Government hints at boosting Canada’s military spending

I have long said that you could fund the CAF to 4 percent of GDP, but we would still lag behind in NATO and be much the same where we are.

It's never the money, it's politics. It's procedures. It's the pork-barreling in our defence spending that makes us a paper tiger in NATO.

My only hope in all of this for the CAF and the GoC, whatever the political stripe that may be, is that it will rouse them out of the "Peace Dividend" slumber. The world has been unstable since 1945. We have used geography, proximity, and association as a Defence Policy ever since. ICBMs don't care how close to the U.S. or how far from Russia/China we are.

Don't give us a dime more, but let us spend money on defence like it matters. The fact we follow the same rules for purchasing a fighter aircraft as we do for buying office furniture for a Service Canada office is disgraceful. Don't treat defense procurement as a stimulus package for Canadian Industry. There I said it.

We spend so much money, time, and effort trying to get that money to stay in Canada; be it by awarding contracts to companies with no capability to produce items without first "retooling" and"developing the production lines", or by hamstringing perfectly competent and competitive bidders by forcing the project to be made in St. Margaret de Poutain de Champignon, QC because the ruling government either lost the seat in the election, or won it with promises.

We spend so much money and staff hours jumping through TBS regulations that are great for other departments, but are terrible for defence procurement. Some items you have to sole source, because there are technologies and capabilities no one else makes. By doing the bid process, you get companies clamoring for a project they can't deliver on, but because they tick the bright boxes on the score sheet....

I truly and honestly belief we need to split from PSPC and legislate that its not beholden to TBS, only to the PBO/PCO. The guiding principles of this new Defence Procurement department should be "Off the shelf, from somewhere else" if there isn't an industry in Canada.

BOOTFORGEN has demonstrated how well we do when we are able to actually get what we need, instead of lining the pockets of a Canadian company that got lucky.

That, but with tanks, fighters, ships, weapons systems....

 

[Dale Denton]

I understand the hesitation to get to 2% as a significant portion would be wasted due to delays and corresponding inflation (to name a few).

Perhaps the CF could just release its own report on what force it could sustain and at what %GDP?
Get to the chase and present simple, easy to understand options (to compensate for lack of military knowledge in Canada).

Just something simple like:

"This is what we need based on our threat analysis after Ukraine, and this is our professional opinion we need a force of XYZ, this much time, and this many billions."

Lay out our limitations and embarrassing mishaps due to our aging fleets, show how dangerous Canadians would be.

"At current projected rates, we could sustain a XYZ sized CAF, and we'd have to drop these capabilities forever."

"To build each of these options, we'd still need more money to replace old required equipment and this number of weapons, vehicles."

And make it public...

 

[Kirkhill]

At the end of the day, I think that if the federal government is funding a program, that money shouldn't be taken and spent on something else. Then we end up with a hodgepodge of programs across the country.

This province has universal health care, this one doesn't. This province has childcare, this one doesn't. This province has legal weed, this one doesn't. Having a federal standard is not a bad thing, especially if the feds are funding it. If a province never signs on to a federal plan(looking at Alberta and Quebec here) and just dump that money into other things we don't end up with equal levels of services across the country, which is also in the constitution and the basis behind equalization.

Do people even know what our GDP is?

That said, I hate our budgets. I like pie charts. if not pie charts, lines of income and expenses. Not a word salad of priorities and plans. Just tell me how much is being spent on what. I was trying to nail down the RCMP budget a while ago and it took me 29 minutes longer than it should have.

How would you feel about a budget presented on a per capita basis?

 

[Humphrey Bogart]

With recruitment lagging, Canadian military preparing new ethos, dress code

Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) leadership says it hopes a new military ethos and dress code refresh will help address a much-needed culture shift as it struggles to recruit more diverse personnel.

www.ctvnews.ca

Meanwhile CAF be like.... we really need a lot of people and are severely understaffed but like not any white males...

Also 70% of our workforce is white male and we have no idea why they are leaving.

 

[Altair]

How would you feel about a budget presented on a per capita basis?

having to do math per line item?

 

[daftandbarmy]

Raise taxes to pay for increases in defence expenditures?

Survey results are mixed:

Canadians split on raising taxes for defence spending: poll​

A new poll has found that Canadians are split on whether they support increasing the income tax to help bolster Canada's defence spending against possible threats.

The latest national public opinion poll from Nanos Research, commissioned by CTV News and The Globe and Mail, reports that 19 per cent of respondents support and 28 per cent somewhat support the move. However, polling showed 31 per cent of those surveyed oppose raising taxes for defence spending while 17 per cent somewhat oppose it.

Five per cent of respondents reported they were unsure of how they felt about this.

