Evidence of meeting #8 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 year.
A video is available from Parliament.
Conservative
Jeff Kibble Conservative Cowichan—Malahat—Langford, BC
I appreciate that. I'm just trying to get clarification on the minister's comments. In terms of the 50% statistic that he used, is that for the ones who are just applying or for people who are actually being recruited?
Associate Deputy Minister, Department of National Defence
If I'm thinking about the right statement, Mr. Chair, I believe that it was about bringing in about 50% more last year than we did the year before.
Conservative
Associate Deputy Minister, Department of National Defence
It was into enrolment.
Conservative
Jeff Kibble Conservative Cowichan—Malahat—Langford, BC
Thank you very much.
As well, the minister mentioned 36 new PMQs at CFB Edmonton. I saw them when I toured the base there this summer. They're wonderful buildings. However, command at the base indicated that they are still approximately 300 PMQs short on that base. Do you have the numbers for PMQs that we're short across the country and a timeline for catching up or a timeline for how many we're building per year nationally?
Associate Deputy Minister, Department of National Defence
I'm happy to start on that one, Mr. Chair, and if others want to jump in, they can.
The Auditor General observed this as well. We have under way a bit of a review on our living accommodations program and what that means in terms of what our needs will be in the long term for housing, including both residential housing units, RHUs, and barracks, which used to be managed separately.
Conservative
Associate Deputy Minister, Department of National Defence
Yes. We know that there's a shortage, but what our actual requirement will be over the long term is being developed.
Conservative
Jeff Kibble Conservative Cowichan—Malahat—Langford, BC
We don't know what the shortage is at the moment, then.
For Edmonton, we know that it's 300. For any of the other places, do we know a total?
Associate Deputy Minister, Department of National Defence
Mr. Chair, a lot of it will be about the time frame as well as the local conditions. That's part of the analysis.
Conservative
Jeff Kibble Conservative Cowichan—Malahat—Langford, BC
Thank you.
Mr. Pelletier, yesterday the public safety minister said that the Coast Guard will play an integral role in meeting our 2% GDP NATO spending. What adjustments will need to be made for the Coast Guard to achieve that, knowing that the NATO requirements for that spending are that coast guards are able to deploy and to operate as a military unit?
Mario Pelletier Commissioner, Canadian Coast Guard, Department of National Defence
I cannot speak to the actual methodology, but the assessment is that 100% of the Coast Guard budget will count towards NATO spending.
Conservative
Jeff Kibble Conservative Cowichan—Malahat—Langford, BC
The NATO requirements clearly indicate that Coast Guard vessels need to operate and need to be able to deploy as military vessels.
Given that the mandate is changing, what are some of the steps the Coast Guard is going to take in this transition for this new mandate?
Commissioner, Canadian Coast Guard, Department of National Defence
There are many steps. I think it's important to realize that the Coast Guard was already collecting a lot of information for safety purposes. The new mandate will give us the opportunity to share and to receive information, and to collect information for our security purposes.
Conservative
Jeff Kibble Conservative Cowichan—Malahat—Langford, BC
At the moment, the Coast Guard has navigation radar and civilian radios. Do they have the capability to collect, process and securely transmit tactical and intelligence data to military units?
Commissioner, Canadian Coast Guard, Department of National Defence
We are currently collecting information. One of the challenges—and that's what we've been working on—is how to gather and communicate it in a secure fashion.
Conservative
Jeff Kibble Conservative Cowichan—Malahat—Langford, BC
That collection of data is limited to visual and to navigation-range radars for collecting information. There's no comm intercept or electronic warfare capability, or any of those types of things.
Commissioner, Canadian Coast Guard, Department of National Defence
No, not currently.
Conservative
Jeff Kibble Conservative Cowichan—Malahat—Langford, BC
That's fair enough.
To achieve those new mandates, what are the steps that the Coast Guard will take to defend itself?
Commissioner, Canadian Coast Guard, Department of National Defence
I'm sorry, but can you repeat the question?
Conservative
Jeff Kibble Conservative Cowichan—Malahat—Langford, BC
What steps will be required, and what equipment will be given to the Coast Guard to be able to defend itself while it's conducting these security patrols?
Commissioner, Canadian Coast Guard, Department of National Defence
Right now we're not looking at defending, because we're not looking at being in a theatre where there would be confrontation. Right now we're looking at occupying a space that can be occupied and where we can collect information and pass it on to our colleagues at DND.
Conservative
Jeff Kibble Conservative Cowichan—Malahat—Langford, BC
You pass on information, but you won't be able to defend yourself, or will the Coast Guard be tasked and expected—because it does say security patrols—to be able to board another vessel, for example?
Commissioner, Canadian Coast Guard, Department of National Defence
As we speak today, we are boarding vessels for fisheries enforcement purposes.
Conservative
Jeff Kibble Conservative Cowichan—Malahat—Langford, BC
That requires Department of Fisheries personnel on board to do that. Is that correct?