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The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Mrs. Carol Hughes)

May/30/22 7:55:53 p.m.
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The hon. member's time is up. The hon. member for Mission—Matsqui—Fraser Canyon.

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May/30/22 7:55:56 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I have a couple of points for my rebuttal. First, the member for Hull—Aylmer mentioned that there was an obligation for federal public servants to be vaccinated if they wanted to continue working, because the government said it is the most effective way to keep people safe. However, it did not have an obligatory vaccine mandate for federal inmates, so the people it was purporting to protect still had to service a population in our federal institutions that was not vaccinated. That is hypocrisy. I know for a fact that correctional officers right now are covering their badges because they are so ashamed of the government they are working for. They are in protest about the poor services the government gave them because of the very issue I just raised. Second, the member did not respond to my point about ports. The Government of Canada never implemented a vaccine mandate at federal ports because it knew the economic consequences that would have. It was not a public health decision at the ports; it was an economic decision. Can the member please comment on that?

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Hon. Greg Fergus

May/30/22 7:57:03 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I would be very pleased to repeat the point I made during my speech. The federal government has required vaccination for the entire core public administration of the federal government. We believe that the most fundamental responsibility of any government is to ensure the health and safety of its citizens. As the largest employer in the country, we have an obligation to ensure that public servants work in a safe and healthy environment, whether that is in an office or service centre, at the border, at home or elsewhere. A fully vaccinated workforce results in safer workplaces and safer communities across the country. This policy is about public health, and the overwhelming majority of public servants have stepped up and have been vaccinated. Public servants are responding to the need to make sure that Canadians are safe and healthy during the pandemic, and the government will continue to protect its employees.

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Mr. Ryan Williams (Bay of Quinte, CPC)

May/30/22 7:58:10 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I am rising today on adjournment proceedings to talk to the defence minister. I asked on May 2 about the state of housing for our military on our bases and the fact that the housing shortage in Canada was so bad that in Bay of Quinte, on our air base, CFB Trenton and 8 Wing in Trenton, we have 360 families on a waiting list for housing on the base. It is a big problem. On the weekend, I took my children to see Top Gun 2 or Top Gun: Maverick. It is one of the greatest movies of all time, following the first one. I will tell members, there is no secret, it was really good. It is a story about the military in the U.S. and naval aviators. For me, it was very nostalgic but also a great movie to talk about the military in general. My kids absolutely felt the need for speed. Who is not feeling the need for speed right now are military members who are waiting for housing. Right now, in Canada, we have about 8,000 military families waiting for housing on their bases. Just to talk about how important that is, it is not only members of the military. We talk about military families and how important they are. It is also their wingmen: their spouses. The spouses, a lot of times, are finding that if they cannot find jobs, or if they are unable to fit in with the community, they also cannot find homes. What we are finding, when it comes to the military, is that we are having trouble attracting and retaining talent, and it is really a ballistic housing crisis that is forcing these people into a sorry state. Let me just tell members that when it comes to our military, we have to look after our men and women first and foremost. We have to ensure that not only do we have good pay and good benefits for military members, but we have to also really look after the backs of the people who look after us abroad. Housing is paramount. I know that in budget 2022, there was $8 billion slated for military spending. My specific question is this. There is $15 billion that is uncosted so far. How much of that $15 billion, not just the $8 billion, is going into housing on bases? Really, when it comes to those families and the bases, and I have talked at length to our colonels and some of the generals for our military, the first priority is families and to ensure that when they are posted to a base, they have a slot. The buildings are called PMQs that house families on bases. They can be for multiple families and they can be for single families. We are finding right now that because of the shortage of homes, families who have several children are being forced into single PMQs. We are finding that state to be a big problem. Additionally, because of the lack of housing, we are finding it hard to attract talent to our air bases. Right now in Canada, we are short 10,000 military members for our Canadian Armed Forces. That is for members and reservists. The housing crisis is also having a detrimental effect on attracting those key personnel. People are choosing not to go to certain areas if they cannot afford the homes there. If people sell a home at CFB Cold Lake and move to CFB Trenton, or if they are going to Pembroke or some other base, that house they sold is maybe about $400,000 or $500,000, but they have to then afford close to $1 million to get a house on that next base. A lot of families are saying that it is just not possible for them to do that. The answer is going to be putting money that we had for planes into people. That means ensuring that we have money that goes into that base. As the saying goes, there are no points for second place, so for—

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The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Mrs. Carol Hughes)

May/30/22 8:02:19 p.m.
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The hon. Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Defence.

