Thanks, Mr. Chair.
This question is probably for Mr. Matthews, although if other witnesses want to chime in, that's fine.
In part III of the policy, in bold at the top of page 19, it says, “We will establish a Canadian Armed Forces Housing Strategy, rehabilitate existing housing and build new housing”. Now, setting aside whether or not establishing this strategy is a new policy—if it is a new policy, that suggests there was no strategy before, which would be troubling—if you go to the index, there's virtually no money in this new policy, zero dollars this year and zero dollars next year, under “Housing for Canadian Armed Forces Personnel”. Under “Maintaining and Renewing National Defence Infrastructure”, there's zero this year and $103 million next year.
How is this an actual policy update when it contains no measurable outcomes and no money, or nominal money, and is just a statement that says there will be a housing strategy? Could you explain how this policy will get our troops lodged? We have personnel in tents. We have a 6,000-unit backlog. We have people leaving the forces because of housing. We have a recruitment and a retention crisis. We are 16,000 personnel short.
I don't see anything in this policy statement that will solve any of that.