House of Commons photoLost his last election, in 2021, with 28% of the vote.
National Defence February 13th, 2017
Mr. Speaker, we will always ensure the well-being of our troops. During his first visit to Kuwait last year, the Minister of National Defence was made aware of these concerns. He asked the chief of the defence staff to look into the issue. An interdepartmental team is handling it. We have specific rules. We will move this file forward, and we will work with the relevant organizations in accordance with the recommendations.
Health February 10th, 2017
Mr. Speaker, indeed, taking care of our troops is very important. The Canadian Armed Forces are determined to improve treatment for soldiers suffering from PTSD. The CAF recently invested $2.65 million over four years in state-of-the-art brain imagery technology that will contribute to mental health research.
Military personnel are encouraged to seek help for their symptoms at any time. They are also subject to individual medical testing to screen for signs of PTSD, among others.
National Defence February 10th, 2017
Mr. Speaker, the health and well-being of all Canadian Armed Forces members are critically important to our government. Malaria is an infectious disease that can endanger the lives of our military personnel, who can be exposed in the course of their duties.
Members of the military make personal decisions regarding malaria prevention in close co-operation with their health care professionals, based on an assessment and extensive medical information.
The use of mefloquine in the Canadian Armed Forces is currently under review.
National Defence February 10th, 2017
Mr. Speaker, the opposition critic himself said this yesterday:
The defence minister is a proud veteran, and he knows better than anyone how important danger pay is not just for our brave men and women in uniform but for their families back at home as well.
I could not have put it better myself. Then the minister responded as follows:
We have to work through a process to be able to resolve some of these issues. Many different departments are involved, and we are working [really hard] through it, and we will get through this.
National Defence February 10th, 2017
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question and his concern for our military personnel deployed abroad. As the minister said yesterday, we are committed to taking care of our soldiers, including their compensation. We want to make sure that tax measures are fair and equitable. That is why the minister asked the chief of the defence staff to work with the relevant agencies to review the compensation rules and propose changes, including finding ways to prevent negative impacts on deployed personnel.
National Defence February 6th, 2017
Mr. Speaker, the Canadian Armed Forces does exceptional work managing the risk related to concurrently respecting our commitments to both NORAD and NATO.
The government thinks it is unacceptable to manage such a high level of risk. The current fleet of CF-18s was acquired in the 1980s and honestly should have been replaced long ago. The government no longer wishes to rely exclusively on a fighter fleet that is over 30 years old. That is why we have to act now.
National Defence February 6th, 2017
Mr. Speaker, the Government of Canada has begun discussions with the U.S. government and the Boeing corporation for the possible procurement of 18 Super Hornet fighter jets.
Discussions with the American government and Boeing will allow us to determine whether Boeing can provide an interim cost-effective solution within a timeframe and with a capability level that are acceptable to Canada. In order to ensure that Canada gets the best value for money during future discussions and negotiations, we will not comment on the budget at this time.
National Defence February 6th, 2017
Mr. Speaker, we are not going to wait to mitigate the risks associated with Canada's dependence on our CF-18 fighter fleet, which is over 30 years old.
We need a fighter jet that allows us to reduce our dependence on our current fleet of CF-18s as quickly as possible, so that we can continue to live up to our national and international obligations. In the end, the 18 new Super Hornets will mean that our military personnel can count on more advanced fighter jets to defend Canada.
National Defence February 6th, 2017
Mr. Speaker, our government will take no risks with our ability to simultaneously meet Canada's NORAD and NATO commitments.
That is why we are exploring the acquisition of an interim fleet of 18 Super Hornet aircraft to supplement the CF-18 fleet until the permanent replacement arrives.
These measures will give Canadians the assurance that our defence needs will continue to be met in both the short and the long terms. We will launch an open competition.
Public Safety February 3rd, 2017
Mr. Speaker, first, I would like to commend the people of New Brunswick for their courage, their generosity, their great desire to help one another, and their community solidarity.
The federal government took action as soon as it received the call. The Province's initial request for aid was approved in 17 minutes, and troops arrived in New Brunswick the next day. In four days, our soldiers visited 4,500 homes. They distributed food and water. They cleared debris and helped things get back to normal faster. The presence of the armed forces made a real difference and brought peace and comfort to people in a very stressful situation.