Mr. Speaker, recruitment, training and retention are key priorities for the Canadian Armed Forces. The new recruitment advertising campaign is part of our commitment to support our troops in the Canadian Armed Forces. The Canadian Armed Forces recruited approximately 4,500 regular force personnel last year alone.
We are proud of our men and women in uniform. Public opinion research shows that 90% of Canadians have a positive impression of members of the Canadian Armed Forces, up from 78% in 1999.
Following a decade of darkness under the Liberals, we have increased the defence budget by over 27%, and we will not make any apologies for doing that.