Government Motion (3 December 2025)

From Hansard (3 December 2025)

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Call for Independent Military Honours Review Board

The Assembly was debating the following motion moved by Tim McLeod (Saskatchewan Party - Moose Jaw North):

That this House calls on the Government of Canada to establish an independent military honours review board to review veterans’ cases where evidence suggests Victoria Cross criteria were met.

Blaine McLeod: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It is an absolute honour to speak to this motion, but first I just have to get one omission looked after that I forgot in introductions.

Seated amongst our veterans is a rose amongst thorns, Wendy Johnson, stepmom to William MacDonald as well. So thank you for being here as well today.

Now, Mr. Speaker, it is my belief that a significant disregard for our military has existed for far too long. It has literally been 80 years since Canada last awarded a Victoria Cross — 80 years. No one in this legislature is that old.

The Victoria Cross is the highest medal of honour that can be awarded to our armed forces. Previous awards were bestowed under the authority of the British Commonwealth, but since 1993 the Canadian Victoria Cross is the same honour as the British Victoria Cross, and yet we have found no worthy recipients. The medal has been minted but never awarded.

And the eligibility criteria reads as follows: “The Victoria Cross shall be awarded for the most conspicuous bravery, a daring or pre-eminent act of valour or self-sacrifice, or extreme devotion to duty, in the presence of the enemy.”

Now, Mr. Speaker, a committee has been struck entitled Valour in the Presence of the Enemy. That’s the name of the committee, chaired by four-star General Rick Hillier, former chief of the defence staff of the Canadian Armed Forces. Also serving on that committee in the House today, our own Lieutenant-Colonel, Retired, Ed Staniowski.

Now the aim is to initiate an independent review committee to assist the honours and awards committee in identifying soldiers who should have received the Canadian Victoria Cross. Their mission is to educate and share the heroic experiences of these brave individuals and recognizing soldiers who have displayed exceptional courage and sacrifice. Thus we would remember them forever.

Now room 218, mere steps away, contains shadow boxes of 15 soldiers with significant ties, ties that could be recognized to Saskatchewan, stories of exceptional courage and bravery in the face of the enemy.

For me, one stands out. I’m going to talk about a couple, but one stands out because of the closeness to my own home town. The main street in my town of Caron is named in his honour — Milne Avenue. Now, Private William Johnstone Milne, an article was written in The London Gazette of 8 June, 1917. And it records these words:

For most conspicuous bravery and devotion to duty in attack. On approaching the first objective, Private Milne observed an enemy machine gun firing on our advancing troops. Crawling on hands and knees, he succeeded in reaching the gun, killing the crew with bombs, and capturing the gun.

On the line reforming, he again located a machine gun in the support line and, stalking the second gun as he had done the first, he succeeded in putting the crew out of action and capturing the gun.

His wonderful bravery and resource on these two occasions undoubtedly saved the lives of many of his comrades. Private Milne was killed shortly after capturing the second gun.

Now I shared this story because it reminds me of the duty to remember, the duty that we have to remember. And I recall when that sign went up not that very long ago in my home town and I said, I don’t know that story. I need to go look it up. And that’s what I did. And I learned first-hand, you know, what took place in regards to that. Not only that, I learned that Private Milne lived in a community not far from Caron, just south and little bit west, on the farm close to Mortlach or Parkbeg — choose your town. And he walked to the city of Moose Jaw probably close to 25 kilometres to enlist in the army, First World War. Clearly there were better men back in those days.

I recognize another individual that’s memorialized in room 218, Sergeant Hugh Cairns of Saskatoon, posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross, as well as Private Milne was as well. Streets are named in his honour in Saskatoon along with the armoury on Idylwyld. We wouldn’t know these things if the award was not commended and given to him.

Major David Currie, another one whose heroics in the Second World War in closing the Falaise gap so that retreating German soldiers had no way out. Held that gap for 36 hours straight, Mr. Speaker. And when he was relieved after having been successful in holding the gap, my understanding and the records indicate that he fell asleep on his feet. And he went on to be Sergeant-atArms in the House of Commons for a lengthy time.

