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  • Oct/6/22 2:00:00 p.m.

Senator Martin: Government leader, to quote military doctrine:

The ultimate role of the armed forces is to apply force, or the threat of force, in the furtherance of the interests of the state. . . .

To achieve that goal and follow in the footsteps of the heroes in uniform who came before them, key trades in the Armed Forces need to be filled with exceptional personnel. They need to have the capacity to fight and to respond to emergencies if our nation calls upon them to do so.

Senator Gold, you did list some of the efforts that are being made, but would you commit to informing the Senate about the government’s exact plan to recruit and retain the personnel required to defend our country and respond to national emergencies?

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  • Oct/6/22 2:00:00 p.m.

Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate): Thank you for your question. It is an important one. Indeed, our Armed Forces are an important institution upon which we all rely.

The government knows that our success as a country — in defending ourselves and our interests — comes down to having a military with the right numbers, the right training and the right resources to sustain our regular operations and to step up during times of crisis. That is why the government is looking at both short-term and long-term ways to increase recruitment.

To answer your question, in the short term, the government has been maximizing staffing of recruitment centres and training schools, as well as temporarily shortening basic training. In the longer term, the government is continuing to work on building an institution where everyone feels safe, protected and respected in order to reach their full potential.

In this regard, the work that has been done — to expose and address the military’s problems and toxic culture — is of fundamental importance in making the Canadian Armed Forces an attractive option for all Canadians.

I have also been advised and assured that recruitment to our Armed Forces is a priority for Minister Anand — as it is, of course, a priority for the Canadian Armed Forces.

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