Mr. Chair and members of the Standing Committee on National Defence, thank you for inviting me to appear before you today.
Difficult times often foster the greatest change. I am honoured to have been entrusted with this role during a pivotal moment in our institution's history. Today I will provide you with an overview of our top priorities, as outlined in my mandate letter, and the work our organization is doing to set us up for success.
First and foremost, our success at home and abroad comes down to having an engaged and resilient armed forces with the numbers to sustain our regular operations and to step up during times of crisis.
The past two years have demonstrated the importance of this, as our personnel continues to do incredible work in the face of a global pandemic.
Last year the chief of the defence staff, General Wayne Eyre, announced a substantive forces-wide reconstitution program. A key part of reconstitution is ensuring that the defence team is a place where everyone feels safe, respected and protected.
This goal is a top priority for me and the entire leadership of national defence. It is truly heartbreaking to know that our members have been injured in the line of duty. Our members—and all Canadians—deserve to work in an environment where dignity and respect prevail.
The creation of the chief professional conduct and culture group last year supports these efforts.
CPCC is leading our much-needed conduct and culture change reforms across the organization. Its work is in parallel with and complementary to Madam Arbour's independent review into defence team policies and culture. We look forward to receiving her final report later this year and implementing her recommendations.
There is no doubt, Mr. Chair, that we are facing significant challenges right now from both domestic and global threats. However, we are also facing a fundamental challenge to the institution charged with defending our country against these threats. For too long, far too many members of the defence team have suffered sexual harassment, sexual assault or discrimination based on sex, gender, gender identity and sexual orientation. I will say it again: Things can change, they must change and they will change.
I will turn now to international missions.
In today's highly complex operational environment, the skills and dedication of our people are more important than ever. Many of our international allies and partners face very real threats from state actors seeking to undermine the rules-based international order.
We are all troubled by the challenges to Ukraine's security and sovereignty due to Russia's military buildup in and around their borders. During my recent trip to the country, I saw the toll this threat has had on our Ukrainian friends.
We remain steadfast in our support. Since 2015, we have trained roughly 33,000 members of Ukraine's security forces through Operation Unifier. We just extended and expanded this mission for another three years.
I am pleased to have had the opportunity to meet with Ukraine's minister of defence, Oleksii Reznikov, and we will work closely together to identify other areas where Canada can provide support. Our work in Ukraine demonstrates that Canada is always ready to help in times of crisis.
In all of our missions around the world, we are reaffirming our commitment to peace and stability in an uncertain time.
I'll move now to domestic missions.
Here, at home, we are also facing an unprecedented demand for military assistance. From the beginning of the pandemic, our armed forces have been helping out in hard-hit communities and supporting vaccination efforts across the country. Thousands of personnel from the Regular Force, reservists and Canadian Rangers were mobilized.
At the same time, we have been called on to deploy personnel in response to climate-related disasters, which have increased in scope and severity over the previous decade.
Moreover, Canada and North America are increasingly vulnerable to external threats that know no borders. Against a backdrop of rapid technological change and vastly increased adoption and reliance on digital technology in Canada, the government's cybersecurity expertise is essential.
The reputation of the Communications Security Establishment, or CSE, in the defence of Canada is well established. Together with our armed forces, the CSE plays a vital role in strengthening our defences here, at home.
We are also working with the United States to bolster our continental defences. This includes modernizing NORAD. As part of these efforts, we are improving how we monitor, defend and operate in the Arctic region. In fact, just last week we announced a new seven-year contract with the majority Inuit-owned Nasittuq Corporation to maintain the 50 radar sites of the north warning system as we explore options for modernizing Arctic surveillance.
Our fighting force must be ready to respond to a variety of threats from all directions at all times and in very close co-operation with our closest allies. That means having the right number of people in our ranks. It means making sure that they are included, respected and engaged. It means giving them the right equipment and training to match these threats.
To conclude, Mr. Chair, our military is indeed at an inflection point. We are facing a significant demand for Canadian Armed Forces support both here at home and across the globe. We are also facing rapidly evolving threats that risk outpacing our ability to defend against them. Our solutions must be built around people.
We need the right people, with the right training and the right equipment. We need to create a culture that supports the health and well-being of those individuals who perform the critical functions we entrust to them.
There's a lot to do, but I am confident that by working together we will realize our objectives.
Thank you. Meegwetch.