But I go back to the fact heroic women and men in uniform, some of them here in uniform today with us, have not had the honour of seeing one of their comrades awarded with the Victoria Cross medal. There have been many acts of bravery where that should have happened. Eighty years, Mr. Speaker, that’s an awfully long time.

So I was delighted to hear of the initiative Valour in the Presence of the Enemy, chaired by four-star General Rick Hillier, former chief of defence staff, and involvement with Ed Staniowski, who brought it to my attention.

Mr. Speaker, we do have a hall of heroes in room 18. There needs to be more who with their bravery have kept this democracy that we love intact, the freedom that we all enjoy.

Now, Mr. Speaker, what have we done in regards to helping to move this initiative along, the initiative of Valour in the Presence of the Enemy? A letter has been sent to the Minister of National Defence, the Hon. David J. McGuinty. And I want to read it into the record because I believe it’s really, really important for us to understand what’s actually at stake here.

It says:

Dear Mr. David J. McGuinty,

As we approach 11 November and Remembrance Day, I take the opportunity to inform you of Saskatchewan’s support for an important initiative which is of significance to all federal and provincial parties, our Canadian Armed Forces, our CAF members, CAF veterans, and indeed all citizens of Canada.

Former CAF chief of defence staff, General Rick Hillier, along with the Canadian non-profit group Valour in the Presence of the Enemy, are the driving force supporting petition e-6661 which will be tabled in Parliament next month. The petition is sponsored by a member of your caucus, Member of Parliament Pauline Rochefort, and calls upon the Government of Canada to establish an independent military honours review board to examine cases where the criteria for Canada’s highest military medal for valour, the Canadian Victoria Cross, VC, has been met.

Since 1993 the Canadian VC is the same honour as the British VC. However unlike Britain, Canada has found no soldier worthy. In fact no Canadian has been awarded the VC since the Second World War. And it is of note that during the war in Afghanistan, our Commonwealth Allies, including Australia, Britain, and New Zealand, awarded the VC to deserving soldiers. [And my own point here is that eight medals were awarded amongst the Commonwealth nations. Back to the text.] The United States awarded 10 medals of honour.

The federal government under your leadership, along with the support of Canada’s provinces and territories, have an opportunity to correct this wrong by supporting MP Rochefort and General Hillier in the creation of the military honours review board recommended in the petition. This petition and the efforts of Valour in the Presence of the Enemy go beyond a desire to see the first awarding of a Canadian Victoria Cross. They present a compelling argument that the actions of many soldiers, when considered in the context of previous Victoria Cross awards, merit renewed consideration.

Your government’s recent announcements regarding increased defence spending reflect an encouraging commitment to Canadian Armed Forces members and to our national security. These investments have undoubtedly had a positive impact on the morale of the soldiers, the sailors, and air personnel. And I join with many Canadians in expressing appreciation for this support.

In that spirit, a review of Star of Military Valour files from the Afghanistan and Korean conflicts, as well as during UN peacekeeping, would demonstrate a continued commitment to fairness and recognition. While the original decisions were almost certainly made in good faith, revisiting them in the light of broad public support and new perspectives is both reasonable and respectful. I would like to signal the support of the Government of Saskatchewan for such a review.

Now, Mr. Speaker, it is my understanding that this motion coming from the Government of Saskatchewan with, I anticipate, unanimous support from those opposite in the House, will be the first in the Dominion of Canada from a provincial Assembly.

And, Mr. Speaker, it’s high time. Our soldiers, men and women of the uniform, have performed heroic acts. I could begin to name and number them, but it’s not about the individuals. It’s about the team. It’s about the team of soldiers, sailors, and airmen that together keep us safe and ensure that the freedoms that we enjoy are there for future generations.

It has been the spilled blood of many that have won that freedom. And it is in this Assembly’s purview to support this motion moving forward to the Government of Canada and correct what I believe has been a significant injustice.

So, Mr. Speaker, I am proud to stand with the Minister of Policing, Corrections and Public Safety and repeat again:

That this House calls on the Government of Canada to establish an independent military honours review board to review veterans’ cases where evidence suggests Victoria Cross criteria were met.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.