Liberals Defend Position on Iran War, Opposition Calls for Clarification During Debate

Cabinet ministers defended the government’s position on the Iran war during a debate in the House of Commons, as opposition parties called for clarity as the war in the Middle East continues.

The House of Commons debated the Iran war on March 9 following a proposal for the special session by the Liberal government over the weekend.

Prime Minister Mark Carney was absent from the debate as he was scheduled to attend a community event the same evening.

The Liberals said during the debate that the government’s primary focus is on helping Canadians leave the Middle East amid the ongoing war, and on “rapid de-escalation.”

Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand said Canada “condemns attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure,” noting that Canada has long considered the Islamic Republic “one of the main sources of instability and terrorism in the Middle East.”

“Canada has always condemned [the regime’s] actions and will continue to support the people of Iran in their fight for human rights and freedom,” Anand said.

Meanwhile, she reaffirmed that Ottawa was not consulted in advance about the military strikes carried out by the United States and Israel against Iran, adding that Canada has “no intention of joining them.”

“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,” Anand said.

Anand reiterated Ottawa’s focus on helping Canadians depart from the Middle East, noting that consular officials have been deployed across the region and near Iranian borders to assist Canadians.

She said the government is offering chartered flights, block-booked seats on commercial airlines, and buses for Canadians seeking to leave the region.

Chief of the Defence Staff Gen. Jennie Carignan said on March 5 that Canada may consider “defence and support” options to help Persian Gulf nations being hit by Iranian strikes. Carignan said this doesn’t mean Canada would be joining the strikes on Iran. “However, our Gulf partners may require defence and support. So within that context this would be the type of military options that we could consider,” she said.

‘Contradictory’ Messaging

Meanwhile, opposition parties demanded that the Liberal government clarify its position on the war, with some MPs calling the messaging “contradictory.”

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said it is in Canada’s national interest for the Iranian regime to be “defeated and replaced by the Iranian people with a peaceful democracy,” noting the regime has engaged in foreign interference and espionage in Canada.

“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,” he said.

Poilievre said he supported Carney’s initial support of the Israeli and U.S. airstrikes, but said that since then, Carney has “flipped and flopped more than four times, having four contradictory positions in as many days.”

“His party says one thing to one group, and the opposite to another, confusing our allies and dividing Canadians,” he added. He also accused Carney of going into “hiding” during the debate.

Carney initially released a statement on Feb. 28, shortly after the onset of the war, saying Canada supports “the United States acting” to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.

He later said the airstrikes “appear to be inconsistent with international law,” and that he supported Washington’s strikes on Iran “with regret.”

He said that the United States and Israel acted without consulting allies, including Canada, and added that he didn’t agree with how the two countries have conducted the operation.

He also said at a press conference, when asked if Canada would rule out military involvement in the conflict, that Canada will “stand by our allies” and would “never categorically rule out participation” in the military operation.

During the debate, Bloc Québécois MP Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe also questioned how the prime minister can say international law has to be defended at all costs, while supporting an action that goes against international law.

Anand said that while Canada supports the efforts to stop Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons, “our support isn’t a blank check.”

“Everyone must respect international law. International mechanisms exist to determine whether international law has been respected or not,” she said.

Opposition Focus

Poilievre said Canada needs a plan to deport all Iranian regime officials from Canada. The Conservatives released a statement earlier on March 9, saying the government confirmed Iranian regime officials are living in Canada, and calling on the Liberal government to “urgently enforce deportation orders for non-citizen regime officials.”

Poilievre also said during the debate that Canada needs to focus on what it can control, adding that as oil prices are climbing due to the blockage of the Strait of Hormuz, Canada needs to unlock affordable energy and repeal “anti-energy laws.”

The war has led to significant oil price volatility, with global oil prices surging approximately 25 percent on March 9. G7 finance ministers met virtually on March 9 with the head of the International Energy Agency to discuss coordinating their approach to strategic petroleum reserves.

Poilievre called on Carney last week to introduce an emergency response to the increase in oil prices and asked for an urgent debate on the matter.

Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet called on Carney to “have a clear plan to take care of the people,” adding that Canada is waiting to hear what the prime minister has to say.

“The prime minister has to do three things: restart the negotiations on the tariffs and the trade relationship [with the United States], deploy short term measures to meet the needs of people in our economy, and stay steadfast and collaborate with other middle powers to save a maximum number of human lives,” Blanchet said during the debate.

NDP Interim Leader Don Davies has said the government’s communications on the war so far have been “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 on March 9.

Iran War

The war began on Feb. 28 as the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran after negotiations over the Iranian regime’s nuclear program broke down. Iran responded with retaliatory missile and drone strikes against Israeli and neighbouring countries hosing U.S. military bases.

The initial airstrikes launched by the United States and Israel killed Iranian leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as well as several leaders of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

Iranian state media announced over the weekend that Mojtaba Khamenei, son of the regime’s late supreme leader, has been named his father’s successor. Hours before the announcement, U.S. President Donald Trump, who has said he will be involved in picking Iran’s next leader, warned the Iranian regime that if its appointed successor is not approved by the United States, “he’s not going to last long.”

Meanwhile, Global Affairs Canada (GAC) released a travel update on March 8 saying at least 32 Canadians have left Iran on foot, while 357 were scheduled to leave the Middle East by plane between March 4 and March 8, and 101 Canadians left the region by bus between March 7 and March 8.

GAC said nearly 110,000 Canadians in the Middle East had registered with the department as of March 8, including 5,267 Canadians who have requested assistance in leaving the region.

The department also said Ottawa is looking at additional options for ground support for Canadians seeking to leave other locations in the region, noting that ground transportation is risky due to missiles flying overhead and falling debris.

Jennifer Cowan and The Canadian Press contributed to this report.