Nova Scotia Supports Canadian Troops --Op-Ed
NOTE: The following is an op-ed feature by Murray Scott, Minister Responsible for Military Relations.
Within the next three weeks, several hundred military personnel from across this province will begin to deploy to Afghanistan. Their mission is to help the unfortunate people of that country provide modern living conditions, services for those in need and education for all children.
The relationship Nova Scotia has with its military goes back centuries, to 1789, when members of the local militia gathered on the grounds of what we call the Grand Parade, to demonstrate their capability and willingness to defend Nova Scotia against any adversary. As the military forces developed and matured, so did Nova Scotia's relationship with them. We are known across Canada as a preeminent contributor of personnel to Canadian Forces, both regular and reserve components.
The premier and I met with federal Minister of National Defence, Gordon O'Connor on Friday, Jan. 12. We emphasized that this government is strongly committed to our Forces and military personnel. We discussed military issues important to Nova Scotians and the Forces.
Nova Scotia is the first province to appoint a provincial minister responsible for military relations. I say the first, because I fervently hope that the rest of Canada follows. Through this appointment, the premier and his government continue to demonstrate the importance of the military to Nova Scotia, and the importance of Nova Scotians to the military.
Nova Scotians have proudly participated in missions and operations throughout the world, in Cyprus after hostilities between the Greek and Turkish Cypriot communities, in Egypt and on the Golan Heights after the Arab-Israeli conflict of 1973, in Bosnia Herzegovina in the 1990s, in Haiti in 2004, and in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia after the brief civil war several years ago.
Nova Scotians need to pause for a moment to look at what Canada's Forces are contributing as part of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's efforts for development and modernization in Afghanistan:
- Successful presidential and legislative elections
- More than four million children enrolled in school
- Reforms begun in defence, justice, and finance
- Significant progress made in removing mines
- The reintegration of nearly three million Afghan refugees
Canada's military is doing an incredible amount of development work. The combat operations in which our fellow Nova Scotians participate in will provide a safe and secure environment for development to continue.
Our Forces in Afghanistan are working to give the people of that nation the tools to build a homeland in which they can take pride; a country that will allow them to develop into a democracy much as we enjoy here and educate their children. This will help Afghanistan take full advantage of the future skills, talents and wisdom of its entire population.
Nova Scotians want to demonstrate support for the several hundred of our sons and daughters, moms and dads, and friends from this province who have volunteered to wear the uniform of this country. Next Friday (Jan. 19), I will attend the departure ceremony at Canadian Forces Base Gagetown, for military personnel, deploying to Afghanistan. We want them to go with the knowledge that we support them, and that we respect their courage, dedication and commitment to assist people on the far side of the Earth.
We want the several hundred Nova Scotians who will be deployed, to know that their families are in good hands, and to proudly wear the Canadian flag on their uniforms. But also, Nova Scotia's government, under Premier Rodney MacDonald, wants them to take our hopes and prayers for their safety while they are in theatre, and that they will have a safe return home.