen after this long process is one that the veterans of the mission and their families felt best represented the bravery, sacrifices and losses of those who served in Afghanistan.
