Personnel

• National Defence is prioritizing efforts to enact meaningful culture change, to grow the Canadian Armed Forces, and to ensure that our forces reflect Canada’s diversity. 
• I am pleased to report that we will launch a new retention strategy in 2022 to retain members, including from underrepresented groups. 
• This will be complemented by efforts to maximize the staffing of recruiting centres and training schools, while redesigning basic training with a focus on professional values, resilience, and military skills to build more inclusive teams. 
• Additionally, National Defence is reviewing its training at every level to ensure we remain ready to excel at operations at home and abroad. 
• Through these efforts, we will create a more diverse, modern, and agile Canadian Armed Forces that will attract talented Canadians for years to come. 

If pressed on recruitment and retention of women:

• Military service places unique demands on families and women, which is why we recently announced new options for compassionate family-related leave, as well as measures to enhance women’s health and health care.
• We are also conducting focused engagement activities with communities across Canada to increase enrolment of women in the Defence Team. 
• Additionally, we are prioritizing women applicants for all CAF enrolment programs, including at military colleges. 
• We have also made our ranks more inclusive: French versions of all ranks now have official Gender Inclusive equivalents, so that members can be addressed in a way that they feel best represents their gender identity. 

If pressed on privatization: 

• Strategically partnering with the private sector enables our National Defence personnel to focus on their core functions.
• National Defence takes all possible measures to ensure the health and safety of all employees and contractors. 
• National Defence will continue to consult public sector unions on partnerships with the private sector. 

If pressed on relevancy of vaccination requirements:

• The COVID vaccine has served to limit viral transmission, and has also been highly effective in preventing hospitalizations and deaths among those who have received their full primary series (defined as a first and second dose of COVID-19 vaccine).
• As a result of the high CAF vaccine uptake, very few members have been hospitalized and operational capability has been maintained throughout the pandemic.

• One of my top priorities as Chief of the Defence Staff is to foster a healthy, inclusive, and respectful workplace where everyone is treated with dignity and respect. 
• To help National Defence advance this work, Budget 2022 recently announced $73.4M in funding over the next six years, and $14.8M ongoing, for personnel, culture change, and inclusivity initiatives. 
• This funding will help National Defence advance key initiatives that are critical to enact meaningful culture change, support our personnel, and promote trust and inclusivity in our institution. 
• These initiatives include strengthening leadership in the Canadian Armed Forces, entrenching ongoing engagement and consultation on culture change, and enhancing restorative approaches to harm and misconduct, such as coaching services. 
• In addition, the Sexual Misconduct Response Centre is continuing to expand its services, and will further develop programs and improve processes to meet the needs of those affected by sexual misconduct. 

If pressed on additional initiatives

• We will also be publishing a revised military ethos called Trusted to Serve, which will focus on emphasizing character as a vital consideration when choosing future leaders.
• In addition, we are updating our dress instructions to be gender-inclusive to allow our members to represent their authentic selves while in uniform, while adhering to the core mandate of safety and operational readiness.
• We are also incorporating and measuring inclusive behaviours through the respective performance management processes for military members and public service employees.
• We attracted more than 9,000 personnel located across Canada through our Defence Team Conduct and Culture Consultation and we are reflecting their lived experiences and suggestions in our priorities and approach.

• We recognize that women in the Canadian Armed Forces have unique health needs and that tailored resources and services must be available to support their health and well-being. 
• That is why Budget 2022 recently announced $144.3 million over five years, and $31.6 million ongoing, to expand the Canadian Armed Forces’ health services and physical fitness programs to be more responsive to women and gender-diverse members. 
• We are also taking concrete steps to make our health resources and services more inclusive for women right now. 

Examples of Health Resources and Services 

• Women members often face challenges related to accessible and private spaces to pump breast milk. 
• For this reason, we are making private lactation spaces available for members who wish to pump or nurse while on duty. 
• Additionally, to ensure that pregnant members have uniforms in which they can comfortably and safely perform their duties, we have implemented a new reimbursement program for maternity and nursing uniform shirts. 
• New types of compassionate leave also enable members to take leave for situations of pregnancy or adoption loss, as well as family violence. 
• We are committed to continue working with our women members to identify the gaps and needs in our current health care system, and take action to address them. 

If Pressed on Total Health and Wellness Strategy: 

• In keeping with these important initiatives, the Total Health and Wellness Strategy, released on March 4, 2022, includes a Women’s Health Framework for the first time. 
• This Framework enhances access to care and services, and helps educate all Canadian Armed Forces members on women’s health care in the military context. 
• This includes ensuring operational planning takes into consideration the health needs of women while on deployment.

• National Defence offers a wide range of programs and services to meet the needs of our members, including in-house mental health clinics and referral options to over 4,000 mental health care providers. 
• This includes dedicated specialist mental health professionals at 31 of 37 Canadian Armed Forces Health Services Centres, a 24/7 phone referral service for access to counselling, and peer support for those coping with operational stress. 
• The Canadian Armed Forces Chaplain Service also provides personal support and can refer members to social workers, psychologists, or other medical services. 
• The Road to Mental Readiness Program has also expanded programming for specific high risk occupations such as search and rescue technicians and health services personnel. 
• In addition, civilian members of National Defence have 24/7 access to the Employee Assistance Program, including crisis and suicide intervention. 
• We are committed to ensuring our military personnel and civilian employees have access to the robust, high quality mental health care and services they need and deserve. 

