National Defence Committee on Sept. 23rd, 2025

Evidence of meeting #4 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 ombudsperson.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

Briefings by the National Defence and Canadian Armed Forces Ombudsman and the Sexual Misconduct Support and Resource Centre

Committee Business

Members speaking

Simon-Pierre Savard-Tremblay

Before the committee

Baril Ombudsman, National Defence and Canadian Armed Forces Ombudsman

Hynes Director General, Operations, National Defence and Canadian Armed Forces Ombudsman

4:50 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Charles Sousa

Sure.

4:50 p.m.

Bloc

Simon-Pierre Savard-Tremblay Bloc Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot—Acton, QC

I move that the duration be one hour.

4:50 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Charles Sousa

One hour is the subamendment.

Can we agree on one hour?

4:50 p.m.

Conservative

James Bezan Conservative Selkirk—Interlake—Eastman, MB

We oppose that. We always believe that ministers are bound by parliamentary accountability, and they should be sitting at the end of the table for two hours, the length of time the committee sits.

That's on the record. Call the question.

4:50 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Charles Sousa

Fair enough.

The other amendment is the removal of the Minister of National Defence.

4:50 p.m.

Conservative

James Bezan Conservative Selkirk—Interlake—Eastman, MB

We're voting on the subamendment to change my amendment from two hours back to one hour.

4:50 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Charles Sousa

We're voting yes to that, so now we're back to one hour. That was the subamendment.

4:50 p.m.

Conservative

James Bezan Conservative Selkirk—Interlake—Eastman, MB

Do a show of hands. We want a vote.

4:50 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Charles Sousa

All those in favour of one hour...?

(Subamendment agreed to)

Now we're back to the amendment. The amendment was to remove the Minister of National Defence from the motion.

4:50 p.m.

Bloc

Simon-Pierre Savard-Tremblay Bloc Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot—Acton, QC

That is the motion before us. Agreed.

4:50 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Charles Sousa

Now we're voting on that amendment to the initial motion for one hour.

(Amendment as amended agreed to)

(Motion as amended agreed to)

All right, folks. Before we suspend, I want to ask members if they would agree to allow the staff from the Department of National Defence to attend the in camera portion of today's meeting to take note of any required follow-ups to the committee.

Is there agreement to allow staff from National Defence to attend the in camera meeting on September 23?

September 23rd, 2025 / 4:50 p.m.

Some hon. members

Agreed.

4:50 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Charles Sousa

Thank you.

We will now suspend to prepare for our next panel.

[Proceedings continue in camera]