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To state, as Mr. Fisher did in his opening paragraph, that CF-18s were deployed to “to conduct round-the-clock combat operations” is, to put it mildly, over the top. The number of sorties has been very limited for reasons that were well anticipated beforehand: ISIS is adapting rapidly to airstrikes and there is very real concern about collateral damage. We don’t know how many bombs have actually been dropped by Canadian CF-18s so far, but based on what has been reported, it is probably a very small number.

So what is the highest and best use of Canadian strengths and talents? Yes, we can bomb as well as others, but we can also do other things better than others — like training Iraqi troops to defeat ISIS. We can also be a global leader in humanitarian aid, medical help and reconstruction — it’s all about winning the hearts and minds of local Iraqis and of ISIS’s victims. That’s where the real “heavy lifting” will have to be done. What could be accomplished if we took the considerable dollars we’re spending on bombing and used it for aid, medical support and training?

Our position is the opposite of isolationism. It’s active engagement designed intelligently to be the most effective it can be.

Despite repeated attempts to get the government to provide public committee hearings as well as a cost for our deployment of 600 Canadians and the aircraft they are supporting, the answer has always been the same: “We’ll let you know when the 6 months are up.” Other coalition partners have been willing to release their costs, which is the only way to determine whether our dollars are being spent effectively on this important mission.

The Liberal party will remain engaged on this issue, as we will remain engaged with all the issues that impact Canada and global peace and security. Any suggestion otherwise is simply not in accordance with the facts that are already on record, even if Mr. Fisher would prefer not to acknowledge them.

National Post

Marc Garneau is foreign affairs critic for the Liberal Party of Canada.