If pressed on suicide prevention: 

• We recognize the lasting and tragic effect that the loss of a military member to suicide has on their families, friends, colleagues, and the entire Defence Team. 
• The Canadian Armed Forces Suicide Prevention Action Plan is centred on training and support programs and services. 
• These programs and services are aimed at promoting resilience through spirituality, physical fitness, financial support, counselling, awareness, and specific services for deployed personnel.

• We recognize the personal toll the pandemic has taken on all Canadians, including Canadian Armed Forces members. 
• Challenges of affordable housing, the rising cost of living, labour shortages, supply chain turbulence, and the intense operational tempo of recent years have compounded these challenges for our members. 
• That is why we have taken action to increase support for our members and reduce stress on them and their families. 
• For example, we delivered an interim policy to enable remote work options, and expanded the active posting season across five months to create flexibility for families. 
• Consistent with the Canadian Armed Forces Relocation Directive, we also reimbursed all actual and reasonable relocation expenses arising from COVID-19. 
• Additionally, the Canadian Forces Morale and Welfare Services provides resources to help our members and their families navigate postings, such as finding child care, health care and children’s education. 

If Pressed on Compensation:

• We also continually monitor and review the Canadian Armed Forces benefits and pay rates to help ensure all members are well compensated for their service to Canada. 
• In February 2021, the Government increased military members’ rates of pay to ensure alignment with increases received by the Federal Public Service. 
• This pay increase applies to general service officers at the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel and below and will help ensure the attraction and retention of the highest standard of personnel. 

If Pressed on Updating the Post Living Differential:

• We are committed to ensuring that CAF members and their families are not adversely impacted when posted to a location where costs of living may be higher than at their previous location. 
• National Defence continues to work with Treasury Board to review the design of the Post Living Differential benefit to address the needs of CAF members. 

• Bilingualism is a cornerstone of our national identity and heritage, and it is an asset that makes the Defence Team stronger and the Canadian Armed Forces more operationally effective. 
• Promoting the use of both official languages and facilitating access to second language training helps foster a more diverse and inclusive military culture, reflecting Canada’s own diversity. 
• That is why National Defence continues to foster the use of both official languages in our daily operations, including by providing French and English training to Canadian Armed Forces members through programs and services across Canada. 
• Every year, our bilingual facilities, military colleges, and national training establishments, offer training in both official languages on academics, military leadership and physical fitness. 
• We also provide services in both languages to members and their families to facilitate access and to support their well-being as they progress throughout their career across Canada and abroad. 
• Ensuring that our leaders have the ability to communicate with their team members in French and English promotes an environment where members can communicate, participate, and contribute to their full potential in the language of their choice.

• There is no place on the Defence Team for hateful conduct, racism, or discrimination. 
• That is why we are taking concrete action across the Defence Enterprise to root out harmful behaviour that is incompatible with our ethics and values, and undermines the organization’s operational effectiveness. 
• This includes soon publishing the new ethos Trusted to Serve, which will better outline the professional expectations for our members. 
• In addition, the Commanders of the Canadian Army, Navy, and Air Force have issued specific hateful conduct orders that provide direction on how to prevent, detect, and respond to hateful conduct within the ranks. 
• We have also developed a tracking system to ensure the Defence Team has the capability to identify and track any suspected incidents. 
• We remain committed to creating a workplace that is free of hateful conduct, racism, and discrimination so that all members of the Defence Team feel safe, protected, and respected. 

If Pressed on Anti-Racism Secretariat and Advisory Panel:

• We created the Anti-Racism Secretariat to support National Defence Leadership in their efforts to address systemic racism and discrimination. 
• This Secretariat also supports the Minister’s Advisory Panel on Systemic Racism and Discrimination through identifying and proposing solutions to systemic barriers, and promoting culture change. 
• I am pleased to advise that the final report of the Minister’s Advisory Panel was published online Monday, April 25. 
• Close to half of the Advisory Panel’s recommendations are currently being implemented, while others will take more time due to their scope, their complexity and the requirement to collaborate with external partners.

• The Canadian Armed Forces’ unique role requires members to be deployable and to perform a wide range of tasks. 
• This minimum operational standard allows our Forces to quickly provide support to emergency responses across Canada and to conduct operations abroad. 
• At the same time, we recognize the need to create an inclusive workplace and reduce barriers to service, while maintaining the Universality of Service principle enshrined in the Canadian Human Rights Act (CHRA). 
• That is why National Defence is currently using an evidence-based approach to review and modernize this policy so that it better meets the evolving roles and operations of the Canadian Armed Forces. 
• This review will be informed by GBA+, and include an update of the minimum operational standards so that they are clearly defined and measurable. 
• The current phase of review involves the development of the specific methods by which members’ compliance with the standard will be assessed. 
• National Defence will continue to provide support and health care to members throughout their careers to optimize their operational effectiveness and to help them return to service when they temporarily fall below the minimum operational standards, as a result of illness or injury.