National Defence

The committee was studying the recruitment and retention of francophone and indigenous personnel in the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF). Appearing were Lieutenant-General Erick Simoneau, Chief of Military Personnel; Major-General Martin Gros-Jean, Defence Team Co-Champion for Official Languages; and Anne Rahming, Director General Culture, Chief Professional Conduct and Culture.

Lieutenant-General Simoneau stated that francophones make up 24% of the CAF, above the national rate of 21%, and are well-represented at senior ranks. He said there is no retention crisis, as the CAF is growing and attrition is around 8%, but acknowledged challenges in recruiting indigenous members, who make up 2.8% of new enrolments against a 3.5% target. He noted that language training for francophones occurs early in their careers out of necessity, while anglophones often learn French later, and he recommended expanding recruiting centres closer to indigenous communities and using mobile recruitment vehicles.

Major-General Gros-Jean emphasized that bilingualism is shifting from a compliance focus to an operational effectiveness focus, and that francophone skills are operationally valuable, citing his own deployment in the Congo. He did not identify specific retention issues for francophone or indigenous members and noted that the CAF is working to improve language training early in careers.

Anne Rahming outlined the 10-year implementation plan for the modernized Official Languages Act, which includes phased language profile requirements for supervisors in bilingual regions. She reported that complaints under the act are used as learning opportunities, with 73 part V complaints from 2023 to 2025. She disagreed with any suggestion that the CAF is not taking language gaps seriously, noting that the plan addresses positions held by unilingual personnel in bilingual or French-essential roles.

The committee also heard debate on language screening before recruitment, with Lieutenant-General Simoneau confirming that no formal language test is currently administered, though the CAF is observing the need for one. On security screening, he said a new information-sharing agreement with IRCC will help vet applicants, and that the CAF’s own process is thorough. No motions or procedural debates were recorded.