National Defence Committee on March 23rd, 2022

[Cheryl Gallant, Conservative, Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, ON]

If I have time, I'll share with my colleague, Mr. Motz.

Given that Canada is suffering such a severe shortage of deployable troops, and it takes years and tens of thousands of dollars to have an individual trained up to the deployment standards—for the special forces, it's even in the millions—with Canada at its highest threat level since World War II, how much is CAF going to allocate additionally to replace the decades of experience and loyalty being cast aside in the name of mandates that the chief medical officer indicates may soon be lifted?

[Anita Anand, Liberal, Oakville, ON]

There's a lot in that question.

What I want to say is that as you can see from the supplementary estimates (C), we're focusing to a very large extent on recruitment and retention. We have to make sure we are building up the CAF for the long term, ensuring the right training and the right equipment. That's why we're focusing on recruitment. That's why we're focusing on reconstitution. People are our priority, for the forces and for me, and we're taking very serious steps to ensure mitigation and recruitment initiatives so that we can bring our forces to full strength to face the challenges of today and tomorrow.

That is important not only for domestic operations but also internationally. We are very careful about what we are committing, because we need to make sure that reconstitution occurs.

I'm not sure if the VCDS has anything she would like to add.

[LGen Frances J. Allen]

Thank you, Mr. Chair, and thank you, Minister.

You're absolutely right in identifying that people are critical to us. During the time of COVID, we've certainly seen a decrease—

[Cheryl Gallant, Conservative, Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, ON]

She gave me a fulsome answer, so....

[LGen Frances J. Allen]

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, John McKay]

Sorry. It is the member's time, and she apparently wants to move on.

[Cheryl Gallant, Conservative, Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, ON]

Given the potential to be in a hot conflict zone involving CBRNs, how much is being allocated to ensure that our 3,400 troops committed to Operation Reassurance have, should it become necessary, the personal protection gear in place?

[Anita Anand, Liberal, Oakville, ON]

This is a question for my officials. I will ask my deputy minister, Bill Matthews, if he would like to respond.

[Cheryl Gallant, Conservative, Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, ON]

We can save that for the next round, then.

What amount is being allocated for the pre-deployment readiness exercises for these 3,400 committed troops?

[Anita Anand, Liberal, Oakville, ON]

We are committed to a range of options for NATO and a range of pledges. The 3,400 troops make up just one of those components. They are being very well resourced in terms of their readiness. Truth be told, we are at the ready, if we receive the call from NATO, to defend with our allies every inch of NATO territory under article 5 of the Washington treaty.

[Cheryl Gallant, Conservative, Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, ON]

What would be the name of that readiness exercise to get them prepared for that deployment, should it become necessary? Do we have the name of that op or exercise?

[Anita Anand, Liberal, Oakville, ON]

The operation is Operation Reassurance, and it would be—

[Cheryl Gallant, Conservative, Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, ON]

But the exercise for readiness—what is that called? Then I can match up the amount spent.

[LGen Frances J. Allen]

I couldn't give you at this point in time, although I can later, the actual name of the exercise. We have what we call the joint exercise and training account, through which we identify the costs that are associated with the readiness training that we do. Then, as you've seen through the supplementary estimates, these are the opportunities to go back and identify that funding.

[Cheryl Gallant, Conservative, Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, ON]

What amount has been allocated towards technology to detect under-Arctic ice incursions in Canadian waters?

[The Chair, Liberal, John McKay]

It's a fairly technical question.

[Cheryl Gallant, Conservative, Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, ON]

Has any money been allocated to that?

[Bill Matthews, Deputy Minister of National Defence, Department of National Defence]

There's nothing in the supplementary estimates (C) specific to the capability that is being referenced here. The member may be trying to associate detailed costing with specific activities as opposed to overall readiness and capability. I suspect that we may come back to this in the second part of meeting, but I don't want to waste any more of your time, Mr. Chair.

[Cheryl Gallant, Conservative, Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, ON]

Okay. What amount is being allocated to supplement the forces and the rangers we have in the far north, along our shores around the Northwest Passage? What has been allocated for additional supplementary protection, human-wise, should it become necessary?

[The Chair, Liberal, John McKay]

Please answer very briefly, if it can be answered. If not, we'll come back to it in the second round.

[Anita Anand, Liberal, Oakville, ON]

Mr. Chair, am I able to answer that?

[The Chair, Liberal, John McKay]

Okay, that's it for the answer.

[Anita Anand, Liberal, Oakville, ON]

For the final five minutes, we have Madam O'Connell.

[Jennifer O'Connell, Liberal, Pickering—Uxbridge, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Minister, thanks for being here.

In your opening speech, and then throughout questioning, you spoke about the importance of people. We certainly have been hearing testimony at committee that some of the most significant investments Canada can make are in recruitment and in its people.

I have two parts. Can you speak about the short term, ensuring that we are ready, as well as the medium and long term?

Then, one area that was brought up, which a number of us spoke about, is in regard to policy changes that will see more diversity in hiring, and for senior positions. It's the issue around years of service before you can reach a higher rank, for example, to have more women in high-ranking positions or in cyber. If we need specific cyber-expertise now, how long does it take for that individual to enter, to serve and then to reach the rank of the expertise we actually need?

Can you elaborate on some of that work?

[Anita Anand, Liberal, Oakville, ON]

I most definitely can.

As I have reiterated a number of times in this appearance, investing in people for the Canadian Armed Forces is extremely important to me personally as minister, and to our government. It means ensuring that members of our defence team have a workplace that is free from misconduct and sexual harassment and discrimination, which goes directly to your question. It means ensuring that members of the Canadian Armed Forces have the equipment they need. It means ensuring that they have financial supports.

Your question was about the process for ensuring we have diversity as we move up the ranks of the Canadian Armed Forces, and also how long it will take to ensure we have diversity across the board. This is an extremely important question. It is one that I take very seriously and that I discuss with my chief of the defence staff and the larger defence team on a daily basis.

Lieutenant-General Allen would be best placed to elaborate on the specific efforts that the Canadian Armed Forces is taking to ensure diversity in promotions.