David McGuinty

[Military Justice System Modernization Act, October 6th, 2025]

Mr. Speaker, I am thankful for the reminder. I should have reminded members of the Canadian Armed Forces who are watching that the pay increase is coming, of course, and it is predicated on years of service, as well as annual bonuses and retention bonuses for instructors and beyond. We are very pleased to be able to offer the most significant pay and pay package increase in a generation. We hope it will help with retention and recruitment. I think we are seeing it in the early numbers, as I mentioned in my speech.

The member raises some very important questions around the capacity of our military police overseas in particular, in theatre or on ships, for example. That is a very good question that I will take back. I will look into the question of rape kits and endeavour to get back to her with more detail.

[Military Justice System Modernization Act, October 6th, 2025]

Mr. Speaker, the bill would catch both Canadian Armed Forces members and civilian employees at the Department of National Defence. It is important also for us to recall that recommendation 5 under Madam Justice Arbour's incredibly comprehensive work is the only recommendation that actually requires legislative change, which is why it finds itself in Bill C-11. That is why we have moved so quickly in implementing so many of the other recommendations. Recommendation 5 is the important recommendation that requires statutory change, as are a series of Mr. Justice Fish's recommendations when it comes to military justice actors.

We are looking forward to formally making those changes, but it is also important to remember that we are well down the path of implementing all 48 recommendations. We have more to do. Our plan is to have those done by the end of the current calendar year. We are moving forthwith. We could certainly use the support of all members of the House to have the bill move through the House with speedy passage.

[Military Justice System Modernization Act, October 6th, 2025]

Mr. Speaker, my colleague is absolutely right. Now we must listen. I look forward to seeing what will happen in committee, and I would like to hear the personal stories of these witnesses. We are more than willing to see if we can improve the bill. There is work to be done.

Today, we are focused on the future and implementing change. I agree that it has taken too long. This bill was introduced in March 2024, and then there was an election. This is the third time the bill has been introduced in the House, and we hope to pass it as quickly as possible.

[Military Justice System Modernization Act, October 6th, 2025]

Mr. Speaker, I think it is important for members of the House to trust a few things. The first thing they should trust is the incredibly important, probative and complete work done by Mr. Justice Fish and Madam Justice Arbour, and their recommendations for improvement.

The second thing they should trust is the judgment that has been exercised through the commissions of inquiry, which basically indicate that we need to take the question of Criminal Code sexual offences out of the situation where they are located now, which is inside the Canadian Armed Forces and subject to CAF investigation and CAF prosecution, and put them into the police of local jurisdiction. This is something that has received widespread support, including from all sides of the House, with the previous bill that my colleague mentioned.

I think we should really rely on the trust and the judgment of those two independent thinkers and, for that matter, of the victims groups that have spoken very clearly about this.

[Military Justice System Modernization Act, October 6th, 2025]

moved that Bill C-11, An Act to amend the National Defence Act and other Acts, be read the second time and referred to a committee.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to say good morning to colleagues and to the Canadians who are watching today's debate. I am pleased to rise to open second reading debate on Bill C-11, the military justice system modernization act.

As Canada's new government makes a generational investment in the Canadian Armed Forces, we know that any work to support our forces starts with our people. Simply put, this legislation is about the women and men of the Canadian Armed Forces, and it is about ensuring their safety.

The people of the Canadian Armed Forces are central to our activities, whether they defend our sovereignty at home, support our allies abroad or serve in wings and bases across Canada. Since taking on this role earlier this year, I have had the great privilege of meeting with hundreds of Canadian Armed Forces members across the country and abroad.

They are among the finest individuals one could meet, and as I am sure all parliamentarians are, I am deeply grateful for their steadfast dedication to Canada and Canadians. It is our responsibility to foster an environment where they feel protected, respected and empowered to serve, free from all behaviours that harm our people, threaten morale and undermine team cohesion, including the reprehensible act of sexual misconduct. Eradicating these behaviours is essential to our operational effectiveness, to recruitment and to retention, and above all, it is the right thing to do.

