- Reaction score
- 1
- Points
- 410
Government vows better coastal security, but holds back funds
pending review
Prime Minister Paul Martin‘s government is laying plans to improve
the country‘s maritime security, but defence analysts are
questioning whether enough funding will be provided to properly do
the job.
Although the Canadian military isn‘t expected to receive a
significant financial boost when the Martin government reveals its
budget on March 23, work is under way to improve surveillance of
Canadian waters as well as port security, with a modest amount of
money to be set aside for those initiatives.
Improvements are planned to increase the flow of information between
the coast guard, the navy and the Fisheries Department on the
presence of foreign vessels off the country‘s coasts. An
intergovernmental committee is also looking at freeing up more money
for the installation of additional high-tech radars that can scan
the surface of the ocean to detect such ships.
Almost $50 million has been committed to building those radars on
the east and west coasts, but the technology has been deemed so
effective that the program could see more funding.
The government also plans to increase patrols of the Grand Banks off
Newfoundland to crack down on foreign fishing fleets operating in
the area, with the navy required to contribute ships to that effort.
But government sources confirmed that the military is not in line
for any large amounts of money in the upcoming budget. The navy,
which needs an extra $140 million to do its job in the coming year,
will receive less than 10 per cent of that.
Government officials argue that it doesn‘t make sense to provide the
Department of National Defence with an influx of cash just before a
review of military priorities is to begin. That review, expected to
be completed by the fall, will set the direction on where the Martin
government wants to go with defence and security.
In some cases, equipment and capabilities might be cut. So until
that direction is decided, the government is not keen on spending
large amounts of money directly on the Canadian Forces. The senior
military leadership has been told they will get their budget
increases in next year‘s budget.
But the government‘s decision not to provide a substantial boost in
funding now to the Canadian Forces could harm Mr. Martin‘s desire to
improve the country‘s maritime security. Although other departments,
such as Transport Canada, are co-ordinating improvements in port
security and surveillance, it is the military that will have to
provide much of the personnel and equipment for the initiative.
But analysts note that the air force has had to cut its number of
coastal surveillance patrols because it does not have enough money
or aircraft. The navy is also scrambling to figure out how it can
free up ships for the increased patrols in the Grand Banks that the
government wants it to undertake.
Alain Pellerin, an analyst with the Conference of Defence
Associations, notes that the army, navy and air force have told the
government they need $500 million in extra money for the upcoming
year. "That shortfall has nothing at all to do with the defence
review," he explained. "It‘s what they need now if they‘re going to
do the job that the government wants them to do."
Defence Minister David Pratt and senior military leaders have
already been signalling in interviews and speeches that the budget
will contain no major funding hikes for the Canadian Forces.
The Martin government will emphasize its upcoming purchase of the $3
billion fleet of maritime helicopters and the $660 million it plans
to spend on the Stryker Mobile Gun system, a replacement for the
army‘s Leopard tanks.
Defence analysts note that the money for the maritime helicopters
was committed years ago and that the Stryker purchase actually
allows the government to save money by not having to spend several
billion dollars on new tanks.
pending review
Prime Minister Paul Martin‘s government is laying plans to improve
the country‘s maritime security, but defence analysts are
questioning whether enough funding will be provided to properly do
the job.
Although the Canadian military isn‘t expected to receive a
significant financial boost when the Martin government reveals its
budget on March 23, work is under way to improve surveillance of
Canadian waters as well as port security, with a modest amount of
money to be set aside for those initiatives.
Improvements are planned to increase the flow of information between
the coast guard, the navy and the Fisheries Department on the
presence of foreign vessels off the country‘s coasts. An
intergovernmental committee is also looking at freeing up more money
for the installation of additional high-tech radars that can scan
the surface of the ocean to detect such ships.
Almost $50 million has been committed to building those radars on
the east and west coasts, but the technology has been deemed so
effective that the program could see more funding.
The government also plans to increase patrols of the Grand Banks off
Newfoundland to crack down on foreign fishing fleets operating in
the area, with the navy required to contribute ships to that effort.
But government sources confirmed that the military is not in line
for any large amounts of money in the upcoming budget. The navy,
which needs an extra $140 million to do its job in the coming year,
will receive less than 10 per cent of that.
Government officials argue that it doesn‘t make sense to provide the
Department of National Defence with an influx of cash just before a
review of military priorities is to begin. That review, expected to
be completed by the fall, will set the direction on where the Martin
government wants to go with defence and security.
In some cases, equipment and capabilities might be cut. So until
that direction is decided, the government is not keen on spending
large amounts of money directly on the Canadian Forces. The senior
military leadership has been told they will get their budget
increases in next year‘s budget.
But the government‘s decision not to provide a substantial boost in
funding now to the Canadian Forces could harm Mr. Martin‘s desire to
improve the country‘s maritime security. Although other departments,
such as Transport Canada, are co-ordinating improvements in port
security and surveillance, it is the military that will have to
provide much of the personnel and equipment for the initiative.
But analysts note that the air force has had to cut its number of
coastal surveillance patrols because it does not have enough money
or aircraft. The navy is also scrambling to figure out how it can
free up ships for the increased patrols in the Grand Banks that the
government wants it to undertake.
Alain Pellerin, an analyst with the Conference of Defence
Associations, notes that the army, navy and air force have told the
government they need $500 million in extra money for the upcoming
year. "That shortfall has nothing at all to do with the defence
review," he explained. "It‘s what they need now if they‘re going to
do the job that the government wants them to do."
Defence Minister David Pratt and senior military leaders have
already been signalling in interviews and speeches that the budget
will contain no major funding hikes for the Canadian Forces.
The Martin government will emphasize its upcoming purchase of the $3
billion fleet of maritime helicopters and the $660 million it plans
to spend on the Stryker Mobile Gun system, a replacement for the
army‘s Leopard tanks.
Defence analysts note that the money for the maritime helicopters
was committed years ago and that the Stryker purchase actually
allows the government to save money by not having to spend several
billion dollars on new tanks.