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Mr. Bryan May (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Defence, Lib.)

May/30/22 8:02:28 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, military members and their families are our top priority and we are taking steps to ensure that they are in fact supported. We know many Canadians are deeply concerned about housing, and in many ways a life in the Canadian Armed Forces amplifies this issue. CAF members move frequently, and when they are posted to a place where housing is more expensive, it can be extremely challenging for them and their families. This is why the Department of National Defence is improving access to housing for our members. In 2021-22, we began allocating $40 million per year for 10 years to be invested in the DND residential housing program. Starting in 2022-23, DND has allocated an additional $15 million per year for three years. This means that in 2022-23, we will be investing $55 million in residential housing for CAF members. This includes renovation projects to ensure the existing 11,540 housing units are functional and suitable. Some of this funding will go toward constructing new housing units at bases and wings over the next several years. In addition to improving housing access to members, the Canadian Armed Forces is offering them a number of benefits for relocation anywhere in Canada, including reimbursing legal fees and real estate fees. If members who have to move encounter challenges selling their old houses or finding new ones, or their family needs more time to adjust, a CAF member can proceed unaccompanied to the new location and lodging will be paid for up to six months, or longer if authorized by the CAF. If the residence cannot be sold, the CAF will also cover some expenses for dual residences up to six months. Most importantly, we are listening to our members and their families. The CAF is conducting surveys continuously during the active posting season to gather feedback on how the relocation experience can be improved. Through budget 2022, the Department of National Defence also announced an increase of $8 billion in funding over five years for the Canadian Armed Forces on top of our planned SSE investments, and we are updating our defence policy to ensure it continues to be relevant in the evolving defence and security environment. In February 2021, we increased military members' rates of pay to ensure alignment with the increase received by the federal public service. In addition, to ensure the post living differential allowance effectively supports CAF members and their families and addresses affordability concerns, the Department of National Defence is reviewing that policy. We will always seek to support the people who choose to serve their country with a robust compensation and benefits framework. As part of the CAF reconstitution plan, we are making sure that we are doing everything we can to take care of our people. This involves rebuilding the CAF's effective strength, transforming defence team culture and emphasizing the physical and mental well-being of our people. For example, through national initiatives like Seamless Canada, we are making sure CAF members and their families are not facing the challenges that come with posting out of province or territory alone. Supporting our families is central to having a strong, healthy and modern military. We are continually exploring ways to ensure CAF members and their families have what they need to live in uniform.

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Mr. Ryan Williams

May/30/22 8:06:20 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, those are great promises but we are not delivering. On May 5, there was an email passed around from a senior officer at a base north of Vancouver letting family members of military know that Habitat for Humanity was an option for those family members looking for housing. How bad is it that the military is offering Habitat for Humanity housing? That should be going to families that need actual housing. Our military members are being forced into that scenario. At the end of the day, it is great that we have committed. I will admit that for CFB Trenton, there was an announcement two weeks ago for some money to build 60 new homes of the 360 we need, so that is great. That is committed money. We have had that from the government. We need action. I am going to ask again. I know we have the funding announcement. On what date are shovels going to be in the ground to build those homes committed from the budget? Is that going to be done by the end of 2022?

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Mr. Bryan May

May/30/22 8:07:19 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, affordable housing is at the top of many Canadians' minds, and we recognize this includes Canadian Armed Forces members. That is why we have committed to constructing more housing units for CAF members, and why there are services and benefits in place to assist personnel as they relocate. In order to meet increased operational requirements for military housing, the Department of National Defence is working with stakeholders to align resources and acquire additional housing. The CAF is continually looking at ways to improve compensation, benefits, policies, practices and services so that we are compassionate and responsive to the needs of our members and their families. People are at the core of our military. It is important that they have the support they need so that they can best defend Canadians at home and uphold peace around the globe. We are not only ensuring operational effectiveness this way, but we are also ensuring that CAF offers an appealing career path to help us retain the best and brightest personnel in service to Canada.

