Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, today, I announced that I have received, and I welcome and accept, Madame Arbour's report in its entirety. I confirmed that as an immediate step, I have accepted, and the defence team will be immediately moving on, implementing over one-third of Madame Arbour's recommendations. This is just the beginning of our response, and I look forward to providing a further update as we strengthe…
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Mr. Speaker, our support for Ukraine remains unwavering. This past weekend, while the Prime Minister was in Kyiv, he announced $50 million more in military aid, in addition to the $131 million already committed since February. This includes 18 drone cameras, $15 million in high-resolution satellite imagery, $1 million in small arms and related ammunition and additional ammunition for the M777 Howi…
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to reiterate that the assumptions underlying that question are misguided. Again, the Canadian Armed Forces flight was part of a training exercise. The exercise was planned prior to and was unrelated to the presence of the protesters and the convoy. The opposition does not seem to appreciate or like this point, but it is the truth.
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Mr. Speaker, as I said in English, the flight in question was part of a training exercise. The Canadian Armed Forces also conducted this exercise. The training had nothing to do with the convoy. Those are the facts.
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to reiterate what the Prime Minister said last week a number of times, for the benefit of my hon. colleague. He stated: The flight in question was part of a Canadian Armed Forces training exercise that was planned prior to and was unrelated to the convoy protest. The training had nothing to do with the convoy blockade, and we will continue to reiterate that fact.
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Mr. Speaker, Canada's sovereignty in the Arctic is secure and well established. We are taking action and making landmark investments to increase our Arctic sovereignty, including conducting joint exercises in the Arctic, purchasing six Arctic offshore patrol ships and enhancing surveillance and intelligence capability in the Arctic with the procurement of 88 fighter jets. We will remain firm and u…
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Mr. Speaker, we are making critical, major investments in personnel, equipment and infrastructure that will support continental defence, will support military families, and will support equipment and resources for the Canadian Armed Forces. We agree that the lives of military families, as well as CAF personnel themselves, are of the utmost importance. That is why budget 2022 committed $8 billion t…
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Mr. Speaker, the reality is that we are leaving no stone unturned in our aid to Ukraine. I have announced six tranches of military aid, totalling over $110 million. That aid has included hand grenades, rocket launchers, ammunition, sniper rifles, Carl Gustaf weapon systems and fragmentation vests, among other things. We will continue to explore every opportunity to deliver aid to Ukraine. I spoke …
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Mr. Speaker, I find it unfortunate that the member opposite is characterizing the views of our Canadian Armed Forces as being ashamed. On the contrary, at the top of my mandate letter is making sure that the Canadian Armed Forces have the equipment they need to defend our country. I am focused on delivering results for the Canadian Armed Forces. We are increasing defence spending by 70% over a nin…
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Mr. Speaker, unlike the Conservatives, who cut billions from defence, we are providing our Canadian Armed Forces members with the equipment they need to keep Canadians safe. This means we are moving to finalize contracts for 88 new fighter jets. This means we are delivering the first Canadian-built ship in 20 years. This means we are delivering six Arctic offshore patrol vessels, two of which have…
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Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for his question. The Conservatives want to question our commitment to the Canadian Armed Forces. Let us be clear. The Conservatives, for a decade, had a chance to step up and invest in NATO and our armed forces. Instead, they decided to actively step back and allow military spending to drop below 1% of our GDP in 2013, but not us. We will continue to invest in our …
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Mr. Speaker, let me assure the member opposite that we are ensuring that our Canadian Armed Forces has the equipment it needs to protect Canadians. On Monday, when we announced the procurement of the 88 fighter jets and the top-ranked bidder, this brought us one step closer to a new fleet of state-of-the-art fighter jets for our Royal Canadian Air Force. This is going to ensure that our pilots hav…
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Mr. Speaker, this is somewhat humorous. Unlike the Conservatives who cut billions from defence, we are providing our CAF members with the equipment they need to keep Canadians safe. We are moving to finalize the 88 new fighter jets. We are delivering the first Canadian-built ship in 20 years. We are acquiring six Arctic offshore patrol vessels, two of which are in the water and one of which has ci…
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Mr. Speaker, let me assure the member opposite again that we have ensured and we will continue to ensure that we are taking the steps needed to select the right fighter at the right price with the right benefits for the Canadian Armed Forces. This is the most significant investment in the RCAF in 30 years. As we continue to move through this process, the details on costing will be further refined.…
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Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Saint-Laurent for her question. Canada is getting closer to the delivery of a new fleet of fighter jets that will help our Royal Canadian Air Force defend Canada and our allies. This will also create economic opportunities for Canadians, especially in Bagotville, where we are investing in modernizing infrastructure to house the new fleet. This is good news for C…
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Mr. Speaker, I differ with the member opposite's characterization of Canada's aid to date. In fact, I have announced six tranches of military aid, both lethal and non-lethal, to Ukraine since February alone. This represents well over $100 million in military aid to Ukraine. We have also assisted our allies. With 21 flights on the C-130s, Canada is providing airlift support across the NATO alliance…
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Mr. Speaker, I am surprised at the member opposite's characterization of our Canadian Armed Forces. In fact, our commitment to NATO operations, including Operation Reassurance, is unwavering. To reinforce our deterrent measures in Europe in the face of rising tensions, we announced that we are increasing military contributions in support of NATO and in support of Operation Reassurance with up to 4…
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moved for leave to introduce Bill C-17, An Act to amend the Federal-Provincial Fiscal Arrangements Act and to authorize certain payments to be made out of the Consolidated Revenue Fund. (Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the Canadian Armed Forces for its ongoing and historic work to protect our country and contribute to our world. I would like to say in addition that we have contributed lethal and non-lethal aid to Ukraine, including anti-tank missiles, grenades and fragmentation vests, and we will continue to provide millions and millions of dollars' worth of aid to Ukraine. In …
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Mr. Speaker, let us be clear. We are increasing our defence spending by 70% over the nine-year period beginning in 2017. We are very committed to our NATO and NORAD alliances, and we will continue to ensure that our Arctic is sovereign, that our continent is secure, and that we are ensuring and upholding the rules-based international order.
