Yes.
Evidence of meeting #39 for National Defence in the 41st Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was costs.
A video is available from Parliament.
Evidence of meeting #39 for National Defence in the 41st Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was costs.
A video is available from Parliament.
3:55 p.m.
Conservative
Rob Nicholson Conservative Niagara Falls, ON
—and again, I'd indicated that when the mission is completed, we will make those costs known.
3:55 p.m.
NDP
Robert Chisholm NDP Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, NS
I have to tell you, for people in Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, I don't think that's good enough, Mr. Minister.
3:55 p.m.
Conservative
Rob Nicholson Conservative Niagara Falls, ON
I know. I appreciate that, and I know for you, Mr. Chisholm, it must be difficult because any money we spend on this area does not have your support.
3:55 p.m.
NDP
3:55 p.m.
NDP
3:55 p.m.
Conservative
3:55 p.m.
Conservative
3:55 p.m.
NDP
Robert Chisholm NDP Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, NS
I would focus on the money that we spend and that you spend, and that's what I want to try to hold you accountable for.
3:55 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Peter Kent
Order. Order, please. And time.
Thank you, Mr. Chisholm.
Mr. Chisu, you have seven minutes.
3:55 p.m.
Conservative
Corneliu Chisu Conservative Pickering—Scarborough East, ON
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. Thank you very much, Minister, for your testimony, and thank you again for your leadership of the ministry and the very contained supplementary estimates (B). It is quite impressive to have the supplementary estimates so good this year.
I have seen the reservists, and as you know, they are an integral part of the Canadian Armed Forces. I served in the reserves in the air force and I know how important the reservists are for us. They are important for their units and their local communities.
Being able to balance work-life and that of the military can be very difficult. There is funding in these estimates for compensation for employers of reservists. How will this assist reservists in the difficult task they have of balancing their work and military life?
3:55 p.m.
Conservative
Rob Nicholson Conservative Niagara Falls, ON
Thank you, Mr. Chisu, for that question.
No reservist should have to choose between serving their country and keeping their full-time job. That's the bottom line. As you know, the reservists are a huge part of the support for Canada's military efforts, and we've known for decades that they are an integral, essential part of our ability to maintain the capability of our armed forces. Our reserves certainly have my support and I know your support as well.
We want to make it possible to assist businesses and institutions that have reservists deployed on full-time operational duty either domestically or abroad. We want to be able to assist them. So the package I've announced will go to those employers to help offset the costs of one or more of these reservists who are employed by them. Because we know employers are for the most part very supportive of the reservists they employ, and they too, of course, support this country and what this country stands for and the operations that we have undertaken as a nation. This is the government's way of assisting, easing that burden a bit, and it helps everybody.
The reservists, I'm sure, appreciate the support. The businesses themselves appreciate it, and indeed, all Canadians support what our reservists contribute. I know Colonel Opitz and his association with a reserve unit down near my neck of the woods. He would be an expert to be able to tell you just how important it is to have reservists and to support them in their efforts. I don't have to tell you how valuable they were in the operation in Afghanistan. I have met many reservists who tell me that they were deployed and how proud they were to serve their country. It's part of that greater story of the support of our military, and again, I was very pleased to be able to make that announcement.
3:55 p.m.
Conservative
Corneliu Chisu Conservative Pickering—Scarborough East, ON
As we know very well the training is very important for high-readiness units, and I know that in the period of darkness, we didn't have that. I served in that period when we didn't have too much attention given to training and financial support.
Lately the Canadian Armed Forces have been at a high level of readiness in recent months, being able to deploy rapidly in the Middle East and eastern Europe where our allies were in need. Is there any funding in these estimates to ensure that when a crisis strikes in the future, our armed forces will be ready to respond rapidly?
4 p.m.
Conservative
Rob Nicholson Conservative Niagara Falls, ON
Thank you for that question.
As a matter of fact, Mr. Chisu, there is $59 million that is allocated in supplementary estimates (B) for enhanced training for high-readiness units. This ensures that the Canadian Armed Forces has the training it needs to be ready to meet the security challenges, both at home and abroad. If the last year has taught us anything, it is that we have to maintain that capability. We have to be able to respond.
I don't that think any of us at this table would have been able to guess one year ago as to what we would be facing in Ukraine, eastern Europe, with ISIL, and it underscores the necessity for us to continue to invest in high capability, high readiness. I think it's entirely appropriate that we include in the supplementary estimates (B) that you have before you, that $59 million. We will turn it over to the armed forces to ensure that they can help maintain that high level of readiness. We have to do this. The past has taught us that we have to maintain that capability, and the last year is the perfect example of what that's all about.
4 p.m.
Conservative
Corneliu Chisu Conservative Pickering—Scarborough East, ON
Thank you very much, Minister.
Finally, I have a question about the caring of the ill and injured. As I was deployed in Afghanistan, I know that the care of our ill and injured is a top priority for Canadians. Furthermore, caring for our ill and injured contributes to the readiness of the Canadian Armed Forces.
Can you outline for the committee if any funding in these estimates will be allocated for caring for our ill and injured soldiers?
4 p.m.
Conservative
Rob Nicholson Conservative Niagara Falls, ON
Mr. Chisu, there is $22 million for the joint personnel support units, and this builds on what we are doing.
You may be aware of an announcement that I made with the Minister of Veterans Affairs a couple of days ago in Halifax. We are contributing additional funds to support our men and women in uniform who are facing the challenges you referred to, and following that through to when they become veterans, to make that transition more smooth. I'm very pleased that we have made this a priority. We have continued to hire health care professionals; we've almost doubled them since taking office. We have increased the funds substantially in that area, to work with and support them. There are more mental health professionals, greater peer group support. This is just one more component of that, which we continue to build on and continue to fund.
4 p.m.
Conservative
4 p.m.
Conservative
4 p.m.
Liberal
Joyce Murray Liberal Vancouver Quadra, BC
Thank you.
First, thank you, Minister, and the team with you, for being here to help us understand the deployment of taxpayer dollars through your ministry.
I was surprised that you refused to provide cost estimate information to Mr. Chisholm. The usual way, and the normal way, as evidenced by the United States and Australia, is to provide cost estimates to Parliament and the public. I do want to remind the minister that the primary responsibility of members of Parliament is to hold government to account for the expenditures of taxpayer funds. I find this a surprising stand on the part of this government.
Minister, do you have concerns that should these estimates be provided that it would be uncomfortable for the government, or would you not have the confidence that you could have an outcome that is similar to the estimated costs? Can you give us some rationale for this unusual approach?
4:05 p.m.
Conservative
Rob Nicholson Conservative Niagara Falls, ON
Again, there are always difficulties in trying to estimate in advance when you go into a deployment area as to what it is going to cost. I pointed out that many of the costs are fixed costs, in the sense that we own the equipment, we pay the men and women of the Canadian Armed Forces.
I've been very up front that there will be incremental costs, of course, but our testimony here is not about the deployment of taxpayers' money. It's about the deployment of Canadian men and women in uniform and making sure they have the capability and support that they need and deserve. This mission is about the human cost of doing nothing, of standing on the sidelines, which has not been a Canadian tradition or indeed a Canadian value.
4:05 p.m.
Liberal
Joyce Murray Liberal Vancouver Quadra, BC
Sorry to interrupt, but we already heard some of those explanations.
4:05 p.m.
Conservative
Rob Nicholson Conservative Niagara Falls, ON
I think they're very important though. They're very important to talk about.