Debates of May 15th, 2019

Department of National Defence—Main Estimates, 2019-20

[Rachel Blaney, NDP, North Island—Powell River, BC]

Mr. Chair, I think it is absolutely disappointing that the government waited. To have the process happening now is just disappointing. We could have already, like Denmark, been to that place where we were actually moving forward with what we need, rather than buying second-hand planes that are not going to meet what we desperately need right now. It is disappointing, to say the least. Waiting and waiting is not what the military needs after many years of going back and forth between Conservative and Liberal governments where the budgets have been cut and the needs are not being met.

The government promised on multiple occasions to send up to 600 troops and 150 police to UN peacekeeping missions. How many do we have deployed on peacekeeping missions now?

[Harjit S. Sajjan, Liberal, Vancouver South, BC]

Mr. Chair, we are committed to making sure that we do our part, but there is one aspect to the member's question that we were just talking about.

We are investing. We have actually increased our investments. Our investments have increased by 70%. In fact, when we released our defence policy and we talked about the increased investments that we were putting into our defence, $63 billion in addition to what the Conservatives were doing, the comment that was made by the leader of their party, who was not the leader at that time, was that this money could have been better spent in other places.

My question is for all of them. We have people saying that they want to invest. Actually, not only do we have a plan but it is costed and it is fully funded for the next 20 years, so that the Canadian Armed Forces can have all the tools necessary. Why? It is because we have a responsibility not just inside of Canada but also internationally as well. I am very proud of the work we are doing internationally—

[The Assistant Deputy Chair, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

The hon. member for North Island—Powell River.

[Rachel Blaney, NDP, North Island—Powell River, BC]

Mr. Chair, I am a very proud person to have members from my region from 19 Wing who worked so hard in Mali, and I just want to take this opportunity to recognize the work they have done in the name of this country.

Romania has been tasked with taking over for Canada in Mali on July 31 of this year, but Romania has been very clear that it cannot be operational until October 15. Why did the government not follow the UN request to extend the mission at least until October? It is a matter of keeping people safe and respecting the hard work that our people are doing in that country.

[Harjit S. Sajjan, Liberal, Vancouver South, BC]

Mr. Chair, I am very proud of the commitment our government has made when it comes to the United Nations peacekeeping operations to support the reforms they wanted. This commitment we made to Mali in terms of our air medevac helicopters is what the UN called a “smart pledge”. A smart pledge is about coming into rotation for a year and then having other nations come on board.

We worked with Romania on this. I visited. I spoke with the minister of national defence of that country to have its commitment, worked with the United Nations and, in fact, spoke with the under-secretaries-general on how we are going to be moving forward and getting other nations.

Therefore, we are actually assisting Romania right now, and we look forward to helping them to reduce this gap. We are committed to making sure the United Nations missions have all the support they require.

[Rachel Blaney, NDP, North Island—Powell River, BC]

Mr. Chair, it seems to me that, when we are asked to step up, I know that our men and women in uniform are ready to do that work. Unfortunately, Romania cannot fulfill that commitment, and that period of time will have a huge impact. It is responsible for us to look at that.

Will the government announce another peacekeeping mission? This is something that Canadians are very proud of, and our military has very high respect across the world. I would like to hear what the government's commitment is.

[Harjit S. Sajjan, Liberal, Vancouver South, BC]

Mr. Chair, the commitment we have made as a government is a whole-of-government one to the United Nations, which includes the military. As part of the smart pledge concept, we have now air medevac helicopters in Mali. We have also offered a tactical airlift that will start in Entebbe. We also have offered up the quick reaction force. We are going to be doing training using our experience from Iraq and Afghanistan to support the work that is happening on the ground.

We are working with the United Nations and its leadership to make sure we help them move the mission forward, because we need to do peacekeeping differently. We have spent the time to understand what the issues and concerns are, and we are committed to making sure we help the United Nations with the reforms, and when the opportunity and the time are right we will be announcing the additional missions.

[Darrell Samson, Liberal, Sackville—Preston—Chezzetcook, NS]

Mr. Chair, it gives me great pleasure to stand in the House this evening as the member of Parliament for Sackville—Preston—Chezzetcook, the riding that has the highest percentage of military members and veterans in Nova Scotia, and of course Nova Scotia has the highest percentage of military members and veterans in Canada.