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Mr. Speaker, of course we are prepared. We will leave no stone unturned to support our Ukrainian friends. To that end, I announced today that we will be stepping up our support with two new major contributions in order to provide more lethal aid. That is our priority to stand in solidarity with the people of Ukraine.
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Mr. Speaker, we must defend Canadians against disinformation and propaganda. We will not be intimidated by tyrants. Putin wants to destroy democracy.
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to assure my hon. colleague and the House of Commons that we are indeed prepared for every eventuality, including those from the information we have received relating to the nuclear allusions that Mr. Putin has been making. We need to be non-provocative, we need to be rational in this situation and we need to act together as a country and support each other in this time o…
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to say that our government is very serious about protecting our sovereignty in the North and the Arctic. What we are going to do is continue working with the United States for our continent and our country. We also have the Coast Guard working for us.
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Mr. Speaker, today we announced a new program that will eliminate many of the administrative formalities to get Ukrainians here faster so they can have a safe place to stay for up to two years. There will be no limit to the number of Ukrainians who can apply. The process will be very fast.
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Mr. Speaker, first of all, we will do everything we can to welcome the people of Ukraine. Second, since we know that family members of Canadian citizens may want to start a new life in Canada, everyone who arrives under these measures will be eligible for an open work permit. They will be able to start working right away if they wish. We are also going to work very hard for families.
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Mr. Speaker, together with our allies, we are ensuring that Russia's actions do not go unpunished. We have levied sanctions against President Putin directly, key members of his inner circle, his foreign minister, oligarchs close to the Putin regime and members of the State Duma, and we are not done yet. We will keep working with our allies to impose sanctions that are meaningful across the board.
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Mr. Speaker, as I have already said, we have already imposed sanctions against President Putin himself and on key members of his inner circle, the oligarchs close to his regime and members of the Russian Duma. We will continue to exert maximum pressure on the Putin regime with our allies.
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Mr. Speaker, alongside our American partners, our government is making the investments necessary to modernize NORAD. It is a personal priority for me and for our government, and I have had many conversations with the secretary of defence of the United States about our continued co-operation to protect the sovereignty of our Arctic, to protect our continental defence and to work together for the be…
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Mr. Speaker, we are making major, essential investments in personnel, equipment and infrastructure in the north. What have we done? We recently awarded a $592‑million contract to Nasittuq Corporation, an Inuit company, to operate and maintain the North Warning System. We remain strongly and steadfastly committed to defending our national interests.
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Mr. Speaker, before I reply, I would like to take this opportunity to welcome a visitor. Here today is Andrii Bukvych, chargé d'affaires of the Embassy of Ukraine to Canada. Welcome to the House of Commons.
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for the question. Our government is prepared for any eventuality. We are putting in across-the-board measures to support Ukraine in this situation. We have NORAD modernization as our priority. We are working very closely with our American counterparts. We will leave no stone unturned for the safety and security of this country, this continent and indeed Ukraine it…
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Mr. Speaker, let me just be clear that all options continue to be on the table in terms of our support, but we should recognize that we have sent support: $10 million of lethal and non-lethal aid, $25 million of non-lethal aid and then, just yesterday, as the member rightly pointed out, more anti-tank weapons, as well as ammunition for those weapons.
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Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the question. Canada will continue to work with our American partners. That is why we have committed $252.2 million through the end of the 2021 budget as an initial investment. We will continue to talk with our partners, including the United States, and we will continue to protect our Arctic sovereignty.