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The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Mrs. Carol Hughes)

May/30/22 8:08:25 p.m.
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Pursuant to Standing Order 81(4), the motion to adjourn the House is now deemed to have been withdrawn. The House will now resolve itself into a committee of the whole to study all votes under the Department of Fisheries and Oceans in the main estimates for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2023.

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The Deputy Chair

May/30/22 8:08:57 p.m.
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The House will now resolve itself into committee of the whole to study all votes under Department of Fisheries and Oceans in the main estimates for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2023. Today's debate is a general one on all votes under the Department of Fisheries and Oceans. The first round will begin with the official opposition, followed by the government, the Bloc Québécois and the New Democratic Party. After that, we will follow the usual proportional rotation. Each member will be allocated 15 minutes at a time, which may be used for both debate or for posing questions. Members wishing to use this time to make a speech have a maximum of 10 minutes, which leaves at least 5 minutes for questions to the minister. When a member is recognized, he or she should indicate to the Chair how the 15-minute period will be used, in other words, how much time will be spent on the speech and how much time will be used for questions and answers. Also, pursuant to order made earlier today, members who wish to share their time with another member shall indicate this to the Chair. The Chair will receive no quorum calls, dilatory motions or requests for unanimous consent. When the time is to be used for questions and comments, the minister's response should reflect approximately the time taken to pose the question, since this time will be counted in the time originally allotted to the member. Pursuant to order made Thursday, May 19, 2022, the time provided for the debate tonight may be extended beyond four hours as needed to include a minimum of 16 periods of 15 minutes each. I also wish to indicate that in committee of the whole comments should be addressed to the Chair. I ask for everyone's co-operation in upholding all established standards of decorum, parliamentary language and behaviour. We will now begin tonight's debate. The hon. member for South Shore—St. Margarets.

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Mr. Rick Perkins (South Shore—St. Margarets, CPC)

May/30/22 8:11:27 p.m.
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Madam Chair, who makes the final decisions at DFO?

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Hon. Joyce Murray (Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, Lib.)

May/30/22 8:11:40 p.m.
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I make the decisions.

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Mr. Rick Perkins

May/30/22 8:11:46 p.m.
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Madam Chair, in January, at the FFAW, you said that your goal was to leave as many fish in the ocean as possible, and—

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The Deputy Chair

May/30/22 8:11:54 p.m.
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The hon. member has to address all questions to the Chair and not directly to the minister.

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Remarks addressed to the Chair

Mr. Rick Perkins

May/30/22 8:11:59 p.m.
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Madam Chair, in January, the minister said at the FFAW that she would leave as many fish in the ocean as possible, that was her goal, and to grow as many plants as possible, and that fishermen could find another job. Could the minister please inform this House what job she was speaking of?

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Hon. Joyce Murray

May/30/22 8:12:18 p.m.
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Madam Chair, I think that is a complete misconstrual of what I said. What I have said is that my goal is grow the seafood and fish industry, and for that we need to have abundant stock.

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Mr. Rick Perkins

May/30/22 8:12:34 p.m.
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Madam Chair, DFO executive-level positions have increased 158%, rising from 65 to 173 during the time of this government. What could possibly justify that excessive growth?

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Hon. Joyce Murray

May/30/22 8:12:51 p.m.
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Madam Chair, this is a department that manages a great number and complexity of issues, as well as conflicts among different stakeholders, and I am very proud of the work that my officials and the leaders do in this department.

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Mr. Rick Perkins

May/30/22 8:13:08 p.m.
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Madam Chair, in 2019-20, the department met 56.3% of its goals and paid out $4.6 million in bonuses to its staff. That is 94.7% of the staff receiving a bonus for 56% performance. In 2020-21, the department met only 57% of its targets. Is that what this 158% growth of executives was done to manage?

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Hon. Joyce Murray

May/30/22 8:13:40 p.m.
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Madam Chair, I think the member is asking questions about previous years. I was appointed in 2021, and I have had excellent service from the leaders of the department.

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