Public Accounts

The House of Commons Standing Committee on Public Accounts met to study the Auditor General’s report on recruiting for Canada’s military, tabled in October 2025. Appearing were Andrew Hayes, Deputy Auditor General; Christiane Fox, Deputy Minister of National Defence; Lieutenant-General Erick Simoneau, Chief of Military Personnel; and Lieutenant-General Stephen Kelsey, Vice Chief of the Defence Staff.

Andrew Hayes stated that the Canadian Armed Forces fell about 25% short of its goal to recruit over 19,700 new members between 2022 and 2025, with only one in 13 applicants successfully making it to basic training. He noted that the forces did not analyze why a high number of candidates withdrew or abandoned their applications, and that disconnected IT systems caused inefficiencies and delays. He also reported that the forces lacked sufficient training capacity due to shortages of equipment, instructors and facilities, and that without enough skilled recruits, the military will struggle to respond to threats and emergencies.

Christiane Fox acknowledged the report’s six recommendations, all of which National Defence has agreed to and is addressing with a detailed action plan. She highlighted that the department is creating a single IT system for recruitment, updating electronic forms to reduce duplicate data entry, and tracking applicant withdrawals to understand their reasons. She noted that changes to the screening process for permanent residents significantly increased recruitment from that population, and that applications were up nearly 13% in the past fiscal year.

Lieutenant-General Erick Simoneau explained that the main factor limiting faster growth is training capacity, not a lack of applicants, as the forces have a pool of 44,000 serious applicants. He said the median processing time for applications has dropped from 271 days to 134 days, with a goal of 30 days, and that the forces are expanding training lines and using virtual onboarding to increase throughput. He also reported that the forces exceeded employment equity targets for Indigenous people and visible minorities but fell short for women, and that a new online portal is helping to track real applicants and reduce drop-offs.

Lieutenant-General Stephen Kelsey emphasized that the shortage of trained personnel constrains the military’s ability to operate and grow, and that the same skilled members needed for instruction are also required for deployments. He noted that the forces grew by about 2,000 members last year and are on a path to reach 71,500 regular force members by 2029. He added that temporary instructors are being used to accelerate change while structural improvements, such as adding positions at training schools, are being made concurrently.

The committee debated a motion from Sébastien Lemire to report to Parliament on modernizing section 13 of the Auditor General Act to ensure unrestricted access to information, citing the Auditor General’s request for such powers. After discussion, the committee agreed to an amendment to instead write to the Treasury Board Secretariat on the matter, with a request for a response within 90 days, and the motion as amended was adopted.