The Honourable Pamela Wallin, O.C., S.O.M. was appointed to the Senate of Canada on December 22, 2008. She is Chair of the Senate's National Security & Defence Committee, serves on both the Veterans Affairs subcommittee and the Special Committee on Anti-terrorism and she is also a member of the Senate's Foreign Affairs & International Trade Committee .
Pamela is also the Chancellor of the University of Guelph. She serves on several corporate boards, including CTVglobemedia; Gluskin Sheff & Associates; Oilsands Quest; and Porter Airlines. Pamela is also a member of a special Advisory Board for BMO Harris Bank.
Pamela is an Officer of the Order of Canada, Canada's highest civilian honour. She also served, at the request of Prime Minister Harper, on the special Independent Panel on Canada's Future Role in Afghanistan.
Pamela was Consul General of Canada in New York from 2002-2006. She continues her work as the Senior Advisor on Canada-US relations at the Americas Society and the Council of the Americas in New York.
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Our Afghan mission isn’t finished |
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Pamela Wallin and Roméo Dallaire
From Wednesday's Globe and Mail
Published on Wednesday, Jun. 23, 2010
With a year to go before the Canadian Forces start withdrawing from Afghanistan, Canadians are waking up to the import of the military mission and the fact that we are about to leave. Meanwhile, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, which is leading the multinational force there, is quietly pressing Canada to keep making a troop contribution. Now, the House of Commons special committee on Afghanistan says it is time for Parliament “to begin a serious discussion on the future of the Canadian mission.”
We are delighted that the debate has been joined. Our Senate committee, studying the same issue, has heard from key Canadian and other players in Afghanistan. None has said the mission should end. Many believe that at least some troops should stay. And all agree our contribution has been remarkable.
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Troop withdrawal jeopardizes a commitment |
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May / June 2010
By Senator Pamela Wallin
Published: Vanguard
At the Senate Committee on National Security and Defence we are taking testimony on the Afghanistan situation, and the Parliamentary decision in 2008 to end Canada's combat mission in 2011.
But since 2008, at the public and public policy level, there has been little discussion of what this means for our troops and trainers on the ground, our civilian forces, for the Afghan people, and for our commitments to NATO.
It is worth reminding people why we are there. When terrorists attacked the Twin Towers on 9/11 leaving nearly 3,000 people dead, Canada reacted not just because our citizens were murdered too but because Article 5 of NATO states that an attack on one member country is considered an attack on all. And so we joined our allies in Operation Enduring Freedom against Al Qaeda terrorists trained in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan.
Retired Brigadier-General Don Macnamara told our committee that in his view Canada's obligation still stands.
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