(Pursuant to the order adopted by the Senate on December 7, 2021, to receive a Minister of the Crown, the Honourable Bill Blair, P.C., M.P., Minister of National Defence, appeared before honourable senators during Question Period.)

(Pursuant to the order adopted by the Senate on December 7, 2021, to receive a Minister of the Crown, the Honourable Bill Blair, P.C., M.P., Minister of National Defence, appeared before honourable senators during Question Period.)

Senator Busson: Thank you, Minister Blair. As you know, many spouses, both male and female, face difficult financial distress, even homelessness, because of this rule. I hope you will take a personal commitment to make sure that this is properly addressed by your government and by Veterans Affairs.

(Pursuant to the order adopted by the Senate on December 7, 2021, to receive a Minister of the Crown, the Honourable Bill Blair, P.C., M.P., Minister of National Defence, appeared before honourable senators during Question Period.)

(Pursuant to the order adopted by the Senate on December 7, 2021, to receive a Minister of the Crown, the Honourable Bill Blair, P.C., M.P., Minister of National Defence, appeared before honourable senators during Question Period.)

The Hon. the Speaker: Honourable senators, today we have with us for Question Period the Honourable Bill Blair, P.C., M.P., Minister of National Defence. On behalf of all senators, I welcome the minister.

Honourable senators, let me remind you that during Question Period with a minister the initial question is limited to 60 seconds, and the initial answer to 90 seconds, followed by one supplementary question of at most 45 seconds and an answer of 45 seconds. The reading clerk will stand 10 seconds before these times expire. Pursuant to the order adopted by the Senate, senators do not need to stand. Question Period will last 64 minutes.

[English]

Hon. Bill Blair, P.C., M.P., Minister of National Defence: Thank you very much, Senator Plett, for the question. Thank you also, ladies and gentlemen, for the privilege and the opportunity to come before you today.

In the aftermath of the terrible attack and the murder of innocents that took place on October 7, there was, very importantly, a reaction. I think that we have been very clear on the government’s position with respect to affirming Israel’s right to defend itself. As a result of the bombing of the hospital that took place in Gaza, there were a lot of questions and, I think, a lot of misinformation with respect to what had taken place there.

I met with my officials at the Department of National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces, and I asked them for a close examination of the ballistics of the event and the trajectory of the ammunition. They examined both the open-source information and the classified material that was available to us. Then, I had the opportunity to brief the Prime Minister on this matter on that Saturday afternoon, and, after briefing the Prime Minister, I made a public statement.

Senator, I would respectfully disagree with your characterization. I think the Prime Minister reacted in a very understandable way to the explosion that took place at that hospital and the loss of innocent life.

Hon. Bill Blair, P.C., M.P., Minister of National Defence: Thank you very much, Senator Marshall.

I would point out, senator, that I was recently appointed to this position. Although I work closely with my predecessor, Minister Anand — and I continue to work very closely with her — upon my arrival into that portfolio, I undertook a comprehensive review. I had previously seen some of the planning that had gone into the Strong, Secure, Engaged defence policy update in a different capacity — I was the chair of the security committee for cabinet. However, having gone in there, I have been working very closely with the Department of National Defence, the Treasury Board and our government in determining the right way forward. There have been some changing circumstances. There has also been extensive consultation with not just the Canadian Armed Forces, but also with industry. I have been meeting with them as well because, in many respects, the defence policy update is also industrial policy — it’s not just defence policy in my opinion — so I have been engaging with them as well.

I understand the importance of coming forward with that defence policy update. We are working on it very diligently, and I hope to have good news about that in the not-too-distant future.

Hon. Bill Blair, P.C., M.P., Minister of National Defence: Thank you very much, senator.

First of all, let me acknowledge your initial comments. I believe those commemorations are important. It is important that we honour our history. I think the Canadian Armed Forces has a long and proud history with the incredible work they have done, and the service and sacrifice of their members. That history needs to not only be commemorated, but it is also a great opportunity, I think, to encourage young people — the talent that we need in the Canadian Armed Forces — to consider a career in the Canadian Armed Forces. I believe it is a very proud and noble profession, and we need to promote that.

