Clement said the Conservatives have concerns about the Liberals wanting to normalize Canada’s relationship with Iran “which is a state sponsor of terror”

Canada ‘backing away’ from combat duty, Clement tells Laval Tories Local Conservatives meet following electoral setbacks last October  

 

Martin C. Barry

Former federal Conservative cabinet minister Tony Clement aimed some sharp barbs at the new Liberal government and its leader, Justin Trudeau, during a five-to-seven event held at The Palace on Le Corbusier Blvd. last week by Laval-area Tories holding one of their first gatherings since the election last October.

‘A wrong decision’

Clement, who retained his seat in the Ontario riding of Parry Sound-Muskoka despite the Conservatives’ massive electoral losses, is now the Conservative opposition’s official critic for foreign affairs. Regarding one of the Trudeau government’s most recent and controversial decisions – to withdraw Canadian fighter jets from active combat duty against ISIS – Clement said:

The Conservatives’ Tony Clement, centre, was highly critical of the new Liberal government’s decision to withdraw Canadian fighter jets from active duty combating ISIS in the Middle East.
The Conservatives’ Tony Clement, centre, was highly critical of the new Liberal government’s decision to withdraw Canadian fighter jets from active duty combating ISIS in the Middle East.
The Conservatives’ Tony Clement is highly critical of the new Liberal government’s decision to withdraw Canadian fighter jets from active duty combating ISIS in the Middle East.
The Conservatives’ Tony Clement is highly critical of the new Liberal government’s decision to withdraw Canadian fighter jets from active duty combating ISIS in the Middle East.

“This is such a wrong decision. It’s wrong on so many different levels because we have a great military tradition of working with our allies on common causes to defend our security – to defend, quite frankly our civilization – against those who would seek to destroy it.”

Canada ‘backing away,’ he said

Noting that, after attacks by terrorists in Paris over the past year, France, the U.S. and the U.K. “are stepping up” to the challenge of combating ISIS, Clement said Canada under the new Liberal government “is stepping away.”

Clement put an ironic spin on Justin Trudeau’s claim – following the Liberal victory – that “Canada is back.” Clement said the Liberal government’s response to international terrorism is actually an example that “Canada is backing away. Not a very good sign. And this is being repeated, of course, in many other foreign policy files including cozying up to (Russian president) Mr. Putin. And this is of great concern to those Canadians of Ukrainian origin.”

Clement said the Conservatives also have concerns about the Liberal government’s decision to remove sanctions against Iran, as well as the fact the Liberals want to normalize Canada’s relationship with that country, “which is a state sponsor of terror even today,” he said.

On the election results

Looking back on the October 2015 election, Clement said “the results, of course, were disappointing. Any result where you don’t gain government is disappointing.” He continued, “people just wanted change. It had been a long time – 10 years is a long time in modern politics. I did not get the sense of a complete rejection of everything that Conservatives stood for.

“Do we have to change some things in our party, in our message, in our communications? Absolutely. But we start with a good base: 99 members of Parliament, 33 of those are brand new, with 12 MPs from Quebec. But it’s a great mixture of experience, but also some new points of view in our caucus.

Preparing for next election

“So I want to report to you that we are feeling good,” he said, “that we feel that we can ask the difficult questions, demand the answers on behalf of Canadians, on behalf of taxpayers, on behalf of Canadians who want to feel safe and secure within our borders and outside our borders. And we feel we have a mission, and of course the ultimate mission as a political party is always not only to stand by these principles and these values, but also to be there come election time with a message that we can govern.”

Among the guests for the evening were Conservative Senator Leo Housakos, as well as a number of Montreal-area Conservatives who ran in the last election, including Anthony Mavros who was a candidate in the Laval riding of Vimy. In an interview with the Laval News, Housakos expressed cynicism regarding the Liberal government’s stated intention of reforming the Senate.

Right, former Vimy Conservative candidate Anthony Mavros greets Tony Clement during the meet-and-greet event held at The Palace last week.
Right, former Vimy Conservative candidate Anthony Mavros greets Tony Clement during the meet-and-greet event held at The Palace last week.

Housakos on Senate reform

“So far they have a process in place that’s a sham,” he said. “They have appointed a committee to vet Senate nominations, a committee which is going to provide a list to the Prime Minister that is not binding – a list that is confidential. So in what way is this system any different than what previous Prime Ministers have done in the past?”

While Housakos acknowledged that even former Prime Minister Stephen Harper talked about reforming the Senate, while continuing to make appointments to the chamber, Housakos insisted that “any Prime Minister who’s genuine about Senate reform should recognize the only way to do it is through a constitutional discussion with the shareholders of the country.