The SMRC is independent from the chain of command and offers a variety of supports. Moving forward, National Defence will leverage $236.2 million to expand and enhance those supports. It's a 24-7 support line that will continue to be there, and folks can access it from anywhere in the world.
Madam Chair, I'd like to add that in this budget there is an opportunity for those of us who care about this issue and who want to bring about cultural change faster to do that work and to vote in favour of it. As for my role in all of this, I assure my colleagues and Canadians that my team and I are keeping a very close eye on this. We are connecting with survivors and experts, and we are ensuring that an intersectional gender lens is applied.
I will say this, too, before I hand the mike back over to you, Madam Chair. It is clear that what we have done over the past six years has not gone far enough. We understand that, and we're committed to moving forward faster to ensure that every woman, man and gender-diverse person in our armed forces and DND feels safe and feels like they can contribute meaningfully to their country.