Thank you, Mr. Chair.

My intent is to offer some criticism of the status quo, so that we can learn and then perhaps, in question period, get into some solutions.

Essentially, in my opinion, “Strong, Secure, Engaged”, which was the precursor to the current defence policy, delivered nothing substantive in terms of modern military equipment. It saw Canada, in fact, become weaker, more insecure and essentially absent from the deployable stables of troops required for either United Nations missions or, of course, NATO.

The 2024 defence policy update of “Our North, Strong and Free” is no better, unfortunately, in that it promises some urgently needed equipment years from now, but nothing today. Indeed, the 2024 defence spend will be less than that of 2023.

Of course, we're well aware of what just happened down in the United States. Both Republicans and Democrats are united and increasingly vocal about telling Canada how disappointed, frustrated and fed up they are with Canada's failure to defend itself and its allies, with a special mention of the Arctic.

Meanwhile, as we know—and I was involved in the last NAFTA renegotiations—that's coming due at a time when a variety of key players down south have articulated clearly that a base of 3% perhaps looms on the horizon and that defence, security, trade and border security are all intertwined.

At this time of crisis internationally, with what's happening in the Middle East and in Ukraine, Canada's military readiness is at its lowest level in 50 years. Canada spent, last year, in 2023, more money on consultants and professional services than it did on the army, navy and air force combined, which, quite frankly, is madness.

The army has over 50% of its vehicle fleets awaiting spare parts and technicians. The navy is struggling mightily to keep a handful of elderly warships at sea, specifically in the Indo-Pacific, and they're desperately short of trained sailors. The air force has been unable to participate in significant NATO deterrent exercises, either up north or out over the oceans, in conjunction with our friends and allies because they don't have the pilots, the spare parts or the money to fly the aircraft.

In the Arctic, which is many times larger than Europe, Canada has fewer than 300 military support staff, who are not a deterrent. They're essentially unarmed. Some of them are part-time, bless them. There are about 1,600 Canadian Rangers equipped with Ski-Doos and rifles, who are not combatants. Their role is to observe and report.

The bottom line is that Canada has no permanently assigned combat elements to deter potential presence by the Russians or the Chinese, who are showing up in our waters with increasing frequency, but other people do. Russia, specifically, has between 25,000 to 35,000 combat troops deployed in its Arctic, with huge amounts of operational equipment—air, land and sea.

The United States, bless them, has 22,000 full-time and part-time military professionals with more equipment than the entirety of the Canadian Forces in terms of combat delivery. Thank you, America, for defending our Arctic.

We are facing unprecedented dangers and challenges and, quite frankly, I see no sense of urgency to change, modify or re-guide the efforts of the government toward supporting and assisting the Canadian Forces.

Here are some facts.

We have fewer than 35 military personnel deployed on UN missions. In 2003, we had close to 2,500. We are the only NATO nation whose level of military operational readiness is going down when everyone else's is skyrocketing up.

We have the longest and the least efficient procurement system in NATO—indeed, in any nation that I can find. We are the only nation in NATO that does not have a costed plan to get to 2% of GDP, which was first agreed to by the Minister of Defence in 2008 and reiterated in 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017.... I could go on.

We are the only NATO nation whose defence minister has publicly admitted that he could not convince his fellow cabinet members of the importance of NATO defence spending and the 2% of GDP. As mentioned already, we're the only NATO nation whose defence budget decreased this year.

Mr. Chair, I look forward to your questions.