Bill Graham

[Question No. 15, March 8th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, National Defence undertook to examine contracts let by Public Works and Government Services Canada, PWGSC, on behalf of National Defence to determine whether Members of Parliament from the 36th and 37th Parliaments have been hired or appointed as civilian employees by the department.

An examination of these records indicates that no contracts were let by PWGSC on behalf of National Defence with Members of Parliament from the 36th and 37th Parliaments.

It should be noted that no records are maintained, nor is any information available on persons employed by firms who may have a contract with the Department of National Defence. Similarly, while National Defence contracts as well as those contracts issued by PWGSC on behalf of National Defence, permit subcontracting, it is ultimately the prime contractor that decides whether or not to subcontract. Since the Crown is not privy to these subcontracts, no contractual relationship is created between the Crown and third party subcontractors. As a result, records are neither created nor retained by National Defence concerning contractual arrangements between a prime contractor and its subcontractors.

[The Budget, March 7th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, I have total confidence in the integrity of the new chief of defence staff. I agree with the hon. member that he is a fine officer. I think the hon. member would agree with me that the Canadian Forces will move well ahead under his direction.

When he came to speak on the budget, we did not know what he was going to say. He might have had some criticism to say about it, but I was confident that, because of his presence, he would be able to explain, to those who wanted to know, the details of how it would affect the forces as he goes ahead in the course of transforming it. His job was not to praise the budget one way or another but to explain how it would affect the Canadian Forces. I am extremely pleased that he was able to take it in a positive light.

I recognize what the hon. member has said, but the fact of the matter is that he was there to explain to the public and to reporters exactly what the budget meant to the Canadian Forces. It was a good idea to have somebody there who could really speak to the practical consequences of the budget in order to help us understand it.

I am happy that the hon. member is here as well in the House because he raised some good questions. I too am anxious that we acquire 5,000 new troops as quickly as possible and also the 3,000 reservists. To be honest with the House, there is a discussion going on in the department about how quickly we can do this. Our answer is as quickly as possible.

There is $500 million in fresh money in the budget and a considerable amount of this is allocated to the process of hiring new people. The hon. member will appreciate that the recruitment process will take a year to probably get geared up and then we will be able to move into a much faster process. I expect this will happen over a very reasonable period of time.

As far as the defence review is concerned, I am as anxious as the hon. member to get the review, which the hon. member and other members of the House will appreciate. It will show a way forward for our Canadian Forces, both in terms of our defence of Canada, our defence of North America, and our increased presence in the world. I can assure the hon. member this will be out shortly.

I can also assure the hon. member that the government's international policy statement will be coming out shortly. We are anxious to share with the House, as we go forward, our commitment to a stronger international presence for Canada under the great leadership of our Prime Minister.

[The Budget, March 7th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased today to rise to speak on the extraordinarily successful budget that the finance minister presented to the House last month.

I will be splitting my time with the member for Cape Breton—Canso.

I would like to remind the House that this is Canada's eighth consecutive balanced budget, the longest unbroken string of surpluses since Confederation. It strengthens and secures our social foundations with record investments in health care, early learning and child care, and our seniors.

With deference to the member for Red Deer, who did say he could go on a long time but fortunately did cease, it does move us toward a green economy and more vibrant and sustainable communities. It puts into action this government's determination to play a larger, more significant role in the world.

At its core, this budget is about delivering on our commitments to Canadians. This is exactly what the Prime Minister, the finance minister and the government have done.

I am very proud of this budget. Members of the House I am sure would appreciate and indeed would be surprised if I did not say that it is a great time to be Minister of National Defence in this government. With nearly $13 billion in new money for the Canadian Forces, this budget provides our men and women in uniform with the most substantial funding increase in more than 20 years.

It clearly demonstrates this government's commitment to reinvest in our military and our men and women in uniform. As such, it represents a real turning point for the Canadian Forces. Indeed, this budget provides us with the solid foundation that we need to make some of the most significant changes to our armed forces in more than a generation.

With the allocation of almost $13 billion in new defence funds, we will be able to start implementing a long term plan to increase Canadian Forces personnel and to improve their support and their transformation.

This budget allocates $3 billion to honouring the government's commitment to increase the regular force by 5,000 members and the reserve by 3,000 members. This increase in the number of troops will go a long way to alleviating the burden of the very high operational tempo of the past decade.

These new members of the Canadian Forces will allow us as well to better defend our country and Canadians. Furthermore, they will provide us with the additional resources that we need to increase the scope of our action in the world, as was the case in Afghanistan, in the Balkan states, in Haiti and elsewhere.

The February 23 budget also provides for the allocation of over $3 billion to resolve “sustainability” issues that are facing the Canadian Forces. These new funds will be used to improve training, to repair the infrastructure, to eliminate supply shortfalls and to reinforce the care provided to the troops.

The budget also provides over $2.5 billion to buy new equipment and new capabilities, including medium range helicopters, new trucks for the army, multipurpose aircraft for Arctic use and specialized facilities for our elite anti-terrorist squad.

Our men and women in the military are among the most dedicated and qualified professionals in the world. This new equipment and our other recent acquisitions, such as the mobile gun system, will give the Canadian Forces leading edge tools to do their work both here and abroad.

Finally, the budget sets aside almost $4 billion to support the acquisition of additional new equipment and the tasks mentioned in the new defence policy that the government will announce in the next few weeks.

The budget represents a significant investment in our military and our future. It has been made possible in large part because of the government's determined efforts to find efficiencies and invest in priorities.

As part of the budget process, a cabinet committee on expenditure review scrutinized every line of government spending to ensure that tax dollars are being used effectively and efficiently, and to ensure that they are focused in the areas that matter most to Canadians.

