Justin Trudeau makes a case for non-combat role in Iraq ahead of Commons debate

Justin Trudeau says that Canada can do better than “trying to whip out our CF-18’s” and show the international community “how big they are.”

The Liberal leader used his keynote address at the Canada 2020 conference, on Thursday, to spell-out his party’s position with regard to Canada joining the U.S., the U.K. and others in airstrikes against ISIS over Iraq.

"The 2003 Iraq war was waged on false pretenses and flawed intelligence. It was a mission that destabilized the region, sewed further conflict, cost our allies three trillion dollars and cost thousands of people their lives," Trudeau said reminding Canadians that Harper supported.

"We know the Iraq fiasco haunts the choices we have to make today. But we cannot make the wrong decision now because the wrong decision was made then.

"Prime Minister Harper would have you believe that Canada’s best contribution to this effort is a hand full of aging warplanes. I think Canadians have a lot more in them than that. We can be resourceful, there are significant substantial non-combat roles Canada can play."

Trudeau’s laundry list of non-combat roles includes strategic airlifts, training, medical support and more humanitarian aid.

In a post-speech sit down with conference moderator Don Newman, Trudeau admitted, however, that he hasn’t ruled-out supporting a combat role

"I haven’t made my mind," Trudeau told conference moderator Don Newman.

"But the onus is on Mr. Harper to demonstrate that a shift from a non-combat role that we’ve established right now to a combat role is the right thing for Canada, the right thing for Canadians but also the right thing for the international community.”

[ Related: Stephen Harper to announce Canada’s combat role in ISIS fight Friday]

According to multiple reports, Harper will begin making his case about a combat mission on Friday.

The public broadcaster’s report notes that Harper will ask parliamentarians to approve, in a vote next week, the deployment of CF-18s and CC-150 refueling jets.

In the House of Commons, you can expect the Tories to buoy their position by raising the specter of ISIS being a threat to national security. They’re already spreading that message to the media.

"I think that my constituents, like all Canadians, will be pleased that something is being done against those monsters that are beheading people, mutilating women, killing children," Conservative MP Costas Menegakis told the Huffington Post.

"These are atrocities in the world, and we can’t stand by and say, ‘Oh, it’s so far away, it doesn’t belong to us,’ if you will, because there is a real live threat to Canadians of that happening.”

To date, Canada has deployed 69 military advisers to Iraq and has pledged millions of dollars in humanitarian aid to those affected by the conflict.

Both of those measures were taken without a vote in parliament

[ Related: DND slashed ammo order in 2014, raising questions about prep for Iraq mission ]

As for the NDP, they’ve taken a similar stand to the Liberals. They want to hear details but aren’t expecting it.

"There’s no question that Mr. Harper’s mind’s already been made up so any consultation at this stage of the game, frankly, will be phoney," Mulcair told CBC News.

"This is not a UN mission, it’s not a NATO mission, and Canadians should have full information before we plunge head long into another war."

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