June 15, 2020 - Appearance by the Minister of National Defence

Advice to the Minister - Canadian Armed Forces Assistance to Long Term Care Facilities

Question: Why can’t the military continue to provide much needed support to Quebec long term care facilities past mid-September as requested by the province of Quebec?

• The brave women and men and uniform have done extraordinary work providing assistance in long term care homes. 
• The accelerated pace at which long-term care facilities are stabilizing highlights the positive impact our women and men in uniform are having.
• Our military personnel will be able to help turn the status in the facilities they are in to “green” by June 26^th.
• If some of the facilities are not yet “green” by that date, the Canadian Armed Forces will stay until they are.
• Beyond June 26^th, the Canadian Armed Forces will also hold a limited number of augmented civilian care teams in reserve. 
• The Canadian Armed Forces will be prepared to assign these teams to Quebec long-term care facilities should acute needs arise.

If Pressed on Hazard Pay for CAF Members Deployed to LTCFs

• The Canadian Armed Forces always stand ready to assist communities across Canada.
• Military members are currently assisting vulnerable populations in Long Term Care Facilities affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in Quebec and Ontario.
• We recognize that COVID-19 poses unique hazards for Canadian Armed Forces personnel operating in these facilities.
• The Canadian Armed Forces ensures its personnel are properly trained and equipped.
• This is why we defined Operation LASER, including the assistance military personnel are providing in these facilities, as a Special Duty Operation.
• The Chief of the Defence Staff has also tasked his staff to pursue hazard allowance for members directly engaged inside these facilities.
• That work is ongoing now.
• We will continue to support Canadian Armed Forces members as they provide assistance to communities across Canada.

If Pressed on COVID-19 Testing Among CAF in LTCF

• Every day, military personnel risk their own health and safety to protect vulnerable Canadians.
• In both Ontario and Quebec, any military member who displays symptoms of COVID-19 is immediately removed from the facility and tested.
• We are now developing more stringent testing protocols for personnel, including those without symptoms.
• All military personnel will be tested before they start work in a long term care facility.
• Whenever a facility orders additional testing, military personnel within that facility will also be tested.
• Finally when the mission is over, all personnel will self-isolate for 14 days, and will be tested again before returning to their home units.
• These measures will be adopted to ensure the health of the force, of residents and staff, and of our overall mission in long-term care facilities. 

Quick Facts

Location of CAF Assistance in LTCF

• Quebec: CAF personnel assisting in 23 facilities in and around Montreal. (As of June 13, 2020) 
  • 12 facilities on the island of Montreal
  • 5 facilities in Laval
  • 3 facilities in Lachine
  • 1 Facility in Sainte-Geneviève
  • 1 Facility in Sainte-Hyacinthe
  • 1 Facility in Salaberry-de-Valleyfield

• Ontario: CAF personnel assisting in 5 facilities in and around Toronto. (As of June 13, 2020)
  • 1 facility in Scarborough
  • 1 facility in Etobicoke
  • 2 facility in North York
  • 1 facility in Woodbridge

COVID-19 cases within the CAF population providing support in LTCF

• Total: 50 cases as of June 13, 2020

Responsible Principals: Strategic Joint Staff, Canadian Joint Operations Command, Assistant Deputy Minister (Policy) - June 15, 2020.

Back to top

Advice to the Minister - National Defence Audit on Implementation of Strong, Secure, Engaged

Question: What is the department doing to address its own internal audit that says the implementation process of Strong, Secure, Engaged does not have the proper resources allocated to it and is mismanaged?

• Since 2017, National Defence has made significant progress in advancing initiatives in Strong, Secure, Engaged.
• Two thirds of the policy’s projects are in the implementation phase, near completion, or completed.
• There is still more to do, and we welcome reviews of this nature.
• These reviews help determine where adjustments and improvements can be made to ensure the continued efficient progress and oversight of the policy.
• All of the review’s recommendations are being addressed, with some already completed, and the others well underway.