This is a great opportunity to share the great work the Department of National Defence is doing to support our Canadian Armed Forces through ambitious and responsible procurement. Our men and women in uniform are at the heart of every decision the department makes.

Key to this support is making sure they have the right equipment to do their jobs in any environment, equipment that helps to ensure their safety and operational effectiveness, now and in the future.

Unlike the previous Conservative government, which cut billions of dollars in defence spending and mismanaged procurement projects, we are providing our men and women in uniform with what they need in a way that is efficient and responsible.

In our defence policy, “Strong, Secure, Engaged”, we set out to streamline the procurement process and develop a new funding model for how we make procurement decisions. It continues to inform how our government conducts procurement almost three years later.

In this model, each of our capital projects is fully costed, meaning that Canadians have a clearer picture of the costs over the entire life cycle. This model is also flexible. It is able to adjust to the rapidly evolving defence environment, and to other changes that might affect our investments in equipment and other capital projects.

With the defence investment plan and the defence capabilities blueprint, our government is achieving a higher standard of accountability when it comes to planned capital investments, and progress in delivering on those capital investments. These two documents set out key funding for equipment, information technology, infrastructure and services the department needs to deliver on the commitments made in our defence policy. They are available online for Canadians, industry and other stakeholders.

Thanks to these changes, we are able to move projects along more quickly, with the care, high standards and transparency Canadians deserve. We are already seeing these results in action. Of the 333 capital projects identified in “Strong, Secure, Engaged”, two-thirds are in the implementation or close-out phase. We have delivered 90% of completed projects within their planned scope and budget.

Together, we are building Canadian Armed Forces that are agile and capable of adapting to tomorrow's global threats. We are doing this with respect for Canadian taxpayers and a clear and public plan on how we spend public funds. The government's procurement projects are a testament to the unwavering support for our women and men in uniform, on land, sea and in the air.

I would like to talk more about some of these great projects.

While the former Conservative government spent a decade under-investing in the Royal Canadian Air Force, our government is stepping up to ensure that we can meet our NORAD and NATO commitments at the same time.

In December 2017, we launched the competition to replace the current fleet of CF-18 fighter jets with 88 future fighters. This is one of the most significant investments in the Royal Canadian Air Force in more than 30 years. It is essential for protecting Canadians, while also meeting our international obligations.

Our government has identified a list of supplier teams, and it anticipates that the final request for proposals will be released in the coming months. In the interim, Canada has purchased 18 CF-18 fighter jets from Australia. We have already begun to receive these interim jets, and we will integrate the first two into the fleet shortly.

We are also working on several major projects for our Royal Canadian Navy. As part of the largest and most complex procurement project in Canadian history, we have acquired 15 new surface combatants to replace our Halifax class frigates and our former destroyers. These ships will allow the navy to deploy anywhere in the world on short notice and allow Canada to maintain its position as a maritime power. Together with the surface combatants, our new joint support ships will form the core of Canada's future navy fleet.

In 2023, Canada will take ownership of the first of these new Protecteur class ships. These vessels will resupply deployed warships, extending the amount of time the ships can remain at sea and eliminating the need to return to port.

Closer to home, Canada's efforts to patrol our coastline and safeguard Canada's sovereignty will be supported by our new Arctic offshore patrol ships. We are proud that these will be the first Canadian-made ships in 20 years. The first is the HMCS Harry DeWolf, which is expected to be delivered this summer. In total, we will have six ships that will assist in humanitarian and disaster relief, support maritime security and help with search and rescue efforts and anti-smuggling operations.

The minister recently travelled to Halifax to help mark the construction of the fourth AOPS, the future HMCS William Hall, named after the first Nova Scotian and first black Canadian to be awarded the Victoria Cross.

We are in the process of acquiring new logistic support vehicles for our Canadian Army through the medium support vehicle system project. These vehicles, including the standard military pattern trucks, are a replacement for the logistics trucks that the Canadian army has been using in some cases since the 1980s. With these trucks, the Canadian army will be able to better provide lift and logistical support on the ground to transport people, equipment and supplies where they are needed.