Canadians split on raising taxes for defence spending: poll

A new poll has found that Canadians are split on whether they support increasing income tax to help bolster Canada's defence spending against possible threats.

www.ctvnews.ca

 

[TacticalTea]

With recruitment lagging, Canadian military preparing new ethos, dress code

Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) leadership says it hopes a new military ethos and dress code refresh will help address a much-needed culture shift as it struggles to recruit more diverse personnel.

www.ctvnews.ca

Meanwhile CAF be like.... we really need a lot of people and are severely understaffed but like not any white males...

Also 70% of our workforce is white male and we have no idea why they are leaving.

Yeah I thought that was a weird-ass thing to say.

Is it implying that there is no difference between a Newfie, a Queb, and an Albertan? That only skin colour is what defines an individual? That diversity is only good if it's visible in photo ops? That's some dystopian stuff right there.

Not to mention, she seems like she has a problem with having 71% white males, while white people represent 77% of Canada. Is that somehow unexpected? Is she really all that surprised that... gasp, men and women have differing interests?

But no, surely our recruitment woes have nothing to do with the fact that the government keeps firing career servicemen for political reasons and that the enlistment process can take years, during which people lose all interest they had in the first place / find other opportunities.

And imma jump on this one : "Lt.-Gen. Jennie Carignan, chief of professional conduct and culture''
So, huh... how many Professional Conduct Brigades are there? How many personnel are deployed on Culture Operations at present?

Heavens... A whole Lieutenant-General. But no, we're not top-heavy... Plus isn't she the first female combat arms general? I'd be insulted to be tasked with this. ''No, no, we don't give actual commands to women''... Christ's sake.

 

[Halifax Tar]

Yeah I thought that was a weird-ass thing to say.

Is it implying that there is no difference between a Newfie, a Queb, and an Albertan? That only skin colour is what defines an individual? That diversity is only good if it's visible in photo ops? That's some dystopian stuff right there.

Not to mention, she seems like she has a problem with having 71% white males, while white people represent 77% of Canada. Is that somehow unexpected? Is she really all that surprised that... gasp, men and women have differing interests?

But no, surely our recruitment woes have nothing to do with the fact that the government keeps firing career servicemen for political reasons and that the enlistment process can take years, during which people lose all interest they had in the first place / find other opportunities.

And imma jump on this one : "Lt.-Gen. Jennie Carignan, chief of professional conduct and culture''
So, huh... how many Professional Conduct Brigades are there? How many personnel are deployed on Culture Operations at present?

Heavens... A whole Lieutenant-General. But no, we're not top-heavy... Plus isn't she the first female combat arms general? I'd be insulted to be tasked with this. ''No, no, we don't give actual commands to women''... Christ's sake.

I think we just became best friends

 

[McG]

As well as greater support for increased defence spending (45%) than social spending (39%).

It is what happens when a large number of voters perceive an existential threat for the first time in their lives.

 

[Remius]

And imma jump on this one : "Lt.-Gen. Jennie Carignan, chief of professional conduct and culture''
So, huh... how many Professional Conduct Brigades are there? How many personnel are deployed on Culture Operations at present?

Heavens... A whole Lieutenant-General. But no, we're not top-heavy... Plus isn't she the first female combat arms general? I'd be insulted to be tasked with this. ''No, no, we don't give actual commands to women''... Christ's sake.

I think you may have missed a few memos.

 

[Halifax Tar]

I think you may have missed a few memos.

I think you missed the point of his statement...

 

[Remius]

I think you missed the point of his statement...

Nope. I got it loud and clear.

 

[WLSC]

Yeah I thought that was a weird-ass thing to say.

Is it implying that there is no difference between a Newfie, a Queb, and an Albertan? That only skin colour is what defines an individual? That diversity is only good if it's visible in photo ops? That's some dystopian stuff right there.

Not to mention, she seems like she has a problem with having 71% white males, while white people represent 77% of Canada. Is that somehow unexpected? Is she really all that surprised that... gasp, men and women have differing interests?

But no, surely our recruitment woes have nothing to do with the fact that the government keeps firing career servicemen for political reasons and that the enlistment process can take years, during which people lose all interest they had in the first place / find other opportunities.

And imma jump on this one : "Lt.-Gen. Jennie Carignan, chief of professional conduct and culture''
So, huh... how many Professional Conduct Brigades are there? How many personnel are deployed on Culture Operations at present?

Heavens... A whole Lieutenant-General. But no, we're not top-heavy... Plus isn't she the first female combat arms general? I'd be insulted to be tasked with this. ''No, no, we don't give actual commands to women''... Christ's sake.

I know a bit about the professional side of the house. You have no idea how strong direction they need to have it coherent. That piece should have been done years ago. Cloud shoveler were kings, now they have to share space with other and reality of training calendar.