Quick Facts

• Some recommendations from the November 2019 audit validated work that was already in progress, including:
  • New Terms of Reference for the SSE Coordination Committee;
  • New program tracking mechanisms which allow for a smoother, more direct transition between project management and approval phases; and,
  • Updated direction on policy and governance for project approval.

Responsible Principals: Assistant Deputy Minister (Materiel), Assistant Deputy Minister (Finance) Assistant Deputy Minister (Review Services), Vice Chief of Defense Staff. - June 15, 2020.

Back to top

Advice to the Minister - Joint Support Ships

Question: Why does the cost of the Joint Support Ships continue to increase, and yield no tangible results?

• Supply ships are critical to sustaining naval operations and exercises as they provide fuel and supplies to military vessels.
• This why we are very pleased to have a contract to deliver two new Joint Supply Ships to the Royal Canadian Navy for 2023 and 2025.
• These two new Joint Support Ships will allow the Royal Canadian Navy to conduct and sustain major international operations.
• The ships will also be capable of supporting land-based activities, including combat operations, humanitarian efforts, and disaster relief.

• A shipbuilding industry, with a well-developed supply chain, has been established in Canada.
• The previous budget was not risk adjusted and did not fully appreciate the challenges associated with developing this national capability.
• The refined total project budget is based on:
  • the purchase of the two ships;
  • design and production engineering work;
  • project management; and,
  • contingency costs.
• We are confident this updated project budget accurately reflects the current value for the construction of these ships.

Quick Facts

• COVID-19: The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is not currently impacting the existing project timelines.
• Timelines:
  • First Joint Supply Ship is expected to be delivered: 2023
  • Second supply ship is expected to be delivered: 2025
• Cost:
  
  • Total approved budget: $4.1B, excluding taxes. $3.1B will be used to purchase the ships, and $1B for supporting costs.
  • An estimated $5.2B will be spent on personnel, operations, and maintenance over the ship’s 30 year lifespan.
• Supps (A) Request: $585.76M. These funds will be used to:
  • Continue building the first ship;
  • Procure complex items, like engines, to make sure they’re ready for the appropriate stage in the construction schedule; and
  • Finalize the ship design to meet the Royal Canadian Navy’s design specifications and environmental codes.
• Main Estimates 2020-21 Request: $265.5M. These funds will be used to:
  
  • Deliver the two new supply ships between 2023 and 2025.

Responsible Principals: Assistant Deputy Minister (Materiel), Royal Canadian Navy. - June 15, 2020.

Back to top

Advice to the Minister - Operation UNIFIER

Question: Why is the Canadian Armed Forces not fully resuming its important operation to support Ukraine?    

• Canada’s support to Ukraine remains unwavering.
• Through Operation UNIFIER, the Canadian Armed Forces provides Ukrainian Security Forces with specialized military training to help Ukraine increase stability and security.
• As announced on March 26, 2020, we reduced the number of personnel deployed to Operation UNIFIER and temporarily paused our training activities.
• While 200 personnel were originally scheduled to deploy to Ukraine in April, this was reduced to 60 to maintain the health and safety of our women and men in uniform.
• On June 14, additional members have been deployed to the mission, bringing the number of Canadian Armed Forces members in Ukraine to 149.
• These members are maintaining mission-critical activities, alongside our allied and partner nations, as well as coordinating and planning activities for future training exercises.

Quick Facts

• Health and Safety:
  • Personnel will observe a 14-day isolation period on arrival in Ukraine.
• Deployments to Operation UNIFER:
  • 200+ personnel previously deployed prior to last rotation; and
  • as of June 14, 149 personnel deployed.
• Achievement:
  • Since 2015, the CAF has trained 18,096 Ukrainian Security Forces.

Responsible Principals: Strategic Joint Staff, Canadian Joint Operations Command, Assistant Deputy Minister (Policy) - June 15, 2020.

Back to top