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DEFENCE MINISTER REJECTS REPORTS THAT MILITARY IS CRITICALLY UNDERFUNDED
Canada's new defence minister says the country's military has not been
slashed to critical levels, as two studies released this week suggest.
FULL STORY:
http://cbc.ca/stories/2002/06/12/defence_report020612
Defence minister rejects reports that military is underfunded
Last Updated Wed, 12 Jun 2002 15:16:52
OTTAWA - Canada's new defence minister says the country's military has not been slashed to critical levels, as two studies released this week suggest.
INDEPTH: Target Terrorism: Canada's Military
A report published by the CD Howe Institute calls Canada a "freeloader" that sponges off its allies and ducks its responsibilities.
Its author, Jack Granatstein, is the chair of the Council for Canadian Security. The long-time critic of the government's military spending says the problem is not new.
"It's a very serious problem on all accounts and it comes about primarily because we haven't funded the forces at an appropriate level for some long time."
Granatstein says military underfunding has left Canada all but undefended.
But Canada's new defence minister rejects that assertion.
"I don't agree with that at all," said John McCallum. "I just came back from NATO and we received high praise from the U.S. defence secretary for our work in Afghanistan, from my U.K. counterpart for our work in Bosnia."
Another study on the Canadian military says Canada should increase co-operation with the U.S. and spend more on its armed forces. But Dan Middlemiss, author of the Institute for Research on Public Policy report, says he doubts the government will listen.
"I don't think that this government takes national security seriously or will increase defence spending in any significant way," said Middlemiss, a Dalhousie University professor.
Opposition politicians agree.
Progressive Conservative MP Elsie Wayne says the minister isn't listening, despite repeated reports.
"I see McCallum is not pushing for it at all," said Wayne. "I knew that would happen. I knew it the minute they put him there."
The Canadian Alliance's defence critic echoes Wayne. Leon Benoit says McCallum is repeating the same answers as former defence minister Art Eggleton, and that leaves him with "very little hope."
But Granatstein says he's not sure that's the case. He says the public wants increased military spending, and that the Liberals care about public opinion.
DEFENCE MINISTER REJECTS REPORTS THAT MILITARY IS CRITICALLY UNDERFUNDED
Canada's new defence minister says the country's military has not been
slashed to critical levels, as two studies released this week suggest.
FULL STORY:
http://cbc.ca/stories/2002/06/12/defence_report020612
Defence minister rejects reports that military is underfunded
Last Updated Wed, 12 Jun 2002 15:16:52
OTTAWA - Canada's new defence minister says the country's military has not been slashed to critical levels, as two studies released this week suggest.
INDEPTH: Target Terrorism: Canada's Military
A report published by the CD Howe Institute calls Canada a "freeloader" that sponges off its allies and ducks its responsibilities.
Its author, Jack Granatstein, is the chair of the Council for Canadian Security. The long-time critic of the government's military spending says the problem is not new.
"It's a very serious problem on all accounts and it comes about primarily because we haven't funded the forces at an appropriate level for some long time."
Granatstein says military underfunding has left Canada all but undefended.
But Canada's new defence minister rejects that assertion.
"I don't agree with that at all," said John McCallum. "I just came back from NATO and we received high praise from the U.S. defence secretary for our work in Afghanistan, from my U.K. counterpart for our work in Bosnia."
Another study on the Canadian military says Canada should increase co-operation with the U.S. and spend more on its armed forces. But Dan Middlemiss, author of the Institute for Research on Public Policy report, says he doubts the government will listen.
"I don't think that this government takes national security seriously or will increase defence spending in any significant way," said Middlemiss, a Dalhousie University professor.
Opposition politicians agree.
Progressive Conservative MP Elsie Wayne says the minister isn't listening, despite repeated reports.
"I see McCallum is not pushing for it at all," said Wayne. "I knew that would happen. I knew it the minute they put him there."
The Canadian Alliance's defence critic echoes Wayne. Leon Benoit says McCallum is repeating the same answers as former defence minister Art Eggleton, and that leaves him with "very little hope."
But Granatstein says he's not sure that's the case. He says the public wants increased military spending, and that the Liberals care about public opinion.