Oh, oh!
Evidence of meeting #32 for National Defence in the 45th Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was english.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Evidence of meeting #32 for National Defence in the 45th Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was english.
A recording is available from Parliament.
LGen (Ret'd) Michel Maisonneuve
You have to do it radically. I think it was Napoleon who said that one person needs to be imprisoned to set an example for others.
You have to be tough at first. I think Mr. Sauvé is absolutely right that the beauty of the Canadian Forces is that you can impose something on them and they're going to implement it right away, and then their culture is going to change. Sometimes, too, it's unfortunate that people use them to set an example or as guinea pigs.
In short, I think we need to be radical. The government needs to walk the talk. Oftentimes, that doesn't happen in the Canadian Forces. As Ms. Le Scelleur and Ms. Chouinard said a number of times earlier, people say things are like that, but they're not really like that. I think we need to kick people in the rear end. That's what needs to be done.
Conservative
Conservative
James Bezan Conservative Selkirk—Interlake—Eastman, MB
We're going to do one question each. It's rapid-fire.
Conservative
Cheryl Gallant Conservative Algonquin—Renfrew—Pembroke, ON
I'll be sharing my time with Mr. Anderson.
This is for retired lieutenant-general Michel Maisonneuve. How necessary is it, if at all, that the Canadian Rangers leaders be functional in both of our official languages?
LGen (Ret'd) Michel Maisonneuve
That is an interesting question. I believe it depends on what group they're leading. Obviously, I would say in these cases that having some knowledge of a first nations language would be useful as well.
It comes down to a question of leadership. Let's say it's the rangers in Quebec. A lot of them are anglophone. Some of them are francophone. Obviously, they all speak their own first nations language. It behooves the leader there to have the ability to communicate with his or her subordinates.
If you take it from just that point of view, it's not a question that you would even be asking. Do you know what I'm saying? It's a leadership question. It's a respect question. It's exactly what Professor Chouinard said at the beginning, and what I tried to say as well.
Conservative
Conservative
Scott Anderson Conservative Vernon—Lake Country—Monashee, BC
Thank you very much.
General, I have another question for you.
During the Afghan deployment, about a quarter of the people who went over were actually reserves, including junior and senior officers. What's your prescription for the reserves, given that in a kinetic situation they are quite likely to supplement and be integrated into the force structure that's being projected.
LGen (Ret'd) Michel Maisonneuve
If you have a couple of hours, I'll talk to you about the reserves.
The first thing I would tell you is that I think the reserves are absolutely essential to our country. I believe we are not putting enough emphasis on the reserves. I believe the problem with the reserves is the regular force, which doesn't respect the reserves as much as they should.
I have lots of prescriptions that I could provide to you, but one of the things, for example.... I know there's lots of good work being done by the commander of the army and his staff to kind of restructure right now, but I think the reserves are very successful when they're given the proper support by the regular force. I'll just leave it there.
For example, in terms of numbers of regular force serving among the reserves and integration and respect by the regular force of the reserves, let's face it. In World War II and Korea, the people who went over were reservists. They were not the permanent force. They saved our bacon, so we should understand that and give them the support they need.
Conservative
Scott Anderson Conservative Vernon—Lake Country—Monashee, BC
Thank you very much, sir.
I'm going to pass the rest of my time to my colleague, Jeff Kibble.
Conservative
Jeff Kibble Conservative Cowichan—Malahat—Langford, BC
Mr. Sauvé, in your statement earlier, you said that approximately 40% and possibly as high as 90% of CF members are seeking mental health support. Are you aware that recruits now are no longer screened for mental health? What impact do you think this will have on training going forward?
As an Individual
The figures I mentioned come from me. They aren't empirical; they're anecdotal.
However, having experienced this myself, I know that anxiety and depression are not permanent states, in my view. Just because a recruit is anxious doesn't mean they won't do their job properly. It's something that can be treated; we know that very well. During a difficult time in my own life, I didn't think I was going to make it, and I can tell you that I may actually be better today than I was before.
Conservative
Jeff Kibble Conservative Cowichan—Malahat—Langford, BC
Thank you.
General Maisonneuve, could you comment on the impact as well? I appreciate that this can certainly be treated, but we're sending people into recruit school who don't have mental health training. What is the impact, in your opinion? In that statement about meritocracy—
LGen (Ret'd) Michel Maisonneuve
If you're saying that people are not being screened at all for mental abilities, I think that's an issue. Obviously, there's just a milieu here. You need to make sure that the people who are coming in meet the basic standard. The basic standard should include being able to speak one of our two official languages and having the mental capacity that will allow them to progress. Otherwise, you're wasting time. You're wasting the recruiter's time and the training time.
Conservative
Jeff Kibble Conservative Cowichan—Malahat—Langford, BC
I'm going to jump in because Mr. Bezan has a question, but thank you for your comments.
Conservative
James Bezan Conservative Selkirk—Interlake—Eastman, MB
Thank you, Mr. Kibble.
Witnesses, this is a study and we are going to be writing a report, so I will ask each of you to please make one recommendation that you want to see in the report.
We'll start here in the room with Mr. Sauvé. Then we'll go to the two online.
As an Individual
As Mr. Maisonneuve said, regulations and quotas have to be imposed, and training must then be provided. It's not enough to ask people to be bilingual or to speak both official languages well. We need to provide them with training, and we need to start as early as possible. Mr. Maisonneuve mentioned that this should be done as soon as a person assumes a leadership position. Accordingly, this should begin at the outset for officers, and perhaps also for master corporals and sergeants. We ask a great deal of leaders, and it's normal that we do so. We ask them to be pillars within various training programs, and we also ask them to be pillars of bilingualism. As a result, the example must begin as early as possible.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Charles Sousa
That's over our time. I did want to allow Ms. Romanado....
You're over time, but I want to provide Mr. Savard-Tremblay with the last word. We'll give the other witnesses the opportunity to respond to that question, and Mr. Savard-Tremblay will wrap it up.
Conservative
Conservative
James Bezan Conservative Selkirk—Interlake—Eastman, MB
Lieutenant‑General Maisonneuve, the floor is yours.
LGen (Ret'd) Michel Maisonneuve
I think it's to make it an integral part of the leadership. If you do that, I think you're going to have no problems. You're going to have people who get into it and have the right attitude about getting in there.