Likewise, Canada recently celebrated the delivery of our 500th and final tactical armoured patrol vehicle. When deployed, these combat vehicles will fulfill a number of roles on the battlefield, including reconnaissance and surveillance, security, command and control, and armoured transport of personnel. We have seen these vehicles in action during the recent flooding, and they have performed extremely well. They contributed to the operational effectiveness of our men and women in uniform as they provided much-needed flood relief for communities.

The safety of Canadians is our government's top priority, which is why we delivered on our promise of modern search and rescue capabilities through the purchase of our fixed-wing search and rescue fleet.

Our government is also replacing the Lee-Enfield rifles that the Canadian Rangers have used since the 1940s, believe it or not. The new C-19 rifles have been developed to support the vital work our Rangers do in Canada's north. They perform very well in freezing temperatures and will assist in the Rangers' efforts to provide surveillance and patrol across remote areas.

This is some of our major procurement process work. We are giving our Canadian Armed Forces members the tools they need, with the care, high standards and transparency Canadians expect and deserve, while building a military that is prepared for tomorrow's global threats and ready to defend Canada and assist our partners around the world.

I would like to ask the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Defence a few questions.

Our government is delivering on important capabilities for the Canadian Armed Forces, unlike the previous government, which cut spending on defence. Shipbuilding is an important part of many communities across Canada, as well as in my riding of Sackville—Preston—Chezzetcook, and it is providing them great middle-class jobs.

Over the past few months, our government has had the pleasure of launching the first Canadian-built ship in 20 years, the Harry DeWolf, as well as announcing that we would be purchasing a sixth offshore Arctic patrol ship. Can the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Defence please update the House on the progress of these important defence projects?

[Serge Cormier, Liberal, Acadie—Bathurst, NB]

Mr. Chair, I thank my colleague from Sackville—Preston—Chezzetcook for the incredible work he does in the House of Commons and for his straight talk. His passion is unmistakable. We are very grateful for his work.

Yes, as he said, our government has made historic investments in the Canadian Armed Forces. As previously mentioned, we are increasing spending by 70%, and we also plan to significantly strengthen the capabilities of the Royal Canadian Navy. As the member indicated, the Minister of National Defence was in Halifax earlier this month to help mark the beginning of construction of the fourth Arctic offshore patrol ship, HMCS William Hall. I know my colleague is also very proud of the work being done by the employees at the Irving shipyard.

I also want to take a moment to thank the workers at the Seaspan and Davie shipyards for the excellent work they do. We are proud to have them as partners. We are proud that they have been awarded these contracts and that they are helping to provide the Royal Canadian Navy with the equipment needed for Canadian Armed Forces personnel to do their jobs. We are very grateful to them.

[Darrell Samson, Liberal, Sackville—Preston—Chezzetcook, NS]

Mr. Chair, I am very proud of the work happening in the shipyard in Halifax, as 21% of the workforce is from my riding of Sackville—Preston—Chezzetcook.

Unlike the Harper Conservative government, our government is ensuring that our men and women in the Royal Canadian Navy have the equipment they need for the work that is required.

Can the parliamentary secretary please tell the House what steps our government has taken to ensure that the Canadian navy has the replacement tools and equipment it needs for the Halifax-class combat ships?

[Serge Cormier, Liberal, Acadie—Bathurst, NB]

Mr. Chair, again, it is critical that we give our women and men in the Canadian Armed Forces the equipment they need.

As my colleague just said, we will be purchasing 15 surface combatants. The investment is fully funded in our new defence policy. We know that the Conservatives were planning on procuring only nine ships, and so only left enough money for nine ships.

We are determined to be fair and transparent in our procurement process and get the best value for Canadians.

Our defence policy allows us to have the investments and equipment we need to ensure that our men and women in the CAF can do their job. We are very proud of that. We will keep investing in the members of the Canadian Armed Forces.

[Darrell Samson, Liberal, Sackville—Preston—Chezzetcook, NS]

Mr. Chair, the Harper Conservatives sole-sourced almost every major military procurement, and yet still failed to deliver for the military.