There is a real challenge, sir — as I’m sure you are aware — in the Canadian Armed Forces. Over the last three years, we’ve actually seen a greater attrition — more people are leaving the forces than the Canadian Armed Forces has been able to recruit. I think that may be the greatest challenge that I face as the new defence minister — doing everything I can to support the Canadian Armed Forces in their efforts to recruit the talent we need and, just as importantly, to retain the excellent people they already have. I have asked them to look very carefully at some of the impediments to recruitment and how long things have taken — background checks, for example.

I’ll give you an example: Last year, in December 2022, my predecessor announced that we were going to open up Canadian Armed Forces recruitment to permanent residents of Canada. I think it’s a very appropriate and necessary opportunity. What we have not yet seen is a commensurate increase in the number of people. Almost 12,000 people indicated an interest. We need to move faster in our recruitment and onboarding processes.

Hon. Tony Loffreda: Minister Blair, thank you for joining us today.

Canada’s military and peacekeeping legacy is something that we should all be proud of. I, for one, felt much pride this summer when I joined hundreds of volunteers, military personnel and supporters in Sicily for the Walk for Remembrance & Peace in honour of the eightieth anniversary of Operation Husky. This rich history is worth celebrating, and I feel that commemorations of this nature are a great way of instilling pride in our fellow citizens.

Would you not agree that these types of events can also serve as a recruitment tool for the forces? More broadly, can you share with us the Canadian Armed Forces’ recruitment efforts, and how the department is modernizing the recruitment process to simplify and shorten the application process for candidates?

Hon. Bill Blair, P.C., M.P., Minister of National Defence: Thank you very much, senator. It’s a very important question. The Canadian Armed Forces and the Minister of National Defence have a great deal of priorities right now, but none is greater for me than our important work in maintaining Arctic sovereignty and the investments we have to make in the North.

As you rightfully pointed out, we have made a commitment of $38.6 billion to NORAD modernization, but a very significant portion of that — part will be for investments in over-the-horizon radar and other things — will include a $122 million contract to strengthen Canadian Forces in Alert. It also includes the purchase of offshore patrol ships, of which four of six have been delivered and are available for patrol. I recently met with Duane Smith from the Inuit Nunangat area, as well. Those conversations are also very important.

As part of our commitment on the expenditure of the $38.6 billion for NORAD modernization, there is a commitment in that as well for Indigenous procurement for as much as 5% of that money. I will share with you that I’ve travelled to the Yukon and talked to the territorial government and the First Nations and Inuit governments there about Arctic sovereignty and the work of the Canadian Armed Forces in their region, and they have made it clear that sovereignty for them is investment in airports, highways and infrastructure. We’re committed to doing that.

Hon. Bill Blair, P.C., M.P., Minister of National Defence: Thank you, senator. I remain absolutely committed to doing everything we can. I met have with Minister Umerov, who is the Ukrainian defence minister, and President Zelenskyy three times in the last two months. We are part of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group and have been responding, in every case, to what they have asked of us. One of the conversations I had with Minister Umerov was about having proper winter equipment because they knew they were going into a winter campaign. We were able to quickly respond with $25 million in winter equipment, including uniforms, sleeping bags, tents and boots, which is what they said they needed.

We also talked to them about making sure they were properly fitting uniforms. When we talked about that, we made a commitment of 2,000 uniforms. They will need more, but there are a number of different needs that Canada has been responding to. I would also point out that just a few weeks ago we announced that we were making a commitment of $650 million for light armoured vehicles, and specifically, the Ukrainians told us they needed armoured medevac vehicles, so we have included those as well.

The challenge I face is that the Canadian Armed Forces need that equipment, too. They need those light armoured vehicles and those investments. On the one hand, I remain resolute in our commitment to support Ukraine, and on the other hand, I have to continue to support the Canadian Armed Forces.

Senator R. Patterson: When you are engaging with your departmental officials and the ministry and armed forces in Ukraine on proper equipment for women soldiers, would you also investigate what Canada can do to support other gender and sex-specific considerations to keep those Ukrainian women soldiers in the fight? I’m talking about military considerations to maintain women’s health in the field. We have an expertise in that area.

