Why the Afghan Mission Should Be Debated in Parliament

Stephen Harper says he doesn't need to seek approval from Parliament to extend Canada's mission in Afghanistan. The pundits beg to differ.

Canada’s political commentators, in a rare display of unity, are demanding that the prime minister’s plan to extend the Afghan mission be brought to a vote in Parliament.

The Conservatives and Liberals however, in another rare display of unity, don’t seem interested in doing so, which has Sun Media’s Warren Kinsella wondering if these are the same parties “who have both previously, and repeatedly, promised Parliamentary votes on troop deployments.” When Harper prorogued Parliament last year, the Liberals blew a gasket, but now seem keen on avoiding Parliament themselves. Kinsella speculates that the Liberals are internally divided on the issue, and losing the vote would be disastrous for both the Grits and Tories.

The Globe and Mail’s Norman Spector has a nearly opposite analysis, suggesting that a Parliamentary vote could help Harper. According to Spector (and many other observers), the only reason we’re involved in Afghanistan is to please the U.S. While Jean Chrétien was forced to commit troops there to avoid fighting in Iraq, Harper “has one card to play that was not available to Mr. Chrétien ... As prime minister in a minority government, he cannot commit Canada absolutely to any course of action.” If Harper took the extension to a vote and lost, then he could honestly tell Obama that it was out of his hands, says Spector. One suspects however that Spector’s ploy would only work if Obama has not been paying attention to Ottawa lately, where Harper has exerted an almost unprecedented degree of control despite his minority standing.

Two Toronto Star columnists, James Travers and Martin Regg Cohn, both say that a vote is needed, albeit for different reasons. Travers, who is skeptical about the war, says politicians “owe it to the military as well as to all Canadians to ensure the new plan is scrutinized.” Regg, who supports the extension, says an open discussion is needed so that Canadians can learn more about the mission we’re sacrificing for. And if, he writes, “the Conservatives and Liberals lack the votes, better to back out now … than send our troops over without strong support.”