Through Bill C-11, we are proposing a range of important changes to the National Defence Act, which are designed to support this essential work. Canada's military justice system must not only reflect the values of fairness, accountability and respect, but also uphold the trust Canadians place in the institutions that serve them. Through Bill C-11, we would fulfill the recommendations of former Supreme Court justices Arbour and Fish, and we are taking decisive steps to rebuild and reinforce trust within the Canadian Armed Forces.

First, this bill would remove CAF jurisdiction over Criminal Code sexual offences committed in Canada. With this bill, civilian authorities would have the exclusive responsibility to investigate and prosecute these offences.

Second, Bill C-11 would act on eight key recommendations outlined by former Supreme Court justice Fish in his third independent review. This includes establishing stronger, more transparent appointment processes for senior CAF members who play crucial roles in the military justice system. We are modifying the appointment process and the tenure for the director of military prosecutions and the director of defence counsel services by, first, making them Governor in Council appointees and by, second, changing the director of military prosecutions and the director of defence counsel services' terms to a fixed non-renewable term of up to seven years. We are also modifying the process and authority for the appointment of the Canadian Forces provost marshal, appointed by the Governor in Council, and, finally, changing the title from Canadian Forces provost marshal to provost marshal general to align with the title of other senior designations in the CAF, such as the surgeon general, the chaplain general and the judge advocate general.

Third, Bill C-11 builds on supports provided under the Declaration of Victims Rights by expanding access to victim liaison officers to individuals acting on behalf of a victim.

Fourth, the bill harmonizes the military justice system's offender information and publication ban provisions with the amendments already made to the Criminal Code in 2023. These comprehensive recommendations that aim to reform our military justice system are only one part of a broader transformation of this institution.

Among other things, we are making critical changes to how we screen new recruits, how we manage Canada's two military colleges and how we collect, retain and use data on workplace harassment.

For example, we have instituted a probationary period for new recruits, which allows applicants to enrol and begin their training while the administrative work related to their application file is completed. During this probationary period, applicants must pass the required security clearance check, meet medical standards and show that they live by the CAF's ethics and values. We need to ensure that our military better reflects the country it serves, drawing from the very best people Canada has to offer.

We are starting to see our recruitment efforts pay off. Last fiscal year, we surpassed our recruitment goals, bringing in over 6,700 new regular force members. That is a 55% increase from the year before, but we still have work to do to build a culture that is truly rooted in dignity, inclusion and respect for everyone who serves.

We know we need to keep our foot on the gas and remain laser-focused on creating lasting change. As I previously mentioned, Bill C-11 would fulfill several recommendations put forward in the reviews conducted by former Supreme Court justices Arbour and Fish. We are also making important progress on many of their other recommendations to aid in our broader culture change efforts.

In the independent external comprehensive review, Justice Arbour detailed 48 recommendations on everything from recruitment to training to oversight.

As of July, DND had successfully implemented 36 of these recommendations, and we expect that the remaining 12 will be implemented by the end of the year, although some will take much longer than others to fully implement.

We are making progress on Madame Arbour's first and second recommendations, strengthening our approach to addressing sexual misconduct by clarifying the full spectrum of terms and definitions into three categories: conduct deficiencies of a sexual nature, sexual harassment and sexual assault. This will ensure that we are better able to address each form of inappropriate conduct through the proper legal, administrative and disciplinary means.

The CAF has also adopted the Canada Labour Code definitions of “harassment” and “violence”. This change has made it so that the defence team has one single approach for dealing with harassment and violence in the workplace, applicable to both DND public service employees and CAF members. All incidents of harassment and violence on the defence team will be managed by the workplace harassment and violence prevention program. This addressed Madame Arbour's third recommendation.

We have also acted on recommendations 7 and 9 of Justice Arbour's report by allowing members of the CAF who experience sexual misconduct, sexual harassment, sexual offences or any other form of discrimination based on sex or gender in the performance of their duties to apply directly to the Canadian Human Rights Commission.

As many members know, the external monitor, Madame Jocelyne Therrien, provides regular public evaluations of our progress in implementing these recommendations, including by releasing biannual status reports.

