Liberals defend Iran war position during debate in House of Commons

Senior Liberal cabinet ministers defended the federal government’s position on the war in Iran during a parliamentary debate Monday evening that saw opposition leaders accuse Prime Minister Mark Carney of a “confused” response.

Carney did not attend the “take note” debate in the House of Commons, opting instead to attend a previously scheduled community event honouring Ramadan, which the opposition frequently took note of.

“In this time of crisis, Canadians deserve to know where their prime minister stands,” Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said. “Indeed, they deserve to know where their prime minister is.”

The debate was called after Carney, who expressed support for the U.S. and Israel’s strikes on Iran immediately following the attack, partially walked back that support days later and said the position was taken with “regret” over a likely violation of international law.

Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand, who opened the debate on behalf of the government, said Ottawa’s position on the war was based on “clear principles.”

“On the recent military strikes carried out by the United States and Israel, we were not consulted in advance about these operations, and we have no intention of joining them,” she said. “At the same time, Iran must never obtain nuclear weapons and grow its arsenal of missiles that represent a serious threat to international peace and security.

“The U.S. strikes come as a result of a failure of the international order. This is not a blank cheque. And Canada reaffirms that international law binds all parties, including the United States and Israel. Again, let me be clear: international law binds all parties.”

Anand added that the government’s “top priority” is ensuring the safety of Canadians abroad and helping those who wish to leave Iran and the Middle East to do so.

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“The focus must be on rapid de-escalation” of the conflict, the minister said.

She and Defence Minister David McGuinty repeated each of those points when asked about the government’s various statements and accusations that they were contradictory.

McGuinty

1:08 Liberals have proposed a debate on Iran war, federal House leader says

Poilievre focused his remarks on voicing support for the fall of the Iranian regime, noting its responsibility for the downing of Flight PS752 that killed 176 civilians in 2006, including 55 Canadian citizens and 30 permanent residents.

He also noted the continued presence — as reported by Global News — of senior members of the regime and the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in Canada, despite the listing of the IRGC as a foreign terrorist entity.

Poilievre said it’s in the national interest for the regime in Iran to be removed and replaced with a democratically elected government.

“We need strong leadership that takes a stand, maintains that stand, stays consistent at home and abroad and shows up in this House of Commons to do what is right and speak for the Canadian people,” said Poilievre.

Poilievre also said he supported Carney’s initial support of the U.S. and Israeli airstrikes but that the prime minister has since “flipped and flopped more than four times.”

“His party says one thing to one group and the opposite to another, confusing our allies and dividing Canadians,” said Poilievre. “Now he has gone into hiding, having failed to speak a single word in tonight’s debate. In this time of crisis, Canadians deserve to know where the prime minister stands.”

The Conservative leader has urged the government to focus on what it can control and said Parliament should be able to assess any request for Canadian participation in the conflict. The Conservatives also have called for an emergency debate on how the conflict is affecting global energy supplies.

“Here at home, this war should not be used as an excuse for higher food and gas prices. We have the energy here at home, we have the food here at home to make life affordable,” Poilievre said earlier Monday.

Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe, the Bloc Québécois member of Parliament for Lac-Saint-Jean, said in French Monday night that the government “can’t just say one thing and the opposite.”

He questioned how Carney could support the American military offensive on Day 1, while also urging the need to defend international law.

“It seems that the prime minister’s position is a very confused one,” Bloc Leader Yves-Francois Blanchet said during his own statement.

NDP interim leader Don Davies has slammed the government’s communications on the war as “unprincipled, contradictory and incoherent” and said Carney’s decision to skip the debate was unacceptable.

“Canadians deserve to have a clear statement from the prime minister in this House, to be accountable not only to parliamentarians but to the Canadian public, and to clarify what the position of Canada and his Liberal government really is,” Davies told reporters Monday.

He added the NDP believes there have been “numerous, repeated and continuing war crimes” in the conflict to date, citing the bombing of hospitals, desalination plants and schools in Iran.

—With files from the Canadian Press