Hon. Bill Blair, P.C., M.P., Minister of National Defence: Thank you very much for the question. Providing support to military families is one of the most important things we need to do in order to improve the retention of the talent that we have and recruit new people into our organization.

I have travelled to the bases, and at every place I go, I try to spend time with the men and women who work there to give them an opportunity, first of all, to talk about the work that they are so proud of but also about some of the challenges they are facing. And, like in many parts of the country, I am hearing clearly that Canadian Armed Forces members are struggling with access to affordable housing, and that becomes a real priority. Although we have a budget of $55 million, it is not nearly enough to respond to what I believe to be almost a 7,000-housing unit deficit for the Canadian Armed Forces.

As I have been travelling to each of those bases, I also see the local municipality and work with the mayors. I have gone to the Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities. As you are aware, the government is making significant investment in housing acceleration across the country, and I want to ensure that it also deals with the housing deficit that exists for our Canadian Armed Forces members.

We have also made significant investments across the country in child care. That is another huge challenge for military families, and so we have been providing money to the provinces, but the provinces don’t necessarily see it as their responsibility to support Armed Forces members and their families. I want to make sure that that investment is reflected in the provision of those important services to Canadian Armed Forces members.

Hon. Bill Blair, P.C., M.P., Minister of National Defence: Thank you very much, senator. It’s not a situation that I am embarrassed by. It is something that I feel a strong responsibility to fix.

I have looked carefully at military procurement processes. They have, over the past many years, become bureaucratic, overly lengthy, and the fact is that we do provide money for the procurement of the equipment and the kit and the gear that our members need and were unable to acquire. I’ve already met with the Minister of Public Services and Procurement but also the Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, and I am working with my deputy minister at National Defence to look at those processes and find ways in which we can expedite those procurement processes. It’s always important that we spend Canadian tax dollars carefully and create the best value for each of those dollars spent, but at the same time, the processes of that procurement — I have asked our officials to begin looking through those very carefully to find ways to expedite those matters.

I have also met with industry because they are a very important part of those procurement processes. We know that we have to make significant new investments, for example, in the manufacture of munitions, and we’re working closely with our aerospace and shipbuilding industries. We want to make sure those processes work for the Canadian Armed Forces and for Canadians.

[Translation]

Hon. Bill Blair, P.C., M.P., Minister of National Defence: Senator, if I may, I can speak a bit more fulsomely to the 48 recommendations of Justice Arbour. We have been working very closely with her. As a matter of fact, a few weeks ago, within my own office, I onboarded someone who is solely dedicated to the implementation of those recommendations.

Of course, we’re also working very closely with the Canadian Armed Forces, or CAF, including the Chief of Defence Staff, or CDS, and General Carignan, who has that responsibility within CAF. I believe we’ve made some very significant progress. For example, one of the most important recommendations made by Justice Arbour was to have sexual assault investigations done by police in the jurisdiction, not by the military police, and that those matters would be then prosecuted, if they result in prosecution, in the criminal justice system.

By ministerial directive, my predecessor directed that all of those cases would be forwarded to the criminal justice system, and that has been done.

I’ve been working closely on drafting a new legislative amendment that will bring about that change and institutionalize it to permanently establish Madam Justice Arbour’s recommendation number 5 within the Canadian Armed Forces. I hope to be able to bring forward that work, first of all, to my cabinet — I can’t get ahead of them — and, ultimately, after cabinet approval, to bring forward legislation at the earliest opportunity. I’m very hopeful to have that done before —

Hon. Bill Blair, P.C., M.P., Minister of National Defence: Thank you, senator. I’m aware under legislation that I am the government official responsible for search and rescue in Canada. It was also my responsibility in my previous capacities as the former Minister of Public Safety and the former Minister of Emergency Preparedness. I understand the enormous challenges that we face with respect to search and rescue, particularly in the Arctic and other remote regions of this country.

Having said that, I apologize, senator, as I’m not familiar with the report that you prepared. I’ll make myself familiar with it because I have been working closely with both territorial and provincial partners, and also First Nations and Indigenous partners across the country, talking about how we can improve the system.

