All right. Carry on.
Evidence of meeting #119 for National Defence in the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was significant.
A video is available from Parliament.
Evidence of meeting #119 for National Defence in the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was significant.
A video is available from Parliament.
Conservative
James Bezan Conservative Selkirk—Interlake—Eastman, MB
Again, in your current role, then, as Minister of National Defence, from time to time there are orders that come across your table that are going to be dealing with issues like foreign interference, like national security, that are going to require your sign-off.
Your former chief of staff withheld documents from you for 54 days. How does that not violate and contravene our national security?
Liberal
Bill Blair Liberal Scarborough Southwest, ON
Again, the premise of your question is false and contradicts the sworn testimony that the commission heard yesterday. As well, there's nothing political in decisions with respect to the national defence.
Conservative
James Bezan Conservative Selkirk—Interlake—Eastman, MB
If I quote Ms. Astravas, she said: “At any time there is a name of someone I knew mentioned in a warrant or intelligence report, I always let the director and minister know.” First of all, she must have let you know, then, and you must have been sitting out on it for 54 days, based upon her own testimony.
Liberal
Bill Blair Liberal Scarborough Southwest, ON
Mr. Bezan, you're making stuff up that isn't true, and I appreciate that you want...and you're making a video, and that's fine, but what you're saying is simply not true, and it has been contradicted by the sworn testimony of other witnesses. I've appeared before that hearing three times and given sworn testimony and I'm very pleased to be able to go tomorrow and give that sworn testimony again, and what you're saying has been contradicted by all of the evidence that's been presented to the committee.
Conservative
James Bezan Conservative Selkirk—Interlake—Eastman, MB
I disagree with that. I believe that the testimony does speak for itself, and it does show that a warrant sat around in your office, on your desk, and under the care of your former chief of staff that was actually.... You know, in the middle of it here we have a foreign interference inquiry being done by Justice Hogue , and I believe that the truth will be revealed in that process as well, never mind the testimony that's been given at the different committees here.
I will share the rest of my time with Mr. Allison.
Conservative
Dean Allison Conservative Niagara West, ON
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister, for being here.
Do you believe that a terrorist regime like Iran should be allowed to develop nuclear weapons?
Liberal
Bill Blair Liberal Scarborough Southwest, ON
I'm deeply concerned about the increasing military capability, including the acquisition of military weapons, by a regime such as Iran. It has been a state exporter of terrorism around the world and, through the IRGC and Quds Force, has demonstrated support for other terrorist organizations. Yes, it's deeply concerning that such a regime should have that sort of capability.
Conservative
James Bezan Conservative Selkirk—Interlake—Eastman, MB
Why wouldn't Israel, then, have the ability to attack those sites?
Liberal
Bill Blair Liberal Scarborough Southwest, ON
Again, I think the international community has a responsibility to do everything it can to prevent Iran from attaining those things, but at the same time, I think that should not be done in a way that puts countless lives and the environment at stake.
Conservative
Liberal
Bill Blair Liberal Scarborough Southwest, ON
Again, there are very limited circumstances under which those could be legitimate targets, but the international conventions on the law of armed conflict very specifically prohibit the targeting of nuclear facilities, which was, frankly, what your leader suggested.
Conservative
James Bezan Conservative Selkirk—Interlake—Eastman, MB
No, what he said was to go after sites that are actually responsible for developing nuclear weapons.
How many sites in Iran actually produce nuclear energy?
Conservative
James Bezan Conservative Selkirk—Interlake—Eastman, MB
Does your team?
The World Nuclear Association says there's one. We're aware of it, where it is, so obviously we're not talking about targeting that. Why would we not just say that, obviously, we don't approve of their targeting sites that are approved electric...? That's not what Israel is saying, and that's not what our leader said, either.
Liberal
Bill Blair Liberal Scarborough Southwest, ON
I think there is a very serious concern that, if anyone were to target a nuclear facility anywhere in the world—whether it be in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, or in any other place in the world—it would represent an unacceptable risk to innocent civilians and to the environment. That's why 174 countries signed on to an international convention that very specifically prohibits attacks on those facilities.
Liberal
Liberal
Emmanuella Lambropoulos Liberal Saint-Laurent, QC
Thank you, Chair
Thank you, Minister and team, for being here with us today.
