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Speech hints at rescue plan for Forces
Chré'©en to build up relations with U.S.
Robert Fife and Anne Dawson
National Post
Tuesday, October 01, 2002
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OTTAWA - Jean Chré'©en signalled for the first time since he came to power nine years ago that he intends to address underfunding in the Armed Forces and to place greater emphasis on relations with the United States.
The surprise announcement came in yesterday's Speech from the Throne in which a commitment was made to confront declining resources in the military, an issue that has been raised by Paul Cellucci, the U.S. ambassador, a chorus of military experts, prominent Liberals, Senators and the House of Commons defence committee.
The Prime Minister is expected to expand on the military theme when he delivers a major speech in the House of Commons today.
In yesterday's speech, prepared by the Prime Minister's Office, Adrienne Clarkson, the Governor-General, pointed to the sacrifice Canadian soldiers made in Afghanistan and said Canadians expect them to be properly equipped.
"This kind of contribution, this kind of democratic participation, this kind of nurturing of young leadership makes us what we are as a nation. It is a very precious life that we share as Canadians. And we must be prepared not only to praise it, but also to make sacrifices for it," the speech said.
"Before the end of this mandate, the government will set out a long-term direction on international and defence policy that reflects our values and interests and ensures that Canada's military is equipped to fulfill the demands placed upon it," the speech said.
Senior government officials told the National Post that Mr. Chré'©en insisted on a reference to defence at the beginning of the Throne Speech because he wanted to assure Washington he is serious about tackling the decline in Canada's military capabilities.
"We wanted to show the U.S. that we are committed to standing with them. We wanted to make it very clear early on in the Throne Speech," a senior official said. "We want to make sure the military is not forgotten. We are aware of the reputation that the military has in the rest of the world and it's an extremely important issue to address in light of recent circumstances."
There was no outright commitment to increase the defence budget, which is currently $12-billion a year, half the NATO average of 2% of GDP. But John McCallum, the Defence Minister, said he is confident a defence update can be completed before next year's budget. He said he has not decided yet whether there will be an overall review of defence policy.
Sources say Mr. McCallum is hoping to get an annual $1-billion increase in the budget over the next several years.
"I want to proceed relatively quickly so that we have a chance to be in on the next budget cycle. We've been working intensively over the summer and we will continue to work on these matters so that we will be ready in several months down the road," Mr. McCallum later told reporters.
Mr. McCallum recently said he is looking to shift priorities within the department to free up money, such as moving funds from "low- priority" items such as heavy tanks to other priorities.
David Pratt, the chairman of the Commons defence committee, said he is gratified the government has finally recognized the need to address the problems facing the armed forces, which has suffered deep budget cuts since 1993 and seen its numbers drop from 87,600 in 1990 to 57,000 today.
"I would have liked to have seen more detail, but that is going to have to wait for the budget, obviously. But there seems to be a groundswell of opinion right now calling on the government to spend more on defence. So something has to be done," Mr. Pratt said.
"Obviously the whole issue of defence spending is an irritant in the Canada-U.S. relationship and we are going to have to resolve it. The U.S. is too important to us and we are too important to them not to get a resolution on this."
The government also promised in the Throne Speech to place greater emphasis on its diplomatic relationship with Washington and to set up more consular offices in U.S. cities.
"Washington is by far our most important embassy ... so there is no question about it, we can always use more resources in Washington. But we can also increase our resources outside Washington," Bill Graham, the Foreign Affairs Minister, later told reporters.
"Quite often when you want to reach important senators or congressmen, you can't reach them in Washington, you have to reach them in their hometowns when they are available."
Since 1994, the government has reduced defence spending by 23%. Canada has the world's 54th largest armed forces and 77th largest reserve force even though it has the 34th largest population and is a member of the Group of Seven industrialized nations.
A bevy of military analysts, most recently the Council on Canadian Security in the 21st Century and the Atlantic Institute, have warned Canada is at risk of being unable to defend itself unless it increases spending.
The Senate defence committee recently called for a $4-billion annual increase in the armed forces budget and 25,000 more personnel, while Liberal MPs on the Commons defence committee have urged the Prime Minister not to sacrifice Canada's military to fund social spending.
Military experts say Canada needs to double its equipment budget to $3.5-billion a year just to replace ageing equipment.
In a report to Parliament last year, Sheila Fraser, the Auditor-General, said Canada's armed forces cannot guarantee its combat-readiness because of old equipment and severe shortages of spare parts and qualified maintenance personnel.
Most recently, senior Liberals have spoken out against the lack of attention paid to the military by the Chré'©en government.