I am absolutely committed to taking as much of the “search” out of “search and rescue” as possible. There are technologies that we can utilize to do so.

I also met with the Russell family in Newfoundland. They lost their son in a terrible marine tragedy there.

We’re looking at ways to invest more appropriately in remote regions of the country and use certain technologies to improve our success rate. I’ve been meeting with search and rescue people from across this country. There’s a real opportunity for us to do better. I look forward to reading your report and learning from the advice provided.

Senator M. Deacon: Thank you. We’re hopeful that report will be reviewed and will provide a good template.

One recommendation was that the government use new or existing institutionalized mechanisms to partner with Indigenous peoples in the Arctic — and to obtain their views about security and defence in the region — and that these partnerships should be undertaken in accordance with the Indigenous rights outlined in modern treaties. What steps has the government taken to include Indigenous peoples in recently announced plans for defence infrastructure in the Arctic?

Hon. Kim Pate: Welcome. Thank you for joining us today, Minister Blair. For decades, as you know, governments have pointed to the need to address violence against women as an impetus for criminal legislation that too often results in making sentences longer, harsher and more punitive. These approaches have not meaningfully prevented violence against women, including in the military.

What concrete measures has the government taken to implement the Calls for Justice of the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls inquiry, as well as the recommendations of the Mass Casualty Commission and the Arbour report on sexual misconduct in the military? How will the government seek to address and redress the root causes of violence against women? What is the timeline for the full implementation of these recommendations?

Hon. Bill Blair, P.C., M.P., Minister of National Defence: Thank you, senator. First of all, I do read my emails, but thank you for reminding me. Senator, you’re clearly confused about something there because I do read my emails.

Second, I’m not familiar with any relationship that the Department of National Defence has with that company, and, if you want to make that request of us, I’ll ensure the information is provided to you in a timely way.

Hon. Bill Blair, P.C., M.P., Minister of National Defence: Thank you very much, senator. In anticipation of that, I asked for notes but they’re far too long, and I don’t have near enough time to read them to you.

First, I want to acknowledge that provision of that act. I also wish to point out that the Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs tabled a report, and a response was provided by the Minister of Veterans Affairs, which we have supported with respect to that. I believe that there’s a program now run by Veterans Affairs Canada which has committed $150 million over five years to support veterans and their spouses who were married over the age of 60.

I recognize the concern. Frankly, my wife and I just celebrated our forty-sixth anniversary, so I do believe in marriage after 60. I know the circumstances that you speak of here. We want to ensure that all of our veterans are treated appropriately and fairly. I’m aware of the concern that you’ve expressed about that provision and I believe that we are committed to continuing to work with Veterans Affairs. By the way, I know it is the responsibility of National Defence. We administer the Canadian Forces Superannuation Act, which contains that provision. We’re working with Veterans Affairs to make sure that everyone is treated appropriately.

Hon. Bill Blair, P.C., M.P., Minister of National Defence: Thank you, sir. I’d like to talk about some of the steps that we have been able to take. I reached out to Madam Justice Arbour. I wanted to understand not just what her recommendation says but, frankly, what the thinking behind it was. We had an opportunity to talk quite extensively. It was a helpful conversation for me because we talked about some of the impediments that currently existed for people in the Canadian Armed Forces, and we were able to act quickly on some of those recommendations.

For example, there was a rule previously that required a member of the Canadian Armed Forces to exhaust all other avenues of remedies, such as grievance procedures, before they could go to the Canadian Human Rights Commission to lodge a complaint. We lifted that requirement so that Canadian Armed Forces members, like every other Canadian, could go directly to the Canadian Human Rights Commission to lodge a complaint.

I also needed to understand Justice Arbour’s recommendation with respect to duty to report. Justice Arbour had recommended that the duty to report would be lifted because it created an unfair burden upon many victims of discrimination and harassment within the Canadian Armed Forces. After I spoke to Justice Arbour, I went back to my people and said there were more circumstances. Justice Arbour had recommended it for sexual harassment and sexual assault, but we recognized there were other forms of discrimination, such as racism, that a member could experience, so we removed the requirement for duty to report for all circumstances, not just the ones recommended by her.