After a terrible QP in the Other Place, it was hoped that things would be better in the Senate as Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan arrived to answer questions from his department. Senator Smith led off, worrying about the state of the planned purchase of Super Hornets and the possible purchase of used F-18s instead. Sajjan first stepped back to outline the problem of not being able to meet both NORAD and NATO requirements, and said that they will be filling the interim gap before they replace the whole fighter fleet. Smith wondered about the issue of newer versus older when it comes to the interim fighters, and Sajjan noted that they hoped for new, but would go for the same models that we currently use if necessary.
Senator Enverga asked about the situation in Iraq, and wondered about what our role was in the fight against ISIS if training was suspended. Sajjan said that they were assessing the situation given the changing situation on the ground in order to assess what the needs are now that Mosul has fallen.
Senator Jaffer asked about peacekeeping commitments in light of the forthcoming conference in Vancouver. Sajjan reiterated that they had committed up to 600 troops, plus police and funds, but noted that they want to ensure that there is a mission that fits our special skills, and that takes the conflict in from a regional perspective, before adding that he was “comfortable” with taking time to get it right.
Senator Wallin asked about changes to the universality of service requirements in the Forces in light of reserves being below capacity, and where there were any planned deployments with this in mind. Sajjan noted that they planned to increase reserve levels not just through recruitment but also retention, while praising the work of our Forces.
Senator McPhedran asked about the veterans mental health strategy, and the proposed “Centre of Excellence” identified in the budget, but noted that gender-based harassment not being identified as part of that strategy. Sajjan first mentioned Operation Honour in tackling sexual violence, and then noted that the defence policy was developed with gender-based analysis, and noted the resilience they were building into the system. (Note: There were a lot of facets to this, and it was hard to track them all).
Senator Tkachuk wanted to follow-up on the peacekeepers question, wondering what the delay was, and Sajjan noted that things have changed on the ground, so they were trying to assess the best impact, citing the training mission in Iraq as an example of maximizing impact on the ground.
Senator McIntyre asked about the low conviction rates of sexual assault cases in the military tribunal system. Sajjan noted the independence of the system, and the appointment of a new Judge Advocate General along with implementing new training and tools for investigators and prosecutors to improve going forward.
Senator Eggleton asked about the Ottawa Treaty on landmines, and the reduction in funding for de-mining efforts. Sajjan noted that they wanted to provide the right skill set when asked to help.
Senator Griffin asked about procurement spending for new ships be equitable among provinces. Sajjan offered some bland generalities in response (and sorry, I wasn’t able to follow them all).
Senator Boniface returned to the issue of the low conviction rate for sexual assault in the military, and Sajjan reiterated that they were putting the right resources into place, and noted his past as a police officer as part of his commitment.
Senate Ngo asked about the submarine fleet, and the lack of commitment to replacing them. Sajjan noted the funding shortfall from the previous government, and said that the advice he’s been given was about modernizing the current fleet, which he has committed to.
Senator Martin asked about getting the new Joint Support Ships on time. Sajjan said this represented a capability loss, and while the Coast Guard ships are first in line, the shipyard was looking at ways to fill their gaps.
Overall, while it was a respite from there awfulness of Commons QP, it wasn’t a terribly enlightening day. While Sajjan was able to keep his answers largely brief and consistent, he didn’t offer a lot of answers, whether it was on replacement fighters, the planned peacekeeping missions, the future of our submarine fleet, or Joint Support Ships. About the only thing we got some really decent answers on was on the issue of the conviction rates around sexual assault in military tribunals, and the additional resources being deployed around the issue, particularly with new training throughout the system.
Sartorially speaking, snaps go out to Senator Dennis Dawson for a dark grey suit with a white shirt and a navy and red bow tie, and to Senator Denise Batters for a black dress with a maroon jacket with black leather panels. Style citations go out to Senator Rose-May Poirier for a bright green and black striped jacket with half-sleeves and a black top, and to Senator David Tkachuk for a taupe suit with a light blue shirt and a grey and black striped tie.