My first question is about recruitment because, as we've heard time and time again, this is something that's really important and that we're not exactly where we need to be yet in terms of recruitment. A few weeks ago we had a witness come and tell us the goal would be for 6,400 new members to be recruited in this fiscal year. I'm wondering what your thoughts are on that and whether you think that is enough. If not, what can we do in order to make sure that those numbers grow at a quicker pace?
Liberal
Bill Blair Liberal Scarborough Southwest, ON
Thank you very much for what I think is one of our most important questions because, as I said in my opening remarks, people are our most important asset. As I've already commented, I've expressed very sincere concern that losing more people than we're able to take on is not a successful strategy, and we have to turn it around.
I am very pleased to report to this committee that there has been some outstanding work done by the Canadian Armed Forces, and the Department of National Defence to significantly improve our onboarding and our recruiting processes, and I think they have demonstrated real openness and commitment to doing what is necessary to resolve our hiring and personnel issues.
There's some very important work that's going on with the new CDS. I think it's more appropriate for her to perhaps come before this committee and outline the nature of her plan, but as I have been briefed, it includes, I think, significant new measures. It includes the introduction—as was recommended not only in our new defence policy but also in Justice Arbour's recommendations—of the establishment of a probationary period.
That's going to allow them to bring people in much more quickly to begin their basic training and, then, to complete some of the important security background checks, for example, before the person is in a sensitive position, but it enables us to get started and to really expedite the processes.
We're also seeing a very comprehensive re-evaluation that's going on, not in any way to compromise the very high standards that we require for everybody joining the Canadian Armed Forces and for their combat readiness, but at the same time, it's going to enable us to address, I think, more appropriately some of the impediments that we have identified in getting people in the door.
There has also been some really good work done because, as I know this committee has been advised, permanent residents were given the opportunity about two years ago to make applications to join the Canadian Armed Forces, and about 20,000 of them immediately signed up. We saw that the intake was impeded by some of the challenges in doing over again the security background checks for those individuals. There has been some really good work done among the Canadian Armed Forces, IRCC and others to expedite those processes, and I'm very encouraged by the path that we are currently on.
I believe that we have turned a very significant corner and that we will see an increase in recruitment, but we're not done. There are a number of really important initiatives I think we can undertake. I think the opportunity we can give Canadians to serve their country in the Canadian Armed Forces and to engage in real national public service for this country is a great opportunity for those young people, and it's a great opportunity for the Canadian Armed Forces, so we are committed.
One of the things that I have asked the CDS to look at is that there are a number of bottlenecks in those recruitment processes. Our capacity to put people through basic training is one of those bottlenecks, so we are looking at how we address that and how we increase that capacity.
We also have a very extensive and comprehensive review of our military colleges going on at Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu and at RMC in Kingston. Those, I hope, are going to give us a number of recommendations that will enable us to make those more efficient and effective in getting the cadre of leadership that we're also going to require for the Canadian Armed Forces.
Liberal
Emmanuella Lambropoulos Liberal Saint-Laurent, QC
Thank you very much.
I think you already mentioned a few of the obstacles and how to overcome them or mentioned that there are plans in the works, so I'll avoid that question.
Another really important point here is the issue of retention, making sure once they are there—and for those who are already there—that they want to stay because it's a positive and healthy workplace culture. You have spoken a little about that as well. You spoke about Bill C-66. You spoke about Justice Arbour's recommendations.
Can you tell us where we are on those, how many of them we've actually accomplished or implemented and what your view is on how we can rebuild trust in the Canadian Armed Forces for future generations?
Liberal
Bill Blair Liberal Scarborough Southwest, ON
Yes, very quickly, just in response to Justice Arbour's recommendations, a little more than half of them have been fully implemented. We have also just recently published, in the spring of this year, our comprehensive implementation plan for the remaining recommendations, which schedules their full implementation by the end of 2025. That work is well under way.
The recommendation that did require changes to the National Defence Act was brought forward in Bill C-66, which hopefully will come to this committee for its important work very shortly.
We're also, as I mentioned, investing in housing because that's what members have told us is a challenge for them. We're investing in child care because that's important. We're working with the provinces on making sure, for Service Canada, that shared services are available to our members so that they can get access to a family doctor or that people can get assistance for their spouses to have employment. There are many things that we need to do on behalf of the Canadian Armed Forces, and we are working on them—
Liberal
Bloc
Christine Normandin Bloc Saint-Jean, QC
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.
I'll come back to my question about the production of 155-millimetre shells. It was 5,000 per month, and you promised to quadruple it. As the end of the year approaches, where are we now?