Mr. Chair, members of the committee, thank you for the opportunity to appear before you today.
My name is David Thompson, director general, portfolio requirements within the assistant deputy minister responsible for the infrastructure and environment branch at the Department of National Defence.
In my role, I oversee the planning of DND's real property portfolio, including ensuring that our lands, buildings and other supporting infrastructure continue to meet the evolving needs of the Canadian Armed Forces and the Canadian Coast Guard.
I am joined here by Brigadier-General Serge Ménard, Commander of the CAF transition group.
He is responsible for transition and casualty support services to CAF members and their families, with a particular focus on supporting ill and injured personnel as they prepare for life after military service. He can answer questions related to CAF member transition to post-service life, including coordination between National Defence, the Canadian Armed Forces, Veterans Affairs Canada and other government departments and agencies involved in the transition process.
We are also joined by Robert Wight, the deputy commissioner of shipbuilding and materiel, from the Canadian Coast Guard, who leads Coast Guard fleet renewal, shipbuilding procurement and the in-service support of the Coast Guard's fleet and shore-based assets. He can answer questions related to the national shipbuilding strategy, fleet sustainment, asset management and major Coast Guard procurement projects.
Federally, the department manages one of the largest and most diverse real property portfolios.
Our foremost responsibility is to ensure that these properties support current and future defence requirements. As Canada increases defence spending and invests in the growth of the armed forces and the sustained readiness of the Canadian Armed Forces and the Canadian Coast Guard, this includes the infrastructure required to support force growth and new capabilities. The department carefully assesses the demand signal and translates this into real property portfolio requirements.
Maintaining the right properties in the right locations at the right time remains essential to supporting CAF and CCG operations and the needs of our personnel. Growth, however, does not mean that every property currently held by National Defence will continue to be required. We assess our portfolio against both current and anticipated operational needs, rather than looking only at whether a property is occupied or being used today. A property that no longer supports operations, training, force growth or other future needs may be considered for disposal.
This allows National Defence to focus its portfolio on the requirements of the CAF and CCG needs now and into the future space. It also recognizes that some properties may face significant building-condition, health and safety, environmental, heritage or other considerations that must be weighed alongside ops needs. In that sense, retaining property and disposing of property are not competing goals. Both are part of ensuring that the defence portfolio remains aligned with Canada's evolving security needs.
Thank you. I look forward to your questions.