2021 federal budget and the CAF

[SupersonicMax]

"More than $77 million in new money is being added to the battle against military sexual misconduct while the government says it will be redirecting another $158 million from other parts of the Armed Forces to address the issue in the ranks."

Oh-oh. I have seen re-direction before and it never bodes well.

$158M is peanuts in the grand scheme of things...

 

[daftandbarmy]

"More than $77 million in new money is being added to the battle against military sexual misconduct while the government says it will be redirecting another $158 million from other parts of the Armed Forces to address the issue in the ranks."

Oh-oh. I have seen re-direction before and it never bodes well.

Ironically, the issues that got the current government into hot water didn't occur 'in the ranks'.

 

[Weinie]

$158M is peanuts in the grand scheme of things...

Yeah, you are right. Less than 1% of our budget. There are nuts and then there are "peanuts." Oftentimes the real nuts of the CAF get sacrificed IOT prioritize the current crisis. How many absolutely necessary/future capability projects are operating with a less than $158M budget? How many of them will lose a member or two to realize these savings? #deathofathousandcuts.

 

[daftandbarmy]

Yeah, you are right. Less than 1% of our budget. There are nuts and then there are "peanuts." Oftentimes the real nuts of the CAF get sacrificed IOT prioritize the current crisis. How many absolutely necessary/future capability projects are operating with a less than $158M budget? How many of them will lose a member or two to realize these savings? #deathofathousandcuts.

That's only about 3 x Res F CBGs worth

 

[dapaterson]

The $158 is over 5 years.

There is also +$252M over 5 years for NORAD modernization; $847M over 5 years incremental for NATO; $134M incremental over 5 years for military health care...

Page 297: https://www.budget.gc.ca/2021/pdf/budget-2021-en.pdf

 

[Weinie]

The $158 is over 5 years.

There is also +$252M over 5 years for NORAD modernization; $847M over 5 years incremental for NATO; $134M incremental over 5 years for military health care...

Page 297: https://www.budget.gc.ca/2021/pdf/budget-2021-en.pdf

Cuts tend to materialize, program increases meet realpolitik, and get decreased.

 

[OldSolduer]

Is there $ to purchase navy blue, airforce blue and olive drab gun tape?

I'm being facetious of course.

 

[ballz]

Yeah, you are right. Less than 1% of our budget. There are nuts and then there are "peanuts." Oftentimes the real nuts of the CAF get sacrificed IOT prioritize the current crisis. How many absolutely necessary/future capability projects are operating with a less than $158M budget? How many of them will lose a member or two to realize these savings? #deathofathousandcuts.

Yup. It's a lot easier for all the GOFOs to unanimously agree to cut a Unit CO's budget than get rid of one of the many negative-value sacred cows that is the brainchild of one of their own....

 

[MilEME09]

Yup. It's a lot easier for all the GOFOs to unanimously agree to cut a Unit CO's budget than get rid of one of the many negative-value sacred cows that is the brainchild of one of their own....

Don't be so sure of that, reading around ACIMS on the DWAN, one can find many things that indicated we my see a cow or two sacrificed soon....

 

[dimsum]

Is there $ to purchase navy blue, airforce blue and olive drab gun tape?

I'm being facetious of course.

Great. Now you've done it...

 

[dapaterson]

Is there $ to purchase navy blue, airforce blue and olive drab gun tape?

I'm being facetious of course.

Money for NORAD modernization, money for NATO missions (over a billion combined in new money over 5 years), $134M over 5 years for military health care.

Given past budgets rarely mentioned operations or modernization or even the CAF, those being explicitly written into the funding are important signals.

 

[Lumber]

Give it to me straight, Doc, do I get my ships or not?

 

[dapaterson]

Depends on when the GoC calls the Irving's bluff.

 

[MilEME09]

Give it to me straight, Doc, do I get my ships or not?

from what I have read, anything currently funded is safe, including the CSC but do not expect any new projects.

