Justin Trudeau hints at boosting Canada’s military spending

I'll believe it when I see it.

 

[calculus]

Its because they realize to get to where we need to be means cutting social spending and probably foreign aid. And Canadians looooove their social programs.

Has no one in government calculated the cost of going to 2% versus a 3-4 point contraction of GDP as a result of Trump smacking us with Tariffs? It's no secret he's using this threat to push us to spend more on defence.

 

[MilEME09]

Has no one in government calculated the cost of going to 2% versus a 3-4 point contraction of GDP as a result of Trump smacking us with Tariffs? It's no secret he's using this threat to push us to spend more on defence.

Turning into the boy who cried wolf though when he keeps pushing them off a month

 

[FSTO]

Our political leaders seem to be completely out to lunch on the security needs of the country, how much it will cost, what is the strategic direction of our military and foreign policies, and the idea that their world view has been totally upended. We need folks in the political world who are more cognizant of the need for hard policy to backstop our soft policy goals.

 

[dapaterson]

The question is when, not if, 2% will be achieved. But major acquisitions do not happen overnight.

 

[calculus]

The question is when, not if, 2% will be achieved. But major acquisitions do not happen overnight.

I agree, but at least make the commitment public.

 

[QV]

The question is when, not if, 2% will be achieved. But major acquisitions do not happen overnight.

I think we are at a point in time where we can't sit on our haunches and state "over the next 8 years we will....". Nobody believes "commitments" anymore.

Urgent immediate things need to happen to demonstrate we have turned serious. All that is needed is the will to do it.

 

[IKnowNothing]

The question is when, not if, 2% will be achieved. But major acquisitions do not happen overnight.

Are there any levers that can be pulled to speed things up without causing major issues?

The thing that comes to mind would be expanding both recently awarded and soon to be awarded contracts, with a proportional increase to their support and spare part etc components.

The due diligence is done, the hoops jumped through, "just" increase the quantities to what we actually want/need vice what things were trimmed down to under a different budget reality.

Example being Logistics Vehicle Modernization.

Could the day to day ops budget be increased wrt to fuel, spare parts, consumables?

 

[Halifax Tar]

Are there any levers that can be pulled to speed things up without causing major issues?

The thing that comes to mind would be expanding both recently awarded and soon to be awarded contracts, with a proportional increase to their support and spare part etc components.

The due diligence is done, the hoops jumped through, "just" increase the quantities to what we actually want/need vice what things were trimmed down to under a different budget reality.

Example being Logistics Vehicle Modernization.

Could the day to day ops budget be increased wrt to fuel, spare parts, consumables?

Absolutely there is a way.

We did it during Afghanistan for things like Leopard tanks, chinooks and M777s.

Every budget can be increased, but do they want too and where will that money come from ?

Canadians have to tell their politicians that this is a major concern though.

 

[IKnowNothing]

Absolutely there is a way.

We did it during Afghanistan for things like Leopard tanks, chinooks and M777s.

Weren't those UOR's, and UOR's are still projects, which take project time and staff?

I was aiming for more "what could the CAF do "with the stroke of a pen" (more or less) if the GOC gave them the money", to neuter the GoC counter of "well they couldn't spend it even if we gave it to them, there is more work to do first"

 

[PuckChaser]

The question is when, not if, 2% will be achieved. But major acquisitions do not happen overnight.

They do (in comparison to current glacial pace) if there's government will and direction. A couple sole source contracts to build ready firms can have items arriving within a year. Look at the Poles.

 

[McG]

The thing that comes to mind would be expanding both recently awarded and soon to be awarded contracts, with a proportional increase to their support and spare part etc components.

These are limited be the option space that would have been described in the RFP. If Canada has maxed its options, then it is not so easy to expand.

 

[IKnowNothing]

These are limited be the option space that would have been described in the RFP. If Canada has maxed its options, then it is not so easy to expand.

Is that a "TB would force us to have a 2nd competition for more trucks rather than just buying more trucks of the type we're in the process of getting" not so easy or a "would have to negotiate a new contract rather than just change the numbers of the current one" not so easy?

 

[Maxman1]

This all fine and nice until promises made are not promise kept. Carney was already talking out both sides of his mouth regarding pipelines to two different audiences. Carney's plan for the carbon task suggests it is just going to be renamed and moved around - same impact. Carney has a history of advising the current government on the economy which he now characterizes as a disastrous five years. Carney doesn't walk his talk, his private business activity includes big investment in foreign O&G while advocating for that to be shut down in Canada (I was going to say "at home", but I'm not sure he considers Canada his home). He is well dressed, talks slow, and has credentials that look impressive. But if you listen to what he actually says, learn about his history, understand his policies, then you would likely conclude he is the wrong PM for Canada, ever.

Carney debated Poilievre in the past, and it didn't go so well. On the topic of supporting foreign pipelines while being against Canadian pipelines, he was eventually muted by the moderators for constantly making line-winded non-answers to yes/no questions and going over his time.

 

[McG]

Is that a "TB would force us to have a 2nd competition for more trucks rather than just buying more trucks of the type we're in the process of getting" not so easy or a "would have to negotiate a new contract rather than just change the numbers of the current one" not so easy?

The former.

 

[IKnowNothing]

The former.

But TB could be overruled by Cabinet?

 

[dapaterson]

But TB could be overruled by Cabinet?

TB is a committee of cabinet, established under the FAA.

 

[PPCLI Guy]

But TB could be overruled by Cabinet?

In my experience, Cabinet approval to procure / spend is then run through the TB gauntlet - they are basically checking the Cabinet's work, as we are required to justify the expense, yet again, to costers.

 

[IKnowNothing]

TB is a committee of cabinet, established under the FAA.

Point being, if the sitting government wanted the money spent, and the trucks bought, that barrier could be removed by making a decision to not tie our own hands with stupidity.

 

[PPCLI Guy]

In my experience, Cabinet approval to procure / spend is then run through the TB gauntlet - they are basically checking the Cabinet's work, as we are required to justify the expense, yet again, to costers - which took 8 months, which is considered to be lightening fast.

To further elaborate, on one fle I am familiar with, TB approved less than half of what Cabinet approved...18 months later. Taking a $250M cut to a Cabinet approved program is a problem......

 

[dapaterson]

Point being, if the sitting government wanted the money spent, and the trucks bought, that barrier could be removed by making a decision to not tie our own hands with stupidity.

Contracts can be reopened and renegotiated.

And losing bidders can then sue for lost opportunities, since "if we knew you wanted twice as many we would have offered a better price".

One of the biggest ticket items needed by the CAF is infrastructure - updates facilities in bases, at FOLs, PMQs, updated electrical grids, new sewers... None of which are snap your fingers and have them tomorrow things.