Thank you very much.
You acknowledged that you represent a riding that has a number of serving CAF members, both in Victoria and in the Esquimalt area.
This government has delivered the largest pay increase for CAF members in a generation. Recognizing the increased demands on CAF members, we acted to ensure that the compensation reflected both the significance of their duties and the realities of modern life. Members began seeing an adjustment to their pay in mid-November 2025. I had the opportunity to be with some of our serving members on the day it arrived in their pockets, and it had a positive impact on those individuals.
The pay increases vary by category, from 20% for those at a starting level to 8% increases for senior officials. These increases are not temporary bonuses. They are built into the base compensation, which is strengthening long-term financial security for the CAF and their family members.
Alongside those pay raises, we're also implementing new military pay benefits tied to years of service, and we're expanding allowances for training roles, environmental duties and domestic operations. All of these compensation measures demonstrate that Canada values the service of our military members and that we are investing in them.
You mentioned some more specific things that might relate to British Columbia, so maybe I can highlight a few of those, if I may.
As I also referenced, we are making investments in the hardware and the infrastructure to support the Canadian Armed Forces. One example is the two joint support ships we are procuring, which have military capabilities that will allow the navy to operate in threat environments. This particular investment in the two ships, the JSSs, will mean 1,000 jobs at the Vancouver shipyards in British Columbia, and it will contribute to 3,900 jobs across the marine industry.
We also talked about housing. In the Victoria region, there were housing accommodations acquired earlier this year, making housing more affordable for members and allowing more housing into the system, so that we can ensure that we are addressing that for those who are serving for us.