I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the Minister of National Revenue and the cabinet committee for finding $11 billion in savings across government, that is now being reinvested in programs and services that are high priorities for Canadians, most notably, in the Canadian Forces.

Members should understand that finding these savings was absolutely critical to the $13 billion in new direct defence funding in the budget. In fact, I am pleased to point out that we received more than 100% of the savings that have been found as part of this process. Clearly, the Canadian Forces are net beneficiaries of this reallocation exercise and clearly, they are a key priority for the government.

However, this exercise is not just about more money for defence, although I am very pleased by the result. This is also an exercise in creating a more efficient government. It includes a more efficient Department of National Defence and Canadian Forces. Over the next five years we have identified over $600 million in savings, not from cuts, as the misinformed would have us believe, but from doing things smarter and better, and by focusing on our priorities and our core business.

For example, we will achieve savings by replacing older aircraft with new fixed-wing search and rescue aircraft. We will achieve savings by improving the way in which we manage our supply chain. We will achieve savings in the area of administration. All of which we got credit for in the expenditure review exercise. All were appropriate and responsible measures for the Canadian Forces and for Canadian taxpayers.

This is a very exciting time, and in many ways a historic one, to be the Minister of National Defence. Everything is now in place for real and lasting change for our military. We have vibrant new leadership in the Canadian Forces with innovative ideas rooted in the operational experience of the past 10 years. Soon, we will be releasing a defence policy that lays out a bold new course for the Canadian Forces and with the budget, we have a solid financial foundation upon which to build.

We have the resources we need to strengthen our presence and our capacity in defence of Canada and Canadians. We have the resources we need to play a more significant leadership role in the world, one in which our voice will be heard, our values seen, and our efforts felt. We have the resources we need to fundamentally transform the Canadian Forces, to make them more effective, more relevant and more responsive to the new and extremely dangerous and complex threats that we face.

When the new chief of the defence staff was asked about the February 23 budget, he said:

An investment and a commitment to rebuild the Canadian Forces to give us the necessary resources and to allow us to start right now. And not ringing the hands but rolling up our sleeves and getting on with the work we have to do--

The budget represents a real turning point for the Canadian Forces. As the Minister of National Defence I am pleased to say, on behalf of the Canadian Forces, that we can now roll up our sleeves and get on with the work of building the finest military in the world with the support of the House and the resources it will vote for in the budget when we carry it through the House.

[National Defence, March 7th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member knows full well that the undertaking of the government was to have a debate in the House if an agreement was reached with the United States and that we would bring that agreement to the House.

As there was no agreement reached with the United States, there was nothing to debate in the House.

Our government receives cabinet information and we receive advice from our officials on both sides of the issue. In the end we make a sensible decision in the best interests of Canadians, which is what was done in this case. It is absolutely untruthful and inappropriate for the opposition to suggest--

[National Defence, February 24th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, I was here last week when the representatives from the community came and met with the Prime Minister and representatives of our government.

We are working closely with that community. I can assure the hon. member that the Department of National Defence is continuing its activities there. We will continue the helicopter program there as I announced when I was there. We will work with the community to ensure that we get the best use out of that airfield.

When I was at NATO, I spoke to every single minister I could speak to about ensuring that there were NATO members coming and using Goose Bay as an appropriate place to train. We will work with the community. We will work with our allies. We will make Goose Bay a success and it will not be a political football the way it has been used by the opposition.

[National Defence, February 24th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, I have to say as the Minister of National Defence that based on yesterday's budget, the department received the largest increase in 20 years, and those members say it has been hung out to dry. If that is drying, I want to stay really dry.

It is a great budget. It is sending a signal that we are ready. We have a foundation to build on to increase our forces to be a great ally to the United States. We can deal with all issues with the Americans because they know that we are credible and ready to go on defence matters in North America and elsewhere in the world.

[National Defence, February 23rd, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, I must tell the House and I hope hon. members will support me on this, they would not want me to resign before the budget this afternoon.

I am looking forward to that far too much. I know all hon. members will rejoice with me in knowing that today is going to be a great day for national defence in Canada, a great day for the security of Canada for Canadians, and a great day for the Liberal government.

[National Defence, February 23rd, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, the benefit we will get out of entering into a Norad agreement is the benefit of participating with our strongest ally in understanding the threats to North America and doing what this government has always done, which is to be a loyal partner in the defence of North America, working with the Americans and ensuring that.

That is not the same as bringing forward an agreement respecting a different ballistic missile defence system. As the House leader has said, in the event of an agreement, of course the House will discuss it and of course we can have a vote.

The principal reason is we are loyal allies with the United States and will remain so in spite of the opposition's effort to divide us.

[National Defence, February 23rd, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, we spent a great deal of time in the House yesterday on this issue.

The Prime Minister has been extraordinarily clear. The foreign affairs minister and I have been clear. Canadian policy has been clear. We entered into a Norad agreement for the defence of North America in collaboration with our great ally the United States of America. We share information with it in many ways in terms of the threats that are coming to North America. We have done that.

As the Prime Minister has said, we will make a decision in respect of participating in any ballistic missile defence when it is appropriate for Canada and in Canada's interest to do so.

[National Defence, February 22nd, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, maybe the hon. member, who I know is a very decent guy, will help get clarity for Canadians and the House if he would just stop asking the same question over and again when a very simple answer has been given.

I gave the answer. We did the Norad amendment. It was a good idea. We are working with our American friends. We want to work with them in understanding the threats to North America because our security is involved.

Whether we involve ourselves in a system of anti-ballistic missiles is another discussion. It involves a different stage of what we are talking about here. We will do that in our own time. The Prime Minister will make his decision in the interests of Canada and the security of Canadians.