 

[Humphrey Bogart]

Yeah I thought that was a weird-ass thing to say.

Is it implying that there is no difference between a Newfie, a Queb, and an Albertan? That only skin colour is what defines an individual? That diversity is only good if it's visible in photo ops? That's some dystopian stuff right there.

Not to mention, she seems like she has a problem with having 71% white males, while white people represent 77% of Canada. Is that somehow unexpected? Is she really all that surprised that... gasp, men and women have differing interests?

But no, surely our recruitment woes have nothing to do with the fact that the government keeps firing career servicemen for political reasons and that the enlistment process can take years, during which people lose all interest they had in the first place / find other opportunities.

And imma jump on this one : "Lt.-Gen. Jennie Carignan, chief of professional conduct and culture''
So, huh... how many Professional Conduct Brigades are there? How many personnel are deployed on Culture Operations at present?

Heavens... A whole Lieutenant-General. But no, we're not top-heavy... Plus isn't she the first female combat arms general? I'd be insulted to be tasked with this. ''No, no, we don't give actual commands to women''... Christ's sake.

Well on the bright side, there are so many other opportunities out there, particularly in the private sector.

It took this white male only a few weeks to get a job offer after I submitted my VR , for a safety sensitive position.

Interview
Background Check
Medical + Drug & Alcohol Testing
Offer

3 weeks total time. Take that for action CFRG

 

[Quirky]

So we need more diversity to fix retention….what planet do they live in? Let’s completely ignore failing equipment, no equipment, shit posting locations be it location or massive increase in COL, toxic leadership, etc, etc. The koolaid is strong with this one.

 

[Remius]

Well on the bright side, there are so many other opportunities out there, particularly in the private sector.

It took this white male only a few weeks to get a job offer after I submitted my VR , for a safety sensitive position.

Interview
Background Check
Medical + Drug & Alcohol Testing
Offer

3 weeks total time. Take that for action CFRG

Add a PT test at the interview or medical and we could do the same. We just have to want to.

 

[Remius]

So we need more diversity to fix retention….what planet do they live in? Let’s completely ignore failing equipment, no equipment, shit posting locations be it location or massive increase in COL, toxic leadership, etc, etc. The koolaid is strong with this one.

Diversity is only one part of it and yes it should be addressed. It’s only one part of the issues that the CAF faces.

What we have to do though is put as much effort into all of those issues that we seem to be doing for diversity.

 

[Halifax Tar]

Diversity is only one part of it and yes it should be addressed. It’s only one part of the issues that the CAF faces.

What we have to do though is put as much effort into all of those issues that we seem to be doing for diversity.

I'm cool with diversity but how do we accomplish this ?

We can't force people to join.

 

[Good2Golf]

I'm cool with diversity but how do we accomplish this ?

We can't force people to join.

The Government could, it just chooses not to.

"Words, not deeds."

 

[Remius]

I'm cool with diversity but how do we accomplish this ?

We can't force people to join.

In some regards I think a lot of what Quirky listed is part of the solution. He mentions toxic leaders and crappy postings. I think a lot of our diversity issues would fix themselves if those things get fixed first.

Inclusive dress regs can help as we’ve seen but that only scratches the surface.

 

[Humphrey Bogart]

Add a PT test at the interview or medical and we could do the same. We just have to want to.

There is a PT test for this job as well, you do it once you start training, like they do in the CAF.

The CAF is just institutionally incompetent. It somehow manages to keep getting worse every year.

Diversity is only one part of it and yes it should be addressed. It’s only one part of the issues that the CAF faces.

What we have to do though is put as much effort into all of those issues that we seem to be doing for diversity.

What they need to do is allow anyone who is capable of joining and fulfilling the requirements of their occupation and universality of service, the opportunity to do so.

The simple fact is, Military formations fight as units and not as individuals and the CAF approach of hyper-individualism and you can be whoever you wanna be is..... counter-intuitive to forming cohesive fighting units.

Ironically, there are already formations that have been doing this "integrating diverse groups of people" thing for a couple of hundred years, are an elite fighting formation and have a very successful model:

Code #2 of the Legion Code of Honour:

2 – Each legionnaire is your brother in arms, whatever his nationality, his race or his religion might be. You will demonstrate this by the strict solidarity which must always links members of the same family.

Code of Honour

About principles Once there was a man. A man and his life’s journey. A life’s journey never told, full with pain and with unshared memories. Leaving all behind? Thoughts. Hesitations. One more drin…

thefrenchforeignlegionfirsthand.wordpress.com

This model could be further adapted to conform to meet our requirements. But individualism should absolutely play no part in it and it's fundamentally contrary to how you build soldiers, which Militaries know how to do because they have been doing it for thousands of years.