QUESTION PERIOD — Ministry of Veterans Affairs
Recruitment Levels
October 23, 2025
Minister, my question is to you in your capacity as Associate Minister of National Defence.
The Auditor General released a troubling report on military recruitment this week. Despite thousands of applications, only one in 13 applicants was recruited. Between 2022 and 2025, 15,000 military personnel were recruited, 25% less than the target of 19,700 new recruits. The report notes that these gaps:
. . . could affect the Canadian Army’s, the Royal Canadian Navy’s, and the Royal Canadian Air Force’s abilities to respond to threats, emergencies, or conflicts and to accomplish their missions.
The Departmental Plan for 2025-26 set a target of 101,500 military personnel.
What concrete measures have been taken and implemented since this plan was announced to address the crisis? When will Canadians see tangible results?
Thank you very much for the question. I will do my best to answer, and I acknowledge there may be more information that I will need to follow up with you on and share specifics.
This government has made a tremendous investment in our service members with the increase in pay that was announced earlier this year. This is something that we had heard was an opportunity to acknowledge those who are currently serving and that this would be a deciding factor for why individuals may or may not join the Canadian Armed Forces. This is step one as we are building out the strength of our forces to protect Canada.
We’ve also heard that the investments in equipment, training and opportunities are some of the things that contribute to that, and we are making those investments with the steps that we’re taking right now.
Thank you.
In an increasingly unstable geopolitical context, it is essential that recruitment efforts meet our specific strategic needs. The same report by the Auditor General states that:
. . . the Canadian Armed Forces was experiencing a challenge of attracting and training enough highly skilled recruits to reach full staffing levels for many occupations, such as pilots and ammunition technicians.
What is the department doing to ensure that the measures implemented meet not only the Canadian Armed Forces’ operational requirements but also the expectations of our allies with whom we share common security commitments?
Again, I think we are in the midst of a clear plan that is helping us reach the 2% NATO target this year. We know that is a necessary step, and this is part of how we demonstrate our commitment with our partners regarding how we are investing and engaging in building our Canadian Armed Forces.
We’ve invested with the well-deserved pay raise, the steps we are taking to support Ukraine with what they need, and we’re investing in our core military capabilities. These are all parts of the process that we are undertaking to advance this.
