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Canadian Federal Election 44 - Sep 2021

OK, On my way to p. 69, I stopped accidentally at page 52. You got to read that: Creating a right to repair household appliances. I kid you not. Talk about creating a document where anyone with a beef can find something.

All right, the very small section on SSE, which is where this is found contains very little, and even then some are new and never appeared in SSE (such such as leading international efforts to establish a global coalition to address forest fire (that's in the SSE section).

The strategic lift matter does not seem to refer to replacing the Polaris, which is the fourth priority in the actual RCAF section of SSE but at increasing capability of lift in general - not refuelling. Moreover, in the current SSE section, not a word is mentioned of the RCAF number one priority - the replacement of the fighter - or of the RCN's replacement of the frigates. You would think that would have been in there if they consider the Shipbuilding Strategy a success.

Here is the whole SSE section:

  1. Strong, Secure, Engaged, and Inclusive
    Canada faces a host of global threats, including rapidly evolving risks posed by cyber attacks, foreign interference, and climate change. Canadians deserve a 21st century military that is equipped to respond to emerging threats to our national security and in which all members feel safe and included. Building on Strong, Secure, Engaged, the comprehensive, long-term defence policy we released in 2017, a re-elected government will ensure that our military has the equipment and resources needed to keep Canadians safe, secure our Arctic sovereignty, and respond to the full range of hostile, cyber, and environmental threats we face.
    A re-elected Liberal government will:
    • Work with the United States to modernize NORAD, including by upgrading the North Warning System, deploying new technological solutions to improve surveillance and monitoring, improving command and control systems, and investing in the infrastructure and capabilities necessary to deter and defeat threats to North America. These investments will also support northern communitiesand further strengthen Canada’s sovereignty in theArctic, including with respect to the increasing navigation of Arctic waters
    • Expand Canada’s long and short-range strategicairlift capability in order to increase Canada’scontribution to NATO, coalition and allied military operations abroad, and improve support for domestic and international emergency response.
• Expand cooperation and assistance to partners, allies and international organizations, such as the United Nations, NATO, and regional organizations, in humanitarian assistance and disaster recovery, including health and climate emergencies, and conflict response.
• Remain a leading contributor to NATO operations, including by extending Operation Reassurance inEastern Europe and maintaining Canada’s regular participation in NATO’s aerial and maritime patrol operations. We will also extend Canada’s support toUkraine and opposition to Russian aggression, through Operation Unifier.
• Work with international partners to establish a NATO Centre of Excellence on Climate and Security in Canada, to ensure that Canada and its allies are equipped to respond to threats posed by climate change.
• Lead international efforts to establish a global coalition to respond to wildfires and other climate emergencies.
 
Page vi.

• Action to confront systemic racism against Indigenous peoples, especially in the justice system and health care.
…except the racism against indigenous head of the justice system…by the PM himself…
 
Polaris are currently in the fleet performing two roles: strat lift and air to air refuelling. Not all the CC-150s are AAR.

And when you aren't carrying tons of extra fuel in the wings, you can be used for pax or freight lift; it's not either/or.
 
I understand that, Dap. But, if they refer to something already specified in SSE, such as the replacement of the Polaris, why not state it that way? They talk about expanding strat. airlift, not upgrading one of the existing capability.
 
I can't swear one way or another what is meant... but I am making assumptions that there's no promise so good that it can't be made multiple times.

Besides, buy a half dozen A330s, with one or two that can do AAR, and retire the Polaris fleet and you've got a larger strat transport fleet, so you've delivered!

Nothing quite like making a promise that you know is going to happen anyways so you can use it as proof that you're delivering on your promises. See also: Every set of election promises ever.
 
Short answer is nobody has criticized the GoC for a lack of strategic airlifters at this time. And if they had, you don't respond by saying Ok, we'll buy more.

I would think it is because you are opening a can of worms. First, it would make it sound like you are complaining after the fact about something you didn't complain about at the time.

Second, even if you did have more strategic airlift assets available, would it have made any difference? I may be wrong, because I am not in the know, but got a strange feeling from what I read in the various papers that with the planes available, their location and with the time on hand for the evacuation, more flights could have been flown and more people could have been loaded on each, but that the American control of the air bridge limited the number of spots we could get for our flights (like every body else) in the first instance and our abiding by our "seat belt" regulations restricted the second. But I've not heard anyone mention we were short of planes. So why draw attention to the Canadian participation in the air bridge if all of these facts can be thrown in your leader's face during the debates?

At this point in time, we have no idea why this point has suddenly been put in the program, instead of making reference to SSE and connecting to it somehow (another scoring opportunity for the other parties at debate time: "You just put out your white paper and already you are changing your shopping list!!!" We'll have to wait and see their logic, but in my cynical view based on past performance of the Liberals, it's probably there with a view to making some sort of announcement at a staged event in an air industry setting to say "look at what we will do to support your industry".

But that's just cynical me talking here.
You may be right, I may be caught up in the fervor that is swirling around the partisanship supporting the election and unjustly painting the Libs with a wrong colour.

But that's just cynical me talking here., as well. :salute:
 
Comparing platforms on the veterans' front - Team Blue:

Team Red:
Damn, that CPC veterans plan is fantastic. You can very clearly the the impact of feedback O’Toole was getting while MVA under Harper, and that he wasn’t in a position to have ‘platformed’. I recognize issues that were brought up with great specificity by veterans’ advocates during the last CPC government.
 
Damn, that CPC veterans plan is fantastic. You can very clearly the the impact of feedback O’Toole was getting while MVA under Harper, and that he wasn’t in a position to have ‘platformed’. I recognize issues that were brought up with great specificity by veterans’ advocates during the last CPC government.
Not just the veterans front, as a reservist the defense priorities are pretty awesome too.
 
OK, On my way to p. 69, I stopped accidentally at page 52. You got to read that: Creating a right to repair household appliances. I kid you not. Talk about creating a document where anyone with a beef can find something.
I wasn't aware that was a problem. Certainly, 'they don't make 'em like they used to', but I wasn't aware of manufacturers blocking access to manuals and parts (at least for appliances).
 
Sigh. Would I be a cynic if I said that this was meant to be a spin-doctor attempt to respond to the shit show that was the Canadian evac for Afghanistan?
So young to be so cynical .... :LOL: ... but far from alone, I suspect, on this talking point.
 
I wasn't aware that was a problem. Certainly, 'they don't make 'em like they used to', but I wasn't aware of manufacturers blocking access to manuals and parts (at least for appliances).
Tell me about it. I brought a fridge from Gagetown to Ottawa in 2005 that was 20 years old. It didn't meet the stainless steel criteria that my 9D wanted, and we had no room, so I gave it to a friend.

5 Fridges at my new houses(s) later, my Gagetown fridge is still going strong.
 
I’m willing to bet that the LPC does not want to touch that one with a 10-foot pole.
Be a great gotcha moment during the debate. CPC/NDP (trying to give NDP benefit of the doubt here) commit to signing a contract within their first mandate and watch Trudeau squirm.
 
Don’t forget, the Liberal Party is renaming the defence policy “Strong, Secure, Engaged, and Inclusive.” (Ref. p.69)
 
Be a great gotcha moment during the debate. CPC/NDP (trying to give NDP benefit of the doubt here) commit to signing a contract within their first mandate and watch Trudeau squirm.
The purchase of new American or European made fighters would be an extravagance Canada should not pursue when there are perfectly good used fighters to be had from China.
 
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