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my hon. colleague for raising the issue of Arctic sovereignty, which our government takes extremely seriously. We are making landmark investments in this area, conducting joint exercises in the Arctic, purchasing six Arctic offshore patrol ships and enhancing surveillance. We will remain firm and unwavering in the protection of our Arctic, including in modernizin…
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Mr. Speaker, in this age of information and disinformation, I think it is important for us to be aware of the facts. Canada delivered, successfully, $7 million worth of lethal aid to Ukraine prior to the onset of the invasion of Ukraine by Russia. I want this House of Commons to know that not only did we deliver that $7 million of aid, we also delivered $3 million of non-lethal aid and $700 millio…
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Mr. Speaker, I have had multiple conversations with defence minister Reznikov from Ukraine, and we have provided support that Ukraine has requested, including lethal and non-lethal aid, including economic and financial aid, and we are in constant touch with Ukraine. In fact, Minister Reznikov called Canada a very, very dear friend, and I look forward to continuing to support him and his country in…
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Mr. Speaker, Canada will continue to work with its American partners to modernize NORAD so we can face current and future challenges related to Arctic protection and sovereignty. That is why budget 2021 includes $252.2 million as an initial investment. We will continue to work with our American partners to ensure our Arctic sovereignty.
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to say that the Canadian Armed Forces are ready to help Ukrainians who leave their country. We have already imposed increasingly harsher sanctions, we have trained more than 33,000 Ukrainian soldiers, and we have given and delivered significant financial aid. We have also delivered lethal and non‑lethal aid. We have provided cyber-support. That is very important in today'…
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Mr. Speaker, we continue to work with our partners. We will continue to impose sanctions. We have already trained more than 33,000 Ukrainian soldiers. We have provided significant financial assistance. We have sent lethal and non-lethal aid, and we are strengthening our work in NATO in the west.
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Mr. Speaker, Putin's actions over the past week are appalling for all of us who stand for peace, security and democracy. I would like to send my very best to President Zelenskyy, Minister Reznikov and the Ukrainian people for their strong resistance against Putin's ruthless aggression and unnecessary war. I know that many Canadians are watching Putin's appalling attacks on the Ukrainian people and…
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Mr. Speaker, I must say it is heartening to see politics put aside in times of crisis. In response to the member's questions directly, we are working to get this lethal aid into the hands of Ukrainian soldiers as soon as possible. In order to do that, we are working very closely with our allies to ensure safe passage of the lethal aid, as well as safe delivery to the Canadian Armed Forces and to U…
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Mr. Speaker, cyber-attacks are part of Russia's strategy. It is essential that we strengthen our cybersecurity and protect our critical infrastructure. The Communications Security Establishment has the tools it needs to protect Canada and Canadians. I meet regularly with the chief of CSE. We are here to protect cybersecurity for Canadians.
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Mr. Speaker, we know that these attacks, cyber-attacks included, are part of the Russian playbook. We have been watching Russian escalation at the Ukrainian border for months. We are very well prepared, in terms of our intelligence and connections with the Ukrainian government, to document the loss of life. More important, however, is making sure that we are stepping up with humanitarian and econo…
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Mr. Speaker, this is a concerning matter. Our government takes privacy seriously and treats this with the utmost seriousness. Epiq is an independent, court-appointed administrator for the misconduct class action settlement. It has advised DND and CAF officials that the disclosure did not have the details or nature of any claims. DND and CAF are not involved in this disclosure, and class counsel ha…
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Mr. Speaker, our Canadian Armed Forces did everything we asked of them under extraordinarily difficult circumstances. Canada was part of an air bridge with our allies that saved as many people as we could. Our armed forces worked around the clock to evacuate as many people as possible for as long as conditions permitted, including our former interpreters, local staff and citizens of allied countri…
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Mr. Speaker, the Canadian Armed Forces have always had our backs, but far too many of them have suffered because of sexual harassment, sexual assault and discrimination. That is why yesterday, General Eyre and Deputy Minister Thomas and I offered an apology to all victims and survivors. An apology cannot mend deep wounds, but it is the right thing to do and we will now move to enact further reform…
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Mr. Speaker, the Canadian Armed Forces have always had our backs, but far too many members of the forces have suffered sexual harassment and sexual assault or discrimination. We must acknowledge the pain and trauma that have occurred, and today's apology is just one example of the steps we are going to take to work toward a place where all members of the armed forces feel safe, respected and prote…
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Mr. Speaker, our government takes the issues raised by the member opposite very seriously. That is why on November 4, I moved, as minister, to accept the interim recommendations of Madame Arbour. That is why we offered an apology today. That is why we are going to be moving very quickly after we receive the final recommendations of Madame Arbour. That why we are implementing Bill C-77. Our governm…
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Madam Speaker, since 2015, under Operation Unifier, Canada has been steadfast in its support of Ukraine with troops on the ground undertaking training exercises day in and day out. We stand with our Ukrainian partners, as well as with our NATO allies, in terms of presenting a united front against unwarranted Russian aggression. We will continue to work on a multilateral basis to uphold the interna…
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