Mr. Speaker, I am pleased today to stand in defence of our armed forces and the many excellent, highly professional people who make up the military.
The Government of Canada has shown leadership in this area by publishing a new white paper on defence. I believe it has provided a defence policy which gives the Canadian forces the clear direction required in these uncertain times.
As the Minister of National Defence detailed previously, senior military officers are providing leadership. This is evidenced by the effectiveness of our forces at home and abroad.
This debate has special importance for me because in my riding of Annapolis Valley-Hants I have a significant number of military personnel stationed at CFB Greenwood and at Camp Aldershot. I have had the pleasure of meeting with many of these people over the last number of years.
I am most impressed by the dedication, professionalism and commitment of the men and women of the Canadian Armed Forces. They do their work with little or no public recognition. Yet our military continues to make significant contributions around the world.
The growing burden of public sector debt over the last 20 years has affected all Canadians. DND and the Canadian forces have rightly been expected to contribute their fair share to reduce the nation's deficit.
In 1989 DND and the Canadian Armed Forces suffered deep cuts to personnel, capital purchases and infrastructure. The most recent federal budget continues that trend.
I am certainly not suggesting that members of the Department of National Defence or the Canadian forces are resentful of having to do their part. It is quite the opposite. They, like many Canadians serving in the defence of Canada, are interested in understanding the need to do their part for the national effort to reduce the deficit.
There is no denying however that fiscal restraint generates stress and uncertainty, a situation certainly not unique to the Canadian forces. Downsizing the Canadian forces means that expectations of a secure military career with unlimited advancement can no longer be met. Salaries and incentive pay have been frozen. Some of the rank and file, particularly those with less than four years' service, may find it difficult at times to make ends meet.
Under these trying circumstances, it is imperative that the leadership in DND and the Canadian forces take positive action to improve morale. They must deal with the problems being faced by those under their charge. I contend they are doing that.
Senior leaders are constantly in touch with their men and women in the forces. They will remain so to explain what is happening and to detail actions being taken on their behalf.
There are a number of workforce pressures that our forces experience. Economic and social changes, as we know, have had dramatic impact on the nature of the Canadian family and the workforce. Marriages in which both spouses work are becoming the dominant trend.
The Canadian forces are like a microcosm of the larger Canadian society and therefore reflect these trends. Between 1980 and 1990 the number of military couples in the Canadian forces tripled. The majority of the force members are now either married or single parents. Among married couples, the number with families and working spouses is significant. This development has put pressure on the military as members are understandably seeking family, career, financial and educational stability.
DND and the Canadian forces have added the challenge of balancing the needs of their members with the needs of operational requirements and effectiveness.
Many career paths are being restructured to reduce the number of postings and assignments that a member of the Canadian forces can expect over a lifetime of service. This policy will result in fewer relocations, easing the burden on military personnel and families. Ways to alleviate the stress and hardship caused by moves that are frequent in comparison with civilians are being highly examined.
There is also social change. Over the past 15 years society has embraced a new idealism based on individual human rights and freedoms. This is reflected in legislation such as the Human Rights Act, the Privacy Act and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. It is the task of the leaders within DND and the Canadian forces to identify and respond appropriately to such changes. It is clear that DND and the Canadian forces have managed to do just that.
Canada's human rights legislation has been actively addressed in both spirit and letter. As a result, the role of women in the military has been enhanced. The percentage of women in the Canadian forces is among the highest of any military force in the world. Nevertheless, DND and the forces have reinforced their commitment to make military careers more attractive to women.
The ability of DND and the Canadian forces to adapt and respond to societal pressures stands in testament to their leaders. As with good leadership, good morale is likewise integral to the success of the Canadian forces.
Lately we have been hearing much about the morale of the military. Members opposite have been suggesting that the Canadian forces are receiving poor leadership and that morale is being affected. Leadership clearly influences morale. The chain of command's responsibility for morale was noted by the special joint committee on Canada's defence policy. This same committee however noted that the leadership provided by senior ranks with the Canadian forces is excellent. If morale among the uniform ranks is not as high as it could be, it is largely for the same reason that morale is not high elsewhere in society: fear of layoffs, fear of the future, fear of the children's future.
This is not to suggest that senior leaders within the department and the Canadian forces can remain passive. They cannot and will not abdicate their responsibility for ensuring that morale is as high as possible.
It is understood that like many Canadians, members of the Canadian forces are being asked to do their job with limited resources at their disposal. That is why care is being taken to address those needs that are most acute. Current plans call for the acquisition of a variety of modern equipment essential to the maintenance of multi-purpose combat capacity and capability. For example there exists a recognized operational deficiency in the armoured personnel carrier fleet. The Canadian forces will therefore acquire new armoured personnel carriers with delivery to commence in 1997.
Furthermore, approximately 3,000 additional soldiers will be added to the army's field force despite an overall reduction in the size of the armed forces. This will help alleviate shortfalls in the field army's ability to meet Canada's international commitments.
A recent memo by Brigadier-General Jeffries has also been cited by some as proof of deteriorating morale within the forces. They claim that the blame can be laid at the feet of senior members within DND and the Canadian forces. First it should be acknowledged that General Jeffries states in his memo that morale remains, for the most part, high. Second, it must be realized that the Canadian forces have been under considerable pressure for the past few years. Memos such as the one written by General Jeffries represents part of the solution.
To again quote the special joint committee, every commanding officer, indeed every military person commanding a unit of whatever size, constantly monitors the state of morale in his or her unit and takes whatever steps are required to maintain good communication within the personnel in their charge.
Good leadership demands that we know what people are thinking and what their concerns are. Through surveys, studies and memos like that written by General Jeffries, issues are brought to the forefront and dealt with appropriately.
In conclusion, the Department of National Defence and the Canadian forces face a host of pressures many of which are shared by all Canadians and some of which are unique to those who have chosen to serve the country. Changing societal expectations, limited resources, evolving demands on the workforce have created new challenges for all of us. Those in the Canadian military have the added challenge of meeting the operational requirements and responsibilities associated with any military force.
Meeting these challenges effectively requires strong leadership. I believe senior members of the Department of National Defence and the Canadian forces are providing that leadership. Many measures aimed at addressing the concerns of force members have been implemented and many others are being examined. The chain of command bears full responsibility for the morale in the forces. The excellent leadership demonstrated by everyone from the Minister of National Defence on down ensures that morale will always remain high.