House of Commons photoWon his last election, in 2011, with 57% of the vote.
Business of Supply November 7th, 2006
Mr. Chair, I can assure the member that there will be no cuts in training. We set very high training standards and we will maintain those training standards. I think the proof is what we see in the Kandahar area in Afghanistan. We certainly have the best trained troops in the area and they are respected. We will not lower any standards.
Business of Supply November 7th, 2006
Mr. Chair, I may have the number wrong but I think DND has about $21 billion worth of infrastructure. For a long period now DND has not invested enough money in its infrastructure to maintain it at a proper state everywhere. In fact, in our defence plan we have already started to increase the amount of money going to infrastructure.
That being said, on an ongoing basis, we do not allow anyone to be in an unsafe structure, but many repairs have to be done to runways, buildings, pipes, sewers, et cetera, across the whole country.
Business of Supply November 7th, 2006
Mr. Chair, I think the member opposite is referring to the Cormorant helicopter. The Government of Canada, in fact the previous government, acquired Cormorant helicopters for search and rescue. After some use, it was discovered there was a technical problem in the rear rotor.
I do not have in hand a number of what it cost to deal with the problem, but what has happened as a result of this difficulty with one part of the rotor is that we have increased the number of inspections. We inspect the helicopter at a more frequent rate than is called for in the specifications, which of course costs money.
We are one of the leading countries in the world using this helicopter and we have suggested technical solutions to the manufacturer, who is working on it now to create a new hub for the rotor blade.
Business of Supply November 7th, 2006
Mr. Chair, I am not aware of the member's allegation that Valcartier is not a safe range area for the CF-18s. If it were true, then we would not be employing the CF-18s in that area because safety is number one for us, but I am not aware of that.
Business of Supply November 7th, 2006
Mr. Chair, that is a number of questions. I will try to answer them all.
First of all, the commitment to Bagotville is part of a master plan. There is a commitment to Comox. There is a commitment to Goose Bay. There is a commitment to Trenton. There are commitments to the north. There are all kinds of commitments. They are all in this plan. They are all integrated in this plan and I have to get the approval of the cabinet for the plan.
Once I get the approval of cabinet, we then have to work out the sequencing of what comes first and what comes second. This is a very complex undertaking because we are restructuring the entire armed forces, regulars and reserves, into the future.
It is going to take 10 or 15 years to implement the entire plan. It is not going to be 10 or 15 years, and I do not want the member opposite to start reacting, until we deal with Bagotville, but I am telling him it is a long term plan. We have to buy ships and airplanes, and it takes a long time.
With respect to recruiting, as I said, recruiting is up. As a rough figure, and I will talk about 1,000 people, 1,000 infantry would be cheaper than buying 1,000 doctors, but as an average figure, it costs about $150 million a year for 1,000 personnel. That covers all their salaries, benefits and equipment, rifles et cetera, their immediate equipment, but that is an average figure. If we are talking about something like infantry, it would be cheaper. If we are talking about technicians, it would be more expensive, but a rough average is $150 million per 1,000. All the member has to do is multiply either by five or by 13 and he can get to the number that he is looking at.
Business of Supply November 7th, 2006
Mr. Chair, we have the full intention to meet all the commitments, including the commitment to Bagotville. The master plan, the defence strategy plan, has to be resolved at this time. It has to be completed inside the defence department. It is very close to that position. It has to be approved by cabinet, and at that time decisions will be made upon sequencing, when things start and when things are completed. At this time, we will have to wait until cabinet approves the plan.
Business of Supply November 7th, 2006
Mr. Chair, the military authorities have not brought this issue to me. If it is in the department, it would be in the air staff somewhere, but they have not raised this issue with me as of yet.
Business of Supply November 7th, 2006
Mr. Chair, our CF-18 air crews go to different places in the country to practise weapons use. Valcartier is one of them as is Goose Bay. There are others inside the country. These bases are safe. If there were any safety questions, we would not participate. We would not allow the CF-18s to take part in training.
Business of Supply November 7th, 2006
Mr. Chair, as to whether we are going to rotate within Afghanistan, at the moment we are committed to the Kandahar area to the end of February 2009. The government will consider all other options when that time is reached.
Business of Supply November 7th, 2006
Mr. Chair, we expect to be in the Kandahar area until the end of February 2009. It depends on what the hon. member means when he referred to rotation. If he is talking about internal rotations, every six months the battle groups change, and that will carry on until the end of February 2009.