Canada moves to 2% GDP end of FY25/26 - PMMC

[GR66]

I see this as more of a type of draft registry and perception exercise than any real force development program. Firstly I think the chance of Canada actually deploying a force of hundreds of thousands of troops in a conflict highly unlikely. I certainly don't see us shipping Divisions worth of troops across the Pacific to fight off the Chinese in the Indo-Pacific. Ships, subs, aircraft, AD, LRPS? Sure, but not a large land contingent.

Even in Europe Russia does pose a threat to its immediate neighbours but demographics and economics are against them in a full-scale Russia-NATO conflict. Will we need to expand our military to sustain our contribution in a European war? Yes, but again I don't see us expanding to have a Corps worth of troops deployed.

What this does though is take a small step toward creating a more martial mindset in the country where the population is maybe more willing to pay to fund an effective military because they are more likely to know someone that is in the military (even if only as a Supplemental Reservist). It also creates a list of people that already have served in the military (keeping more ex-Reg/Reserve members on the Sup List) and a list of people that have demonstrated their willingness to serve if called so that IF the force needs to expand the Government doesn't have to risk conscripting unwilling people into the military.

Lastly, I can potentially see these Supplemental Reservists become a pool of people that may be willing to deploy for domestic operations (floods, forest fires, ice storms, etc.) which would take some of the pressure off the Reg/Reserve forces.

 

[Colin Parkinson]

Does nobody want to talk about the article in the Ottawa Citizen regarding mobilizing public servants as a supplementary reserve?

Not to mention a lot of them are already working on government duties that would still need to be done in times of war.

 

[Rifleman62]

Didn't see the article. Is the idea I.E. the the PS in Ottawa will be compulsory enrolled in the Supplementary Reserve? Thus when there is a flood all the PS of certain classifications (Clks) are called out to fill sandbags and the government grinds to a halt (maybe a good thing).

 

[Kirkhill]

Yeah, about that compulsory military service thing, there might be some downsides ....

“In 1870, came the victory of the short-service troops of Prussia over the long-service troops of France, where conscription had but recently been reintroduced in a partial form and as a supplementary measure.

That obvious contrast carried more weight into the world than all the other factors which tilted the scales against France. As a result, universal peace-time conscription was adopted by almost all countries as the basis of their military system.

This ensured that wars would grow bigger in scale, longer in duration, and worse in effects.

While conscription appeared democratic, it provided autocrats, hereditary or revolutionary, with more effective and comprehensive means of imposing their will, both in peace and war.

Once the rule of compulsory service in arms was established for the young men of a nation, it was an obvious and easy transition to the servitude of the whole population.

Totalitarian tyranny is the twin of total warfare—which might aptly be termed a reversion to tribal warfare on a larger scale.”

― B.H. Liddell Hart

Underlying problem.

Conscription is only avoided if enough people consider it worth volunteering. If they can't be arsed to defend themselves then they can't be surprised if they wake up one morning and theirvworld has changed.

 

[brihard]

Didn't see the article. Is the idea I.E. the the PS in Ottawa will be compulsory enrolled in the Supplementary Reserve? Thus when there is a flood all the PS of certain classifications (Clks) are called out to fill sandbags and the government grinds to a halt (maybe a good thing).

No, nothing I’ve seen suggests conscription; people on the internet are just really stupid. Everything I’ve read is that this would be a voluntary enrollment into the SuppRes to basically created a mobilization reserve.

 

[Eaglelord17]

Is the reason they are specifically looking at federal government jobs because they would already have a security clearance taken care of?

 

[Remius]

Is the reason they are specifically looking at federal government jobs because they would already have a security clearance taken care of?

My guess is yes, and some transferable skills that could be useful. More importantly the PS has the legislation to protect jobs and allow people to train and deploy.

 

[lenaitch]

My guess is yes, and some transferable skills that could be useful. More importantly the PS has the legislation to protect jobs and allow people to train and deploy.

Job protection is key. If all governments had legislation that better protected workers while serving, voluntary enrollment in the Reserves (the real Reserves - the ones that train halfways regularly) might significantly improve.

I'm not sure how a horde of minimally-train people would be of much value except as a pool. It sounds like some form of conscription during peacetime, with many probably not remembering the deal they signed with the devil if the balloons go up. How would they even hope to even minimally train a couple hundred thousand people?

 

[lenaitch]

Strangely at the RCMP, when they do surges for things like G7, the convoy etc, there is no shortage of PS types that volunteer to go to those things.

Incentives are OT, a chance to do something else and travel a bit. Some are short stints of a few weeks to longer for some major events.

I know a few people that would not be able to commit to a normal reserve commitment but would probably opt for something like that if given the chance and given incentive.

That's not uncommon. Members who quite happily bury themselves in a headquarters as far away as possible from police work tend to come out of the woodwork when something that is high profile and has the potential for being a O/T generator comes along.

 

[Eaglelord17]

Job protection is key. If all governments had legislation that better protected workers while serving, voluntary enrollment in the Reserves (the real Reserves - the ones that train halfways regularly) might significantly improve.

I'm not sure how a horde of minimally-train people would be of much value except as a pool. It sounds like some form of conscription during peacetime, with many probably not remembering the deal they signed with the devil if the balloons go up. How would they even hope to even minimally train a couple hundred thousand people?

Not to mention relying on people giving up their much more limited free time these days is harder and harder. Expecting someone to give up a weekend or two a month when they already have limited vacation (most provinces start at 2 weeks a year) is a lot.

Federal jobs generally have more than the minimum for vacation.

Job protection for time off is critical as is having time off as who really wants to be working the vast majority of the year to begin with?

If people worked less each year (i.e. 1 month or more guaranteed vacation time) there might be more willingness to work a second job like the Reserves.

 

[Remius]

That's not uncommon. Members who quite happily bury themselves in a headquarters as far away as possible from police work tend to come out of the woodwork when something that is high profile and has the potential for being a O/T generator comes along.

I was speaking of the PS types that answer call outs. Members is a given.

 

[The Bread Guy]

... the PS has the legislation to protect jobs and allow people to train and deploy.

Subject to "operational needs" at the PS end, though.

Job protection is key. If all governments had legislation that better protected workers while serving, voluntary enrollment in the Reserves (the real Reserves - the ones that train halfways regularly) might significantly improve.

Yup - and I don't recall PS unions in the time I worked with Club Fed mentioning, "hey, we need WAY more than the barest minimum provision to allow PS's to be able to do Reserve work and/or taskings," so that may be a rougher ride than Team Good Idea Fairy may be expecting.

I'm not sure how a horde of minimally-train people would be of much value except as a pool. It sounds like some form of conscription during peacetime, with many probably not remembering the deal they signed with the devil if the balloons go up. How would they even hope to even minimally train a couple hundred thousand people?

Yup, although some transferable skills may be worth tracking in a pool of some sort. If the idea is correct that there would be a week or two of training per year, that suggests a "Recruitment in April 1945 in Berlin" feel. I'm looking for a copy of the reported directive to see the REST of the story, but sounds like more work is needed - to say the least.