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About the Department of National Defence

The Department of National Defence (DND) works collaboratively with the Canadian Forces (CF) to ensure the security of Canadians.

The Minister of National Defence, the Honourable Peter MacKay, is responsible for managing and directing all matters relating to national defence and security.

The Department of National Defence (DND) is the largest federal government department. DND and the CF together have a budget of approximately 18 billion dollars, and over 110,000 employees, including:

• 65,000 Regular Force members;
• 25,000 Reserve Force members (including 4,000 Canadian Rangers); and
• 28,000 civilians.

What is the relationship between DND and the Canadian Forces?

In the National Defence Act, Section 3 creates DND as a "department of the Government of Canada over which the Minister of National Defence appointed by commission under the Great Seal shall preside." Section 4 of the Act sets out the duties of the Minister as follows: "to manage and direct the Canadian Forces and all matters relating to national defence," having specific responsibility for:

• "the construction and maintenance of all defence establishments and works for the defence of Canada; and
• "research relating to the defence of Canada and to the development of and improvements in materiel."

Deputy Minister of National Defence

The Deputy Minister of National Defence is the Minister's most senior civilian advisor on all departmental affairs of concern to the central agencies of the federal government (such as the Privy Council Office, Treasury Board and the Public Service Commission). This responsibility includes:

• carrying out the Minister's duties when the Minister is absent;
• ensuring that all policy direction received from central agencies is followed throughout DND and the CF;
• administering DND's finances; and
• directing DND's civilian employees.

Deputy Minister Robert Fonberg’s Bio - http://www.forces.gc.ca/site/bio/bio_dm-eng.asp