Let us look at their record. The Parliamentary Budget Officer reported almost double the government's estimate for the modern fighter purchase, and a previous Auditor General report found that the Conservatives, believe it or not, kept two sets of numbers, one internal and one for Canadians, and a decade later, still no fighter jets for the air force.

Could the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Defence please tell the House how our government is providing the Royal Canadian Air Force with the critical equipment that is needed to be fully operational, today and into the future?

[Serge Cormier, Liberal, Acadie—Bathurst, NB]

Mr. Chair, I thank my colleague for the question.

We have always been clear that we need a modern fleet of fighter jets. It is essential to the defence of Canada. That is why we have an open and transparent process.

As my colleague said, the former government had two sets of numbers: one for the public and another for the government. That is totally unacceptable. We have just one set of rules and we will respect them with an open and transparent process. That is what Canadians expect from us.

I am surprised to hear the Conservatives speak of transparency and openness. I did not think those words were part of their vocabulary.

[Kelly McCauley, Conservative, Edmonton West, AB]

Mr. Chair, I would like to start by thanking the defence minister. We do not see eye to eye on a lot of things, but I appreciate his good humour and his service to our country.

We have heard that Canada sent pilots down to the U.S. to be trained on the Super Hornet before the debacle with Boeing and the subsequent decision not to buy the Super Hornet. How many pilots and techs were sent down to the U.S.?

[Harjit S. Sajjan, Liberal, Vancouver South, BC]

Mr. Chair, I thank the member for the compliment and for his commitment to the Canadian Armed Forces.

One of the things we are focused on is making sure that we have enough pilots. We had started, even while we were conducting the defence policy review, recruiting enough pilots and making sure we had enough trained. We always make sure that we look at opportunities where we can.

[Kelly McCauley, Conservative, Edmonton West, AB]

Mr. Chair, how many pilots did we send to the U.S. to train on the Super Hornet, which we did not end up purchasing?

[Harjit S. Sajjan, Liberal, Vancouver South, BC]

Mr. Chair, we are constantly training our pilots for various aircraft. We are also in the process of recruiting more pilots, because we are buying more aircraft.

The previous government only wanted 65, and because of our defence policy, we are purchasing 88 through an open and transparent competition. Through that, we will ensure we have enough pilots and mechanics.

[Kelly McCauley, Conservative, Edmonton West, AB]

Mr. Chair, how much did it cost Canadian taxpayers for the military to train Canadian pilots in the U.S. on a plane that we were not buying?

[Harjit S. Sajjan, Liberal, Vancouver South, BC]

Mr. Chair, we are focused on recruiting, training and retaining pilots for our air force, ensuring we have enough pilots for our F-18s. We do have pilots who go on exchange, but we are committed to ensuring we have enough pilots. We have started that process.

[Kelly McCauley, Conservative, Edmonton West, AB]

Mr. Chair, the government has changed its construction order at Seaspan and is now going with a joint supply ship first, ahead of the offshore science vessels. Could the minister explain why there is a change in the construction order?

[Harjit S. Sajjan, Liberal, Vancouver South, BC]

Mr. Chair, when it comes to procurement, we committed to ensuring we would make changes to move procurement along quickly, such as changes in scheduling. In addition, with respect to the surface combatant in Halifax, we made the decision to pick the design. We saved two years regarding that procurement. We are committed to ensuring our people have the tools they need.

[Kelly McCauley, Conservative, Edmonton West, AB]

Mr. Chair, who ordered the change?

[Harjit S. Sajjan, Liberal, Vancouver South, BC]

Mr. Chair, we are committed to working with our industry partners to ensure we can move the procurement process forward quickly. Our folks need this equipment and this capability.

[Kelly McCauley, Conservative, Edmonton West, AB]

Mr. Chair, what is the added charge going to be to taxpayers from this change in priority?

[Harjit S. Sajjan, Liberal, Vancouver South, BC]

Mr. Chair, we are committed to ensuring we have this capability. The capability regarding our joint supply ships was lost. We will ensure we have this capability. We will also ensure we have the appropriate investments and that they are delivered.