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....

 

[KevinB]

Based on what I have seen of political parties of all stripes in different jurisdictions is that they are very weak institutions and that there is no “establishment”. Many parties have been easily taken over by demagogues and the so-called “establishment” was either unable or unwilling to thwart the demagogue.

The Trump campaign disagrees

 

[Underway]

The Trump campaign disagrees

He's talking internal party politics. The GOP is a perfect example of being overtaken by a demogogue, Trump, where everyone is unable or unwilling to thwart him.

 

[Rifleman62]

Military to remain key players in disaster relief​

National Post - 9 Aug 2023 - Sarah Ritchie

Canadian Forces members are increasingly being called to help communities deal with natural disasters.

Defence Minister Bill Blair says Canadians want to see the military come to their aid during natural disasters, and the Armed Forces will remain a key part of the government’s response. “There is just something, I think, incredibly reassuring to Canadians when the Canadian Armed Forces show up and men and women in uniform are out in their communities and they’re sandbagging and helping people evacuate and get to safety,” he said in a recent interview.

Blair, who was moved from the Emergency Preparedness portfolio to head up Defence in last month’s cabinet shuffle, has been involved in co-ordinating the federal government’s response to various disasters. Those included floods caused by an atmospheric river in British Columbia in 2021, wildfires that have raged across the country each summer and the devastation caused by Hurricane Fiona in Atlantic Canada last year.

And the number of calls for help is rising.

There used to be between five and 10 formal requests for assistance from the provinces and territories each year. Between March 2020 and October 2022, there were more than 200 requests for federal help, the majority of which were related to the COVID-19 pandemic. About 157 involved the military.

The Canadian Armed Forces has immediate response units that are activated to address disasters, where their main role is often to help local officials with logistics, planning and manpower.

Speaking to a parliamentary committee last October, chief of the defence staff Gen. Wayne Eyre said the military is being called upon too often to respond to such disasters, and those requests are putting a strain on the Armed Forces at a time when it is dealing with a personnel shortage.

“With the increasing frequency and intensity of these natural disasters, we’re being called upon more and more to respond not necessarily as a force of last resort, but in some cases the force of first choice,” he said on Oct. 6.

Around 16,000 positions are unfilled across the military, a situation that senior commanders have called a crisis.

Blair acknowledged the military has at times been the federal government’s first call, rather than a last resort. “I listened very carefully to the chief of the defence staff and the concerns that he’s expressed — quite legitimate concerns — about the impact that has on their training and capacity-building,” Blair said.

That led to discussions earlier this year about creating a national disaster-assistance organization or another mechanism to provide help when it’s needed.
The Canadian Press first reported in July that those discussions include analyzing models such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency in the United States.

“We’ve been looking at, how do we build out what we call a humanitarian workforce,” Blair said. “We’re working with the Canadian Red Cross, for example, the Salvation Army, the Search and Rescue Volunteers Association of Canada and other groups in civil society that we can call upon.”

 

[WestIsle]

Military to remain key players in disaster relief​

National Post - 9 Aug 2023 - Sarah Ritchie

Canadian Forces members are increasingly being called to help communities deal with natural disasters.

Defence Minister Bill Blair says Canadians want to see the military come to their aid during natural disasters, and the Armed Forces will remain a key part of the government’s response. “There is just something, I think, incredibly reassuring to Canadians when the Canadian Armed Forces show up and men and women in uniform are out in their communities and they’re sandbagging and helping people evacuate and get to safety,” he said in a recent interview.

Blair, who was moved from the Emergency Preparedness portfolio to head up Defence in last month’s cabinet shuffle, has been involved in co-ordinating the federal government’s response to various disasters. Those included floods caused by an atmospheric river in British Columbia in 2021, wildfires that have raged across the country each summer and the devastation caused by Hurricane Fiona in Atlantic Canada last year.

And the number of calls for help is rising.

There used to be between five and 10 formal requests for assistance from the provinces and territories each year. Between March 2020 and October 2022, there were more than 200 requests for federal help, the majority of which were related to the COVID-19 pandemic. About 157 involved the military.

The Canadian Armed Forces has immediate response units that are activated to address disasters, where their main role is often to help local officials with logistics, planning and manpower.

Speaking to a parliamentary committee last October, chief of the defence staff Gen. Wayne Eyre said the military is being called upon too often to respond to such disasters, and those requests are putting a strain on the Armed Forces at a time when it is dealing with a personnel shortage.

“With the increasing frequency and intensity of these natural disasters, we’re being called upon more and more to respond not necessarily as a force of last resort, but in some cases the force of first choice,” he said on Oct. 6.

Around 16,000 positions are unfilled across the military, a situation that senior commanders have called a crisis.

Blair acknowledged the military has at times been the federal government’s first call, rather than a last resort. “I listened very carefully to the chief of the defence staff and the concerns that he’s expressed — quite legitimate concerns — about the impact that has on their training and capacity-building,” Blair said.

