Proceedings of the Standing Senate Committee on
National Security and Defence

Issue No. 7 - Minutes of Proceedings - September 20, 2016

OTTAWA, Tuesday, September 20, 2016
(19)

The Standing Senate Committee on National Security and Defence met this day at 10 a.m., in room 2, Victoria Building, the chair, the Honourable Daniel Lang, presiding.

Members of the committee present: The Honourable Senators Beyak, Carignan, P.C., Dagenais, Jaffer, Kenny, Lang, Meredith and White (8).

Other senator present: The Honourable Senator Day (1).

In attendance: Katherine Simonds and Holly Porteous, Analysts, Parliamentary Information and Research Services, Library of Parliament.

Also present: The official reporters of the Senate.

Pursuant to the order of reference adopted by the Senate on Thursday, April 21, 2016, the committee continued its study on issues related to the Defence Policy Review presently being undertaken by the government. (For complete text of the order of reference, see proceedings of the committee, Issue No. 4.)

WITNESSES:

Office of the Auditor General of Canada:

Michael Ferguson, Auditor General of Canada;

Gordon Stock, Principal.

Office of the Ombudsman for the Department of National Defence and the Canadian Forces:

Gary Walbourne, Ombudsman.

The African Centre for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes (ACCORD):

Kwezi Mngqibisa, Coordinator and Consultant, Somalia Initiative (by video conference).

As an individual:

Major-General (Ret'd) Lewis Mackenzie.

Royal Canadian Legion:

Major-General (Ret'd) Richard Blanchette, Chairman, Defence and Security Committee;

Charls Gendron, Secretary, Defence and Security Committee.

Canadian Association of Veterans in United Nations Peacekeeping:

Major (Ret'd) Wayne Mac Culloch, National President.

Canadian Peacekeeping Veterans Association:

Lieutenant-General (Ret'd) Louis Cuppens, Special Advisor.

Royal Norwegian Embassy in Ottawa:

Her Excellency Anne Kari Hansen Ovind, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Norway.

As an individual:

Carolyn McAskie, Former Special Representative of the Secretary General (SRSG) and Head of the United Nations Peacekeeping Mission in Burundi (ONUB).

The chair made a statement.

Mr. Walbourne, Mr. Ferguson each made a statement and, together with and Mr. Stock, answered questions.

At 11:05 a.m., the committee suspended.

At 11:11 a.m., the committee resumed.

Mr. Mngqibisa made a statement and answered questions.

At 11:56 a.m., the committee suspended.

At 1:04 p.m., the committee resumed.

Major-General (Ret'd) Mackenzie made a statement and answered questions.

At 2:02 p.m., the committee suspended.

At 2:08 p.m., the committee resumed.

Major-General (Ret'd) Blanchette, Lieutenant-General (Ret'd) Cuppens, and Major (Ret'd) Mac Culloch each made a statement and, together with Mr. Gendron, answered questions.

At 3:06 p.m., the committee suspended.

At 3:32 p.m., the committee resumed.

Ambassador Ovind made a statement and answered questions.

At 4:22 p.m., the committee suspended.

At 4:25 p.m., the committee resumed.

Ms. McAskie made a statement and answered questions.

At 5:17 p.m., the committee adjourned to the call of the chair.

ATTEST:

Adam Thompson

Clerk of the Committee