National Defence Committee on Nov. 23rd, 2023

[The Chair, Liberal, John McKay]

You have two and a half minutes, Ms. Mathyssen.

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

I will continue on in terms of speaking about reservists. It is absolutely important to recognize them through service medals and so on, but it's the compensation, of course, that's linked to that. There's the fact that they don't have the same benefits. They don't get the same recognition, but that compensation is key.

The defence ombudsman released his report on the systemic barriers to reservists' receiving mental health supports during and after domestic deployments.

Can you tell us what reforms will be taking place in response to that ombudsman's report to protect CAF members?

[Bill Blair, Liberal, Scarborough Southwest, ON]

I found the ombudsman's report very useful. We value that work. We are looking very hard at not just mental health supports, which are not insignificant for reservists who have been on these domestic deployments, but other supports as well. It's something we are examining very carefully.

Let me be very clear: The benefits they receive are important, but also in terms of the ease of acquiring those benefits, it sometimes becomes far too complicated and time-consuming, and there are delays that can add to the difficulty of those deployments for those individuals.

We're working through how to do that more efficiently.

[Gen Wayne D. Eyre]

Mr. Chair, we continue to look at what else we can do. For example, after the long duration of fighting fires this summer, I asked the team to look at tax-free status, much the same as what we have for overseas deployments.

Of course, there's a whole litany of reasons we can't do it, but maybe this is something your committee can take away.

[Bill Blair, Liberal, Scarborough Southwest, ON]

Just so you're also aware, volunteer firefighters and search and rescue personnel receive a $2,500 tax credit for those deployments. Frankly, that hasn't been raised in a long time, and I might strongly advocate that it be looked at again, but those types of things—

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

We have PMBs on that. That would be great.

[Bill Blair, Liberal, Scarborough Southwest, ON]

I've spoken to John many times about it.

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

One of the things I'm a bit concerned about, too, is some commentary in terms of what municipalities and provinces haven't done. There's also a great deal.... I actually have a meeting today with the FCM. They're concerned, of course, about all the downloading to them from federal and provincial governments that has happened, and about the resources they do not have.

I would love to hear a commitment from your government to ensure that, through the fact that they are desperately trying to deal with housing, with mental health crises and with health crises, as they are, they will also continue to receive supports in terms of mitigation, so that there isn't a blame placed upon them for calling upon the Canadian Armed Forces because they don't have the capacity to take on one more thing that is a federal responsibility.

[Bill Blair, Liberal, Scarborough Southwest, ON]

Just to be really clear, first of all, the city can't directly call upon federal resources. The way in which the process is set up is that it comes through the province. The province has to submit an RFA, and under no circumstances do we send the municipality a bill.

[The Chair, Liberal, John McKay]

Ms. Mathyssen is way beyond her time.

Mr. Kelly, you have five minutes.

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

Thank you.

Minister, your government announced a $1-billion cut to the defence department. Will that cut result in an increase in the ability of the Canadian Armed Forces to respond to domestic disaster calls?

[Bill Blair, Liberal, Scarborough Southwest, ON]

Well, of course, Mr. Kelly, it's not going to result in an increase—

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

Okay—

[Bill Blair, Liberal, Scarborough Southwest, ON]

—but what we are committed to is that it does not in any way diminish the capacity of the Canadian Armed Forces to respond to the missions we send them on.

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

Okay.

Will this help your government solve the crisis of recruitment and retention in the forces?

[Bill Blair, Liberal, Scarborough Southwest, ON]

We are absolutely committed that it won't interfere with that solution.

There are, in every bureaucracy, Mr. Kelly, expenditures. We have a responsibility, and I would expect that you might support that.... We have every responsibility to make sure we're spending money wisely and well.

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

Is it your contention that there is waste within the bureaucracy, and that there is $1 billion in fat to be trimmed from the bureaucracy?

[Bill Blair, Liberal, Scarborough Southwest, ON]

No. I think what we are acknowledging is that there are monies spent that do not necessarily contribute, most importantly, to the capability of the Canadian Armed Forces or to the support we provide to the members who do that important work.

We're looking very carefully at those expenditures to make sure that if they're not supporting those things, we are going to take the steps necessary to make sure we spend Canadian taxpayer dollars well.

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

Thank you.

The chief of staff expressed concern about cutting the department without ultimately interfering in our operational capability.

[Bill Blair, Liberal, Scarborough Southwest, ON]

I heard his concern very clearly. I share that concern. That's why we're working so hard to make sure that as we respond to Treasury Board's request for the reductions they have sought, they do not in any way interfere with the general's ability to deliver those services or the support we provide to his members.

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

Are you satisfied, General Eyre, that $1 billion can be cut from the defence department's budget without interfering with your ability to fulfill your obligations as chief of staff?

[The Chair, Liberal, John McKay]

Could you tie this somehow or another, by some remote means, into the subject matter?

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

This is readiness for domestic operations.

[The Chair, Liberal, John McKay]

Well, you didn't tie that in. It is a generalized question, so that's why, if the general could be specific, that would be helpful.

[Gen Wayne D. Eyre]

Mr. Chair, I can't answer that question yet, because we haven't seen what the results would be.