She published her fifth progress report in early July. In that report, she highlights the sincere desire to improve working conditions for DND team members across our organization, as well as the concrete progress we have made, particularly with regard to integrating new recruits and promoting current staff to management positions.

Her final and sixth report is expected in the coming weeks. Madame Therrien's thorough and objective assessment of our progress has been critical in informing how we are implementing these recommendations, and we thank her for her commitment, her good guidance and her dedication.

In April 2021, the Department of National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces launched a comprehensive initiative to align defence culture and the professional conduct of its staff with the fundamental values and ethical principles that we, as a national institution, aspire to uphold.

Since then, we have taken significant steps to shift our culture and bring about meaningful change, including taking action to eliminate systemic racism and discrimination. This work encompasses a wide range of responsibilities, such as developing programs and policies to address systemic misconduct, improving mechanisms for tracking and reporting misconduct and overseeing the creation of a framework for professional conduct and culture that combats discrimination, harmful behaviour, prejudice and systemic barriers.

To support these efforts, as we reaffirmed in budget 2024, we are investing nearly $1 billion over 20 years to support the changes to the Canadian Armed Forces, and we are introducing amendments to the National Defence Act to deliver key recommendations to advance culture change. Last year, we also launched a comprehensive implementation plan to guide efforts to address the various recommendations we have received.

We know culture change is incremental, we know it is a step-by-step process that takes time, and we know it requires a sustained and continuous effort, but we also know it is absolutely essential to the well-being and operational readiness of the Canadian Armed Forces.

We will continue to listen to members of the defence team, external stakeholders, communities and partners. We will continue to learn from them as we strive to create a safer and more inclusive work environment. We are making real and tangible progress, but we know that there is still a lot more work to be done.

While we work to modernize our military justice system and change our culture, we also need to ensure that people affected by sexual misconduct get the support, the care and the resources they need. Much of that work comes from the sexual misconduct support and resource centre.

This centre, which operates independently of the chain of command, recently celebrated its 10th anniversary. It delivers expert advice, guidance and recommendations to armed forces and national defence personnel on all matters related to sexual misconduct.

Among other things, it operates a 24-7 helpline offering confidential support to personnel, information about the options available, advice on helping others and referrals to care and services.

It also runs the response and support coordination program to provide individuals who have experienced sexual misconduct in a DND or CAF environment with a dedicated civilian counsellor who can help access health services, prepare for police interviews and more. The sexual misconduct support and resource centre also runs a grant program to fund community-based programs to broaden the range of support services available to the wider defence community, and it offers peer support programs in partnership with Veterans Affairs Canada.

I would also like to mention that the independent legal assistance program is another valuable support mechanism for victims. It provides free and confidential legal assistance, including legal information and advice on incidents of sexual misconduct in contexts involving the Department of National Defence or the Canadian Armed Forces. It also provides legal representation for certain proceedings involving criminal offences of a sexual nature, service offences, victim safety and victim participation in the judicial process.

By offering this timely, independent and trauma-informed support, the program plays a critical role in expanding access to justice and choice for affected persons. This is all in line with Madam Justice Arbour's recommendation 14 of the independent external comprehensive review.

The work I have outlined today is comprehensive and meaningful. We believe, and I think all sides of the House would agree, that it is important. We are taking decisive steps to rebuild and reinforce trust within the Canadian Armed Forces and confidence in our military justice system.

As the House begins debate at second reading of the important piece of legislation before us, I will close by saying this: The time has come for Bill C-11 to be moved swiftly through the House to committee, where it can undergo thorough study and perhaps, with the good will and good faith of all members on all sides of the House, be passed forthwith.

[National Defence, September 25th, 2025]

Mr. Speaker, we know that our partners want to see Canada play a much bigger role on the international stage.

Yesterday, we signed a new agreement with Indonesia to enhance the participation of the Canadian Armed Forces in military exercises in the Indo-Pacific region. This agreement will also benefit Canadian industry and create jobs. Thanks to this new agreement, we will see more of the Canadian Armed Forces at their best in the Indo-Pacific region.