That led to discussions earlier this year about creating a national disaster-assistance organization or another mechanism to provide help when it’s needed.
The Canadian Press first reported in July that those discussions include analyzing models such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency in the United States.

“We’ve been looking at, how do we build out what we call a humanitarian workforce,” Blair said. “We’re working with the Canadian Red Cross, for example, the Salvation Army, the Search and Rescue Volunteers Association of Canada and other groups in civil society that we can call upon.”

Very telling that the PMO is again trying to push the CAF down the armed disaster response force model that many higher ups were reportedly being told. The goal being that only CANSOFCOM would see deployment outside of Canada and would be the countries sharp stick.

 

[rmc_wannabe]

This is not going to work out well. No one joins the CAF for revolving Op LENTUS, and especially don't stay for it.

Can we vote these idiots out of government yet?

 

[Good2Golf]

This is not going to work out well. No one joins the CAF for revolving Op LENTUS, and especially don't stay for it.

Can we vote these idiots out of government yet?

We have to wait for this winter, when Trudeau Fils goes out for his post-separation/divorce long walk in the snow to think about life.



Methinks someone else has got about 6-months before they they get ‘Kim Campbell’d…’

 

[Spencer100]

View attachment 79356



We have to wait for this winter, when Trudeau Fils goes out for his post-separation/divorce long walk in the snow to think about life.

View attachment 79358View attachment 79359

Methinks someone else has got about 6-months before they they get ‘Kim Campbell’d…’

One can dream. He still has the media and establishment on side. I don't see him being toppled.

 

[PPCLI Guy]

Very telling that the PMO is again trying to push the CAF down the armed disaster response force model that many higher ups were reportedly being told. The goal being that only CANSOFCOM would see deployment outside of Canada and would be the countries sharp stick.

So we would walk away from all treaty obligations? NORAD? NATO? Officially and publicly rather than surreptitiously through under-funding etc?

I am curious as to your source is for what "higher ups are reportedly being told".

 

[Good2Golf]

One can dream. He still has the media and establishment on side. I don't see him being toppled.

Not toppled. I actually foresee him moving on/walking away/following a path to spend more time with his kids/etc…

He’s starting to stink and rot, and may consider transitioning to a plausible legacy path vice holding on and trying to move on as a knight on a white stallion who helped ‘bring Canada back!’

 

[Halifax Tar]

Very telling that the PMO is again trying to push the CAF down the armed disaster response force model that many higher ups were reportedly being told. The goal being that only CANSOFCOM would see deployment outside of Canada and would be the countries sharp stick.

I expect the CANSOFCOM empire loves this idea.

 

[dapaterson]

I expect the CANSOFCOM empire loves this idea.

Nope. Burnout is rampant.

 

[rmc_wannabe]

I expect the CANSOFCOM empire loves this idea.

The CANSOFCOM empire lacks the depth and firepower to do a lot of what our allies are asking of us, like Armour, Arty, and Roto after Roto of Bde sized elements.

I don't care how bad you wanna Invienam Viam; that COA is a throwaway on our best day.

 

[Halifax Tar]

The CANSOFCOM empire lacks the depth and firepower to do a lot of what our allies are asking of us, like Armour, Arty, and Roto after Roto of Bde sized elements.

I don't care how bad you wanna Invienam Viam; that COA is a throwaway on our best day.

Don't let practicality get in the way of a good empire.

 

[rmc_wannabe]

Don't let practicality get in the way of a good empire.

Practicality may be sidestepped, but you fall off the cliff of logistics shortly afterwards and come crashing down on the rocks of sustainability.

You know this. Most commanders do too. Governments however.....

 

[PPCLI Guy]

Don't let practicality get in the way of a good empire.

Speaking of which, how about that 15 ship Navy...

 

[Quirky]

Defence Minister Bill Blair says Canadians want to see the military come to their aid during natural disasters,

I don't think the feeling is reciprocated after the 6th or 7th time. The CAF isn't an unlimited or free pool of labour.

 

[Halifax Tar]

Practicality may be sidestepped, but you fall off the cliff of logistics shortly afterwards and come crashing down on the rocks of sustainability.

You know this. Most commanders do too. Governments however.....

You don't think I agreed with my post, do you ?

Speaking of which, how about that 15 ship Navy...

Ha! Maybe 15 RHIBs or Zodiacs.

 

[WLSC]

I expect the CANSOFCOM empire loves this idea.

Without a experience and credible field force, it means longer and more expansive training for CANSOFCOM.

 

[Colin Parkinson]

Speaking of which, how about that 15 ship Navy...

Actually about 37 when you throw in subs, AOR, AOP's and Kingstons.....

 

[Humphrey Bogart]

Speaking of which, how about that 15 ship Navy...

I too like to dream