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....

 

[CBH99]

We can debate who has better kit but the ability to utilize the US manufacturing and supply chain with commonality of parts is something the Euros can't even approach to being on par with.

Even the US is producing some Euro kit under license because, objectively, there is some Euro kit that is really impressive.

(Naval Strike Missile is a good example.)


Agreed tho. The US is our next door neighbour, closest friend & family member, and war is a full time gig of theirs. Not taking advantage of their supply chains & manufacturing is just silly.

 

[KevinB]

So not even to 2% despite the passed motion in government- how the F does Canada even think they are a democratic national let alone relevant?

 

[Czech_pivo]

"While announcing the launch of a review of Canada’s defence policy, the budget promised $6.1-billion over five years in direct new spending by the Defence Department to increase the capabilities of the Canadian Armed Forces, with an additional $1.4-billion in annual spending on the armed forces after that."

That works out to be 1.22$billion/yr or LESS than inflation - basically a 5%/yr increase - a giant F-you in other words.

Edit: I wish that the US and NATO calls us out on this and totally belittles and humiliates us for this.

 

[KevinB]

From 1.37 to ~1.445%
Fail

 

[rmc_wannabe]

This budget would have sunk this government if it weren't for the propping up from the NDP. This shit is disgraceful.

 

[Czech_pivo]

"While announcing the launch of a review of Canada’s defence policy, the budget promised $6.1-billion over five years in direct new spending by the Defence Department to increase the capabilities of the Canadian Armed Forces, with an additional $1.4-billion in annual spending on the armed forces after that."

That works out to be 1.22$billion/yr or LESS than inflation - basically a 5%/yr increase - a giant F-you in other words.

Edit: I wish that the US and NATO calls us out on this and totally belittles and humiliates us for this.

That 1.22$ billion/yr will most likely be the total all in cost to cover the daily expenses necessary to address the shortfall of 6,500 in personnel.

 

[Halifax Tar]

"While announcing the launch of a review of Canada’s defence policy, the budget promised $6.1-billion over five years in direct new spending by the Defence Department to increase the capabilities of the Canadian Armed Forces, with an additional $1.4-billion in annual spending on the armed forces after that."

That works out to be 1.22$billion/yr or LESS than inflation - basically a 5%/yr increase - a giant F-you in other words.

Edit: I wish that the US and NATO calls us out on this and totally belittles and humiliates us for this.

It really is time for them to insist up or out for us.

 

[Halifax Tar]

Even the US is producing some Euro kit under license because, objectively, there is some Euro kit that is really impressive.

(Naval Strike Missile is a good example.)


Agreed tho. The US is our next door neighbour, closest friend & family member, and war is a full time gig of theirs. Not taking advantage of their supply chains & manufacturing is just silly.

Exactly. Their manufacturing and supply chain is so good they are building other people's kit too, for themselves.

That right there is a war winning ability.

 

[dapaterson]

I strongly suspect that out year funding is going to be announced recurrently over the next year at times that are politically opportune. This is Act one, Scene one.

 

[Czech_pivo]

I strongly suspect that out year funding is going to be announced recurrently over the next year at times that are politically opportune. This is Act one, Scene one.

Don't hold your breath or bet your life on that assumption.

 

[Booter]

You guys know better than I- it’s part of why I love reading on this forum.

Is this increase an actual increase or with the incremental cost of EVERYTHING going up- is it actually even a change?

If ten pairs of boots were a hundred bucks and now they are 130- if we can still only afford ten pairs…have we done anything?

I ran into this this year planning my money for the area I’m running. There were large increases across the board- to produce the same/similar service, not even beginning to improve.

Like substantial increases in some areas.

 

[dapaterson]

There are programmed inflationary increases. This is growth beyond that.

 

[SupersonicMax]

So not even to 2% despite the passed motion in government- how the F does Canada even think they are a democratic national let alone relevant?

To be fair, I am not sure we have the capacity to spend even the modest increase we just received…

 

[Kirkhill]

A hint.... a modicum... un soupcon.

 

[OldSolduer]

So not even to 2% despite the passed motion in government- how the F does Canada even think they are a democratic national let alone relevant?

We are not democratic in the sense we all get a say. Toronto and Quebec get the big say and peasants like us west of Ontario can damn well stop complaining and be good Canadians.

 

[rmc_wannabe]

I think this just reaffirmed to NATO and the U.S. that we are not only a bad faith partner, but a no faith partner. In true Canadian fashion, we lined our own pockets at the expense of our friends and allies.

Honestly, I would love to see us booted from NATO and NORAD just to prove a point. How quickly would we need to spend money to cover those shortfalls? Hell of a lot more than 20-25 Billion a year.

 

[WLSC]

I think this just reaffirmed to NATO and the U.S. that we are not only a bad faith partner, but a no faith partner. In true Canadian fashion, we lined our own pockets at the expense of our friends and allies.

Honestly, I would love to see us booted from NATO and NORAD just to prove a point. How quickly would we need to spend money to cover those shortfalls? Hell of a lot more than 20-25 Billion a year.

I would be ashame to be in front on any allied military right now. That places Canada on borrowed time, that’s all.

 

[OldSolduer]

I think this just reaffirmed to NATO and the U.S. that we are not only a bad faith partner, but a no faith partner. In true Canadian fashion, we lined our own pockets at the expense of our friends and allies.

Honestly, I would love to see us booted from NATO and NORAD just to prove a point. How quickly would we need to spend money to cover those shortfalls? Hell of a lot more than 20-25 Billion a year.

I'd love it if Canada were called out very publicly by the US and major NATO nations - the UK, Germany etc. It would be worth the price of admission to see Justin scolded.

 

[GR66]

I think this just reaffirmed to NATO and the U.S. that we are not only a bad faith partner, but a no faith partner. In true Canadian fashion, we lined our own pockets at the expense of our friends and allies.

Honestly, I would love to see us booted from NATO and NORAD just to prove a point. How quickly would we need to spend money to cover those shortfalls? Hell of a lot more than 20-25 Billion a year.

I wish that were the case but in all honesty we probably wouldn't spend another penny. We'd just trust that the US wouldn't allow anyone to touch our territory because it's a risk to them.

 

[OldSolduer]

I wish that were the case but in all honesty we probably wouldn't spend another penny. We'd just trust that the US wouldn't allow anyone to touch our territory because it's a risk to them.

There is that pesky 4000 or so mile border to think about.