Canada's coastlines vulnerable, Senate report says
Updated Wed. Mar. 28 2007 12:27 PM ET CTV.ca News Staff
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A new Senate report says the federal government's focus on defending Arctic sovereignty is misplaced -- and millions of dollars that could be better spent elsewhere are being wasted.
The Senate security and defence committee has now released four reports in the past week. The previous three focused on security at airports, seaports and borders.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper has made it clear that defending Canada's Arctic waters is a priority, but the committee's report calls the allocation of resources "unfathomable." It says Canada's others coastlines are being left vulnerable to attack while virtually no threat exists in the Arctic.
Canada has 243,000 kilometres of coastline.
"Disagreements over Canada's sovereignty in these (Arctic) waters are not going to be settled through the use of gunboats,' the report states. "They will be settled through the use of diplomacy or in the courts.
"Canada's Navy is not trained or equipped for icebreaking, nor is it the right agency to exert Canadian sovereignty in the North. Draining the navy's already inadequate budget to play such an inappropriate role makes no military sense.''
The report suggests Canada is neglecting the defence of its near-shore waters, with little co-ordination of efforts on the east, west and south coasts.
More on link
Updated Wed. Mar. 28 2007 12:27 PM ET CTV.ca News Staff
Article Link
A new Senate report says the federal government's focus on defending Arctic sovereignty is misplaced -- and millions of dollars that could be better spent elsewhere are being wasted.
The Senate security and defence committee has now released four reports in the past week. The previous three focused on security at airports, seaports and borders.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper has made it clear that defending Canada's Arctic waters is a priority, but the committee's report calls the allocation of resources "unfathomable." It says Canada's others coastlines are being left vulnerable to attack while virtually no threat exists in the Arctic.
Canada has 243,000 kilometres of coastline.
"Disagreements over Canada's sovereignty in these (Arctic) waters are not going to be settled through the use of gunboats,' the report states. "They will be settled through the use of diplomacy or in the courts.
"Canada's Navy is not trained or equipped for icebreaking, nor is it the right agency to exert Canadian sovereignty in the North. Draining the navy's already inadequate budget to play such an inappropriate role makes no military sense.''
The report suggests Canada is neglecting the defence of its near-shore waters, with little co-ordination of efforts on the east, west and south coasts.
More on link