 

[Colin Parkinson]

Our CSC after the pandemic is done with the budget

 

[dimsum]

Our CSC after the pandemic is done with the budget

View attachment 64959

I'd be more afraid of the cobra chicken than the cat.

 

[Altair]

The $158 is over 5 years.

There is also +$252M over 5 years for NORAD modernization; $847M over 5 years incremental for NATO; $134M incremental over 5 years for military health care...

Page 297: https://www.budget.gc.ca/2021/pdf/budget-2021-en.pdf

Some people will always find something to complain about.

 

[CBH99]

The $158 is over 5 years.

There is also +$252M over 5 years for NORAD modernization; $847M over 5 years incremental for NATO; $134M incremental over 5 years for military health care...

Page 297: https://www.budget.gc.ca/2021/pdf/budget-2021-en.pdf

I’m guessing the $158 million is more for optics than anything? Shows the public that the CAF takes sexual misconduct seriously, has acknowledged the problem, and is ‘funding’ part of a solution.

Because I don’t understand how $158 Million (which may be chump change in terms of federal budgets - but we forget how far that can go) — I don’t understand how spending the money will somehow magically fix this type of problem.

Don’t be an unprofessional, sexist, creepy, racist, person who gropes co-workers (or worse) — it isn’t hard to not be a scumbag.

Having trouble understanding that sexual assault or sexual misconduct is wrong? Rapidly terminate member. Perhaps even make a public announcement for good measure (so folks know that if they engage in this type of thing, there are real consequences.)

I just don’t see how $158 million is going to fix it? That’s a lot of power points & presentations on “don’t be sleazy.”

 

[dapaterson]

Page 288-289 are the gameplan:

Addressing Sexual Misconduct and Gender-based Violence in the Military
The federal government has no tolerance for sexual misconduct or gender-based violence in the Canadian Armed Forces. Recently reported stories about misconduct are shining a light on the scope of the problem. The members of Canada’s military make enormous sacrifices to protect Canadians and, regardless of rank or gender, have an inalienable right to serve in safety, in a respectful and dignified work environment. Since the 2015 External Review into Sexual Misconduct and Sexual Harassment in the Canadian Armed Forces, important progress has been made, but there remains much work to do. The government is committed to taking further action to strengthen accountability mechanisms, promote culture change in the military, and provide a safe space for survivors to report misconduct and access the services they need. In addition to the Budget 2021 measures below, the federal government will have more to announce in the coming weeks on next steps.
Budget 2021 proposes to provide $236.2 million over five years, starting in 2021-22, and $33.5 million per year ongoing to the Department of National Defence and Veterans Affairs Canada, including $158.5 million over 5 years and $29.9 million per year ongoing funded from existing resources to expand their work to eliminate sexual misconduct and gender-based violence in the military and support survivors. Specifically:

• Enhance internal support services to victims, including access to free, independent legal advice and enabling military members to access services without making a formal complaint.
• Expand an existing contribution program to support community-based sexual assault service providers outside major urban military centres, and increase the reach of the Sexual Misconduct Response Centre that serves the Canadian Armed Forces to additional locations across Canada.
• Pilot online and in-person peer support groups for Canadian Armed Forces members and veterans who experienced sexual misconduct during their service. These will be tailored to military experience.
• Conduct research to inform targeted training and response frameworks, and engage external experts to support education and training to prevent sexual violence.
• Implement new external oversight mechanisms to bring greater independence to the processes of reporting and adjudicating sexual misconduct within the military.
• Undertake other initiatives to enhance institutional capacity to address harassment and violence, including enhancing the military justice system to better respond to allegations of misconduct and support survivors.

These investments will be part of the government’s broader National Action Plan to End Gender-Based Violence.

 

[daftandbarmy]

Page 288-289 are the gameplan:

I'm no expert, but that sounds like a pretty good start to me. Especially the capacity building stuff.