[Marine Transportation, September 19th, 2025]

Mr. Speaker, first of all, this is a Crown corporation in British Columbia. The federal government is investing massively in shipbuilding across the country. We are building ships in Quebec. We are building ships in Halifax. We are building ships in Vancouver. Irving Shipbuilding alone, in Halifax, employs 2,400 workers with 10,000 additional jobs created across the country in its supply chain.

We are serious about rebuilding Canada's shipbuilding capacity. We are in the middle of it. We are building six Arctic and offshore patrol ships, 15 Canadian surface combatants and two joint support ships. We are getting the work done.

[Questions on the Order Paper, September 15th, 2025]

Mr. Speaker, with regard to (a), since 1914, approximately 2,000 Canadian armed forces members have lost their lives in non-combat roles during peacetime in Canada. This information is based on a manual search, and some older records may vary due to incomplete information in archives.

From 2013-2024, the Department of National Defence has recorded that a total of 177 regular force members and 36 reserve force members have died by suicide.

Since reserve force members receive much of their health care in the provincial system, the cause of death, including a confirmation of whether it was a suicide, is sometimes not reported to the Canadian Armed Forces. As a result, despite efforts to retrieve data concerning all deaths from suicide, the Department of National Defence may not have full data on reserve force suicide mortality.

As part of National Defence’s suicide prevention strategy, employees and members holding supervisory positions have been given direction in three distinct areas of focus: prevention, intervention and postvention. This ensures that the Canadian Armed Forces continue to reduce stigma; educate, engage and support members at all levels; and ensure that leaders facilitate awareness of, and access to, education and supports.

[Questions on the Order Paper, September 15th, 2025]

Mr. Speaker, the Royal Canadian Air Force, RCAF, fighter force is continuously recruiting, training and releasing pilots through normal attrition. Nevertheless, Canada faces recruiting and retaining challenges in relation to fighter pilots common to all its allies.

As of June 16, the RCAF had a staffing rate of 66% for pilots at frontline fighter squadrons. Detailed information regarding pilot numbers is considered sensitive as it can provide adversaries with information about CF-18 readiness and the broader capabilities of the North American Aerospace Defense Command, which could be injurious to the defence of Canada and North America.

As the RCAF prepares to transition from the CF-18 to the CF-35A, work is ongoing to meet appropriate fighter pilot staffing levels. For example, the RCAF has expanded the employment of reserve fighter pilots and has directed qualified fighter pilots in headquarters staff positions to maintain their CF-18 flying qualifications.

The RCAF continues to analyze and adjust its pilot training courses to increase numbers of trained pilots and to reduce attrition. The RCAF has significantly reduced the time pilots need to wait to proceed to the next phases of course training in the past several years. In fiscal year 2024-25, wait times for phases I and II of pilot training decreased and are now two and three months respectively, which is the time it takes to effectively move personnel from one training location to another.

To increase the pool of pilot candidates, the RCAF has developed targeted recruitment and retention strategies. For example, the RCAF attractions team participated in more than 115 in-person events and over 230 virtual events in 2024 including air shows, exhibitions, career fairs and sport events. This complements wider Canadian Armed Forces recruitment efforts that showcase existing recruiting allowances, pay incentives and subsidized education programs.

Additionally, National Defence recently finished implementing a revised pilot pay scale to support retention efforts. The pay scale compensates pilots based on their experience and qualifications through the introduction of a new skills and competencies-oriented pay system.

Finally, the RCAF continues to engage with our allies to share information on how to mitigate this common challenge.

[National Defence, September 15th, 2025]

Mr. Speaker, we know that our forces and their families face challenges as they move across the country from posting to posting. That is why, this summer, we gave our forces a well-deserved and overdue pay raise. Our $2-billion compensation package is the largest in a generation. It means that untrained sailors, aviators and soldiers will receive a 20% pay raise. As the brave women and men of the Canadian Armed Forces answer the call to serve, they need to know we have their backs.