Discussion · Government Orders
David McGuinty Liberal
“We promised to spend over $81 billion over the next five years to rebuild the military. This money is already helping us recruit and keep more members, with applications up by 61% this year.”
“Mr. Speaker, my colleague is a former serving member of the forces, and I thank him very much for his service. What the member is really indicating is that we made a decision some 14 months ago to transform the Canadian Armed Forces in terms of investments, recruitment, retention and pay packages. Overall, as I mentioned, we made a 2% commitment to spending, $81 billion-plus over the next five years, and we have seen results. We have seen, for example, a 61% increase in completed applications to join the Canadian Armed Forces this year as compared with last year. We have seen recruitment numbers continue at other levels. We have seen retention also continue to augment and ameliorate. What we are really doing here is making the requisite investments to recruit, retain, arm and rebuild, and this is exactly what the Canadian Armed Forces have been waiting for, for some time.”
Mr. Speaker, my colleague is a former serving member of the forces, and I thank him very much for his service. What the member is really indicating is that we made a decision some 14 months ago to transform the Canadian Armed Forces in terms of investments, recruitment, retention and pay packages. Overall, as I mentioned, we made a 2% commitment to spending, $81 billion-plus over the next five years, and we have seen results. We have seen, for example, a 61% increase in completed applications to join the Canadian Armed Forces this year as compared with last year. We have seen recruitment numbers continue at other levels. We have seen retention also continue to augment and ameliorate. What we are really doing here is making the requisite investments to recruit, retain, arm and rebuild, and this is exactly what the Canadian Armed Forces have been waiting for, for some time.