National Defence Committee on Dec. 5th, 2023

[The Chair, Liberal, John McKay]

What else would you want to be doing?

[Shannon Hill]

Exactly.

I think it's a really interesting question and, to go off of Mr. Banks' comments to reiterate a point I made earlier, there are starting to be recommendations and recognition to potentially reduce the number of relocations, particularly with families who have children, adolescents or kids with special needs. I think that recognition has started to be made, so I wanted to add that piece into it.

[Andy Fillmore, Liberal, Halifax, NS]

Thank you.

Ms. Truong, do you have anything to share on that?

[Alyssa Truong]

Yes, it's a great question. I want to echo Sergeant Banks that moving is part of military life, and I'm not sure the moving needs to stop. It's the way we're doing it.

I don't mind moving, but reducing some of the stressors that come along with moving, including housing, health care and education, are the things that probably need to be looked at.

[Andy Fillmore, Liberal, Halifax, NS]

Okay, thank you.

Do I still have a couple of minutes?

[The Chair, Liberal, John McKay]

You have about a minute.

[Andy Fillmore, Liberal, Halifax, NS]

I just want to say to my colleague Mrs. Kramp-Neuman that I'm sorry that the member in Halifax didn't reach out to one of the MPs who represent them. If you would like to direct them to us or share the correspondence, I would be very happy to go to work on their behalf. Thank you for that.

If there are just a few seconds left, I'll come back to the MFRCs, and this will be a quick question.

I'm not sure whose depth of experience is greater; maybe it's Ms. Truong's. Regarding the supports that the MFRCs provide around those housing transitions, can you tell us specifically what they are?

[Alyssa Truong]

Generally, an MFRC would provide a welcome package to a family. The MFRC is outside of the housing situation. Some MFRCs might provide a listing of local rentals, but I know that, specifically for Borden, to my knowledge, you would receive a welcome package when you arrived on base to help you integrate.

[Andy Fillmore, Liberal, Halifax, NS]

Thank you all for your testimony today.

[The Chair, Liberal, John McKay]

Colleagues, that brings us to the conclusion of our three rounds.

Witnesses, I want to thank each and every one of you for your testimony.

Before we let you go, Sergeant Banks, you used a very powerful word, corruption. Usually corruption is associated with dishonesty, fraud, bribery and things of that nature.

The testimony before this committee carries with it a privilege and an immunity, and, in the event that you have specific instances or allegations that you would wish to make with respect to any elements of corruption, I can assure you that the committee would be very interested in it.

I'm not asking you to say something at this point, but in the event that you do have an opportunity to reflect on your testimony and wish to give specific allegations of corruption, that would be helpful.

Go ahead, Mrs. Gallant.

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

This committee studied quality of life in 2004, which included housing. I was looking up to see who we have—

[The Chair, Liberal, John McKay]

You were here in 2004?

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

I was here.

We looked at housing back then, but when I go to the parliamentary website, it doesn't have our testimony online.

Would you know if we have paper copies or does the record just stop electronically and go away after a while so we don't have access to it?

[The Chair, Liberal, John McKay]

The short answer is I don't know.

The clerk has assured me that she'll look into it.

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

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, John McKay]

With that, thank you.

The meeting is adjourned.