National Defence

Question period focused on military recruitment in the Canadian Armed Forces. Conservatives cited a leaked military memo and report saying standards were lowered, some recruits could not speak English or French, some platoons had many non-citizens and experienced racism, sexism and discipline problems, and that basic training pass rates had fallen; they asked the minister to admit the recruitment plan failed and to focus on fixing the forces. The Liberal minister replied that recruitment had hit a 30-year high, with over 45,000 applications last year, 7,310 regular force members recruited against targets, and 70 of 97 critical positions filled, and said the government is raising pay, speeding up training, and improving equipment and housing, while saying the Conservatives had blocked measures to improve the forces.Written by AI from the debate. Updated .

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4 statements

James Bezan, Selkirk—Interlake—Eastman

Conservative
“The defence minister did not fix the military recruitment problem. A leaked memo shows that standards were lowered, some recruits cannot speak English or French, and there is racism and sexism. I want the minister to admit his plan failed.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, the defence minister told Canadians that he fixed the recruitment crisis, but like everything with these Liberals, it was just another illusion. A leaked military memo tells a very different story. Some recruits were unable to communicate in either official language, and there are damning reports of misogyny and racism. This is more Liberal mismanagement and more of the same. These Liberals did not fix the military; they lowered the bar so low and hoped nobody would actually notice. When will the minister stop ignoring the facts and admit that his recruitment reforms have failed?

James Bezan, Selkirk—Interlake—Eastman

Conservative
“Fewer recruits are passing basic training, and our military is not ready to defend the country. I want the defence minister to focus on fixing our armed forces instead of good publicity.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, the minister can sit here and spin his numbers all he wants, but he fails to mention that he actually knew that basic training success rates have fallen down to 77%. It is so bad that one platoon graduated only 48% of its recruits. A military that cannot graduate its recruits, cannot integrate its members and cannot maintain basic standards is not a military that is ready to defend our country. When will the Liberal defence minister stop prioritizing his press releases over the operational effectiveness of the Canadian Armed Forces?

Pierre Paul-Hus, Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles

Conservative
“A leaked report shows that military training groups made up mostly of non-citizens are having serious cultural conflicts, racism, and discipline problems, including disrespect toward female officers. I want the minister to admit that recruiting quotas have hurt the military.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, ethnic conflicts from various countries have now found their way into the Canadian Armed Forces. A leaked internal report from the Canadian Armed Forces Leadership and Recruit School confirms that platoons comprising up to 83% of people who are not even Canadian citizens have experienced serious conflicts, allegations of racism and cultural friction. Instructors even report difficulties in enforcing authority, particularly that of female officers, which directly undermines discipline and the chain of command. It is a total mess. Does the minister understand that these policies aimed at meeting quotas have undermined the cohesion of the Canadian Armed Forces?

Pierre Paul-Hus, Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles

Conservative
“The military turned away most Canadians who wanted to join and recruited non-citizens instead, including people who do not speak English or French. I want an answer on how this keeps Canada safe.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, unfortunately, that answer is absolutely meaningless. It is important to understand that, between 2022 and 2025, 192,000 Canadians wanted to enroll but only 15,000 were accepted. Meanwhile, the government recruited permanent residents, non-Canadians and people who do not speak English or French and enrolled them in officer courses. How can we keep our country safe when we rely on people who do not understand our culture, do not understand our language and do not want to listen to orders from women? Can we get an answer on that?

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