National Defence Committee on Sept. 19th, 2023

[Lindsay Mathyssen, NDP, London—Fanshawe, ON]

I appreciate it.

[The Chair, Liberal, John McKay]

You have one minute.

[Lindsay Mathyssen, NDP, London—Fanshawe, ON]

Okay.

I think I won't fit it in, so I'll give it back and I'll come back to you.

[The Chair, Liberal, John McKay]

And you'll expect me to be nice to you.

[Lindsay Mathyssen, NDP, London—Fanshawe, ON]

Yes, always.

[The Chair, Liberal, John McKay]

Yes, well, sometimes your expectations are unrealized.

Mr. Kelly, you have five minutes, please.

[Pat Kelly, Conservative, Calgary Rocky Ridge, AB]

Thank you.

I'd like to begin by echoing the remarks of Mr. Bezan and affirm just how strongly we in the opposition support the work of the government in its support of Ukraine, and remind anybody who has forgotten that the previous government was there in 2014 and launched Operation Unifier. We continue to stand with Ukraine and call on the government to do more and do better to support Ukraine.

I'd like to ask for a quick response, if I could, on a question that came out of your remarks, General Prévost. What land mine clearance equipment have we sent or are we sending? You mentioned it in your opening statement.

[MGen Paul Prévost]

Mr. Chair, some of the equipment we sent from CAF, the Canadian Armed Forces, was tactical equipment that soldiers would use to demine for their operations—rather than demining writ large for a country, which normally comes back more into the Global Affairs lane, as a remediation to the conflict. We sent metal detectors and tactical equipment for the security forces of Ukraine to be able to demine for their own operations.

[Pat Kelly, Conservative, Calgary Rocky Ridge, AB]

All right.

Now, we've been told about the depth of mine defence. In some cases, minefields are 18 kilometres deep. I mean, you're not going to clear that with hand-held detection devices. In order to clear a minefield that deep, as we were told repeatedly, it's all about artillery capability and being able to push back so that you won't have the immediate targeted response once you detonate a mine in the clearing process.

Going back to the issue of shells, has there been an increase in Canadian production in the last year over year?

[MGen Paul Prévost]

Mr. Chair, for the answer to that question, we'll have to check with the company. I know that our associate deputy minister of materiel is dealing with the company. Have they increased their production? Will they increase their production? We'll have to come back.

[Pat Kelly, Conservative, Calgary Rocky Ridge, AB]

Which company are you referring to?

[MGen Paul Prévost]

It's GD-OTS.

[Pat Kelly, Conservative, Calgary Rocky Ridge, AB]

Is this at the facility located north of Montreal?

[MGen Paul Prévost]

That's correct.

[Pat Kelly, Conservative, Calgary Rocky Ridge, AB]

So it's still not operating and not—

[MGen Paul Prévost]

I wouldn't be able to answer that question, but we could come back with the answer to it.

[Pat Kelly, Conservative, Calgary Rocky Ridge, AB]

Okay.

I think it's been a year since this was identified as an area in which Canadian production could be employed. Is there a sense of urgency in getting this factory up and running?

[MGen Paul Prévost]

Yes. That's the point I was making earlier here. There's a point where we have to negotiate with industry, but Canadian demands alone won't be enough to satisfy that industry. That industry needs to recognize that there's a global market for this here. We're working with that industry now.

[Pat Kelly, Conservative, Calgary Rocky Ridge, AB]

Okay, but to meet global markets, they require export certification from Global Affairs. Will they be able to do that immediately? What steps has Global Affairs taken to ensure that the companies have the assurance that they can in fact export any surplus the Canadian Forces wouldn't take?

[Alison Grant]

Thank you, Mr. Chair, for the question.

I'm not in charge of export controls, but my team is involved in the process at Global Affairs. I do know that we have developed a special and fast process for clearing military exports to Ukraine. We work alongside DND on that. I'm aware of a special procedure for that. Unfortunately, I don't have all the details. I'm not in charge of it. I can get back to you.

[Pat Kelly, Conservative, Calgary Rocky Ridge, AB]

I would appreciate it if you could table anything with the committee.

We heard repeatedly—in the various bases the committee visited in the summer, and when James and I were in Ukraine—that 155 millimetre shells are perhaps the hottest military commodity for our allied forces that use that calibre of weapon. Getting them built is critical to the entire defence. We heard repeatedly that artillery capability is what holds back their ability to clear minefields and to actually advance into Russian positions that are extraordinarily well defended at this point.

I'll give you the last 20 seconds if you have a response.

[MGen Paul Prévost]

That's good, sir.

Mr. Chair, we'll provide what update we can from the discussions between our department, the allies involved in that conversation and the company.

[The Chair, Liberal, John McKay]

Thank you, Mr. Kelly.

We do seem to be accumulating a lot of undertakings to respond at a later date. One way or another we'll have to organize that.

Ms. Lambropoulos, you have five minutes. Go ahead, please.

[Emmanuella Lambropoulos, Liberal, Saint-Laurent, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I guess we need to practise the last name again a few more times. It was too long a break.

[The Chair, Liberal, John McKay]

I know. I just realized I stumbled. It was three months of not saying your name.