The much-anticipated “Independent Panel Report on Canada’s Future in Afghanistan” (PDF) was released yesterday in Ottawa. While the intent of appointing an “independent panel” to make recommendations was to separate the partisan politics from the serious business of engaging in warfare and putting Canadian lives at risk, it was hard not to see the level of partisan friction this report may cause among opposition parties – Liberals in particular:
John Manley was asked Tuesday if his panel’s report on Canada’s future in Afghanistan was consistent with Liberal tradition. He was about to blow off the question, when he seemed to think again.
As a Liberal shorn of his party gag, Mr. Manley let rip and gave an impassioned defence of the report’s findings, invoking the spirit of Lester B. Pearson as the “father” of U.N.-authorized interventions in war zones.
“Absolutely this is in the Liberal tradition,” the party’s former deputy leader thundered. “I think that countries like Canada have an important, meaningful role to play in protecting our values, standing up for the rights of individuals [and for] the human security of people whose government can’t protect them — that’s something we as Canadians have talked a lot about.”
The journalist who asked the question was about to pose his supplementary but Mr. Manley was in mid-stride. “We’re a rich country, we’ve got to do some of this stuff … The world isn’t a pretty place but I happen to believe that the people who came before me in the Liberal party believed in a strong role for Canada on the international stage and would say there are times when we have to be counted, times when it matters.” He concluded his extraordinary outburst by almost whispering, “that’s what I think.”
Journalists looked at each other, wondering at whom the tirade was aimed. A read of the report makes it clear — Stéphane Dion.
The Liberal leader emerged from his caucus meeting in Kitchener to reaffirm his stance that his party wants the combat mission to end when the current mandate runs out in February, 2009.