Grab your ankles-Liberal Review of Military Priorities

[bossi]

Classic political reaction to negative public opinion, or distractions to the Liberal caucus agenda - if government policy is found wanting (i.e. defence underfunded), then simply sweep it under the rug with a new policy ... (while at the same time deflecting attention away from the ongoing committee proceedings into whether or not the Minister of Defence deliberately misled the House of Commons).

Note also the heavy-handed tactic of "situating the estimate" by inferring Canadians are not willing to pay for an adequate defence (vice educating Canadians as to the potential cost of not having an adequate defence):

Eggleton wants review of military priorities

Last Updated Thu Feb 21 15:40:53 2002

OTTAWA - Canada needs a new white paper on the country's military priorities and how much Canadians are willing to pay, Defence Minister Art Eggleton said Thursday.

Canada last reviewed its defence policies in 1994. Since then, the Canadian Armed Forces have beeninvolved in the conflict in Afghanistan and many peacekeeping missions around the world.

Eggleton told the Conference of Defence Associations that he thinks the fundamentals of the eight-year-old white paper are still sound, but the details may need work.

He said more money is needed because of constant demands on military people and their equipment. Canada's defence budget will increase by $5 billion in the next five years, but the spending will never see defence increases that match the Americans' spending.

"In fact, I think they spend more money in one week than I spend in an entire year," said Eggleton. "But for us to match that dollar per dollar would break the bank."

The review would look at readiness levels and core structures, Eggleton said.

He said no matter what the review concludes, Canada will continue to work more closely with the U.S. He reminded his audience negotiations are underway on a North American homeland security plan. "For us, defence partnership and co-ordination does not mean subordination," said Eggleton.

Both Eggleton and retired Gen. Lewis MacKenzie said they hoped the review would allow MPs, senators and ordinary Canadians to get involved. The debate would be similar to the Romanow Commission, which is canvassing Canadians for their opinions on health care.

Historian Jack Granatstein of the Canadian War Museum said something must be done because right now, Canada isn't a player. "I think the Americans look at us as freeloaders, as people who don't carry our share of the burden and still aren't carrying our share of the burden," he said.

"And I think this disturbs them mightily, and so it should."

Eggleton said details are still being worked out but he would like the review to be completed by the end of the year, preferably as early as the fall.
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[Alter Ego]

Our (Canadians in general and CF in particular) ability to delude ourselves continually amazes me. Of course this is a distraction from the current hooplah. No, this ‘new‘ white paper will probably not measurably improve the CF...Why do we continually try to ‘look on the bright side‘? It‘s not as though we don‘t have ample historical evidence of the endemic neglect of the CF.
Grab your ankles, indeed.

 

[King]

This whole deal with Eggleton misleading the House is a rouge set up to defer attention away from the fact that the Liberals gave too much money to the provinces and now want it back. That means less money for health care and all that **** (or at least that‘s how the provinces will pass it off) and Chretien wants to keep the blame for every social ill in Ontario on Mike Harris. That story was totally ignored by the media, it could have been bad news for the feds.

Watch Eggleton‘s contradicting statments, the guy looks like he is trying to lie, and Art didn‘t recieve so much as a slap on the wrist from the man who is in total control of his gov‘t. Nothing will happen to him either, the Liberals control the committe investigating this thing.

As for this review, you might look at it and think that it‘s bad press (admitting the defence policy they have used for 8 years is out of date, the CF is underfunded...), but if you read Art‘s statements closely he‘s basically saying that this review and sudden need for cash was caused by Sept. 11 and that no review was really needed until Sept. 11. In other words it was caused by something totally out of the Liberals control and something that no one (Liberals included) could have predicted. So here we have our wise government responding to the changing world.

 

[bossi]

(at least somebody in the Senate likes the Army ... but I‘m not holding my breath that the CF will end up with adequate funding ... after all, they have to pay for those limousines somehow, don‘t they?)

Friday, March 1st, 2002
Committee: Spen more on military

OTTAWA (CP) -- A Senate committee wants more money for the military and a public inquiry into security at Canada‘s ports.

The Senate standing committee on national security and defence says the Armed Forces are underfunded and understaffed and it recommends an immediate increase of $4 billion in military spending.

Senator Colin Kenney, the committee chairman, says Canada doesn‘t currently have the capacity to deal with terrorist or military threats.

That puts Canadians at risk, he said Friday.

"What this report recommends is a down payment on a national insurance policy against terrorism and the possibility of direct attacks against Canada," Kenney said.

"We believe the security of Canadians, their institutions and their values are at risk because we do not have the military capacity to defend against and deter against military and terrorist threats."

The committee says the Canadian Forces currently have about 55,000 personnel, well below what is needed to do the jobs asked of them during the last eight years.

Kenney adds that organized crime groups are "generally active" in Canada‘s port system.

An "extraordinarily high percentage of port employees have criminal records," he said.