Tom Axworthy, an influential player within the Liberal party establishment, called for a $20-billion-a-year increase in defence spending and massive tax cuts if Canada is to be taken seriously by the United States and to close the competitive gap with the nation's biggest trading partner.
Mr. Axworthy, a former principal secretary to Pierre Trudeau, warned Canada has a "credibility gap of immense proportions" with Washington.
Chré'©en to build up relations with U.S.
Robert Fife and Anne Dawson
National Post
Tuesday, October 01, 2002
ADVERTISEMENT
OTTAWA - Jean Chré'©en signalled for the first time since he came to power nine years ago that he intends to address underfunding in the Armed Forces and to place greater emphasis on relations with the United States.
The surprise announcement came in yesterday's Speech from the Throne in which a commitment was made to confront declining resources in the military, an issue that has been raised by Paul Cellucci, the U.S. ambassador, a chorus of military experts, prominent Liberals, Senators and the House of Commons defence committee.
The Prime Minister is expected to expand on the military theme when he delivers a major speech in the House of Commons today.
In yesterday's speech, prepared by the Prime Minister's Office, Adrienne Clarkson, the Governor-General, pointed to the sacrifice Canadian soldiers made in Afghanistan and said Canadians expect them to be properly equipped.
"This kind of contribution, this kind of democratic participation, this kind of nurturing of young leadership makes us what we are as a nation. It is a very precious life that we share as Canadians. And we must be prepared not only to praise it, but also to make sacrifices for it," the speech said.
"Before the end of this mandate, the government will set out a long-term direction on international and defence policy that reflects our values and interests and ensures that Canada's military is equipped to fulfill the demands placed upon it," the speech said.
Senior government officials told the National Post that Mr. Chré'©en insisted on a reference to defence at the beginning of the Throne Speech because he wanted to assure Washington he is serious about tackling the decline in Canada's military capabilities.
"We wanted to show the U.S. that we are committed to standing with them. We wanted to make it very clear early on in the Throne Speech," a senior official said. "We want to make sure the military is not forgotten. We are aware of the reputation that the military has in the rest of the world and it's an extremely important issue to address in light of recent circumstances."
There was no outright commitment to increase the defence budget, which is currently $12-billion a year, half the NATO average of 2% of GDP. But John McCallum, the Defence Minister, said he is confident a defence update can be completed before next year's budget. He said he has not decided yet whether there will be an overall review of defence policy.
Sources say Mr. McCallum is hoping to get an annual $1-billion increase in the budget over the next several years.
"I want to proceed relatively quickly so that we have a chance to be in on the next budget cycle. We've been working intensively over the summer and we will continue to work on these matters so that we will be ready in several months down the road," Mr. McCallum later told reporters.
Mr. McCallum recently said he is looking to shift priorities within the department to free up money, such as moving funds from "low- priority" items such as heavy tanks to other priorities.
David Pratt, the chairman of the Commons defence committee, said he is gratified the government has finally recognized the need to address the problems facing the armed forces, which has suffered deep budget cuts since 1993 and seen its numbers drop from 87,600 in 1990 to 57,000 today.
"I would have liked to have seen more detail, but that is going to have to wait for the budget, obviously. But there seems to be a groundswell of opinion right now calling on the government to spend more on defence. So something has to be done," Mr. Pratt said.
"Obviously the whole issue of defence spending is an irritant in the Canada-U.S. relationship and we are going to have to resolve it. The U.S. is too important to us and we are too important to them not to get a resolution on this."
The government also promised in the Throne Speech to place greater emphasis on its diplomatic relationship with Washington and to set up more consular offices in U.S. cities.
"Washington is by far our most important embassy ... so there is no question about it, we can always use more resources in Washington. But we can also increase our resources outside Washington," Bill Graham, the Foreign Affairs Minister, later told reporters.
"Quite often when you want to reach important senators or congressmen, you can't reach them in Washington, you have to reach them in their hometowns when they are available."
Since 1994, the government has reduced defence spending by 23%. Canada has the world's 54th largest armed forces and 77th largest reserve force even though it has the 34th largest population and is a member of the Group of Seven industrialized nations.
A bevy of military analysts, most recently the Council on Canadian Security in the 21st Century and the Atlantic Institute, have warned Canada is at risk of being unable to defend itself unless it increases spending.
The Senate defence committee recently called for a $4-billion annual increase in the armed forces budget and 25,000 more personnel, while Liberal MPs on the Commons defence committee have urged the Prime Minister not to sacrifice Canada's military to fund social spending.
Military experts say Canada needs to double its equipment budget to $3.5-billion a year just to replace ageing equipment.
In a report to Parliament last year, Sheila Fraser, the Auditor-General, said Canada's armed forces cannot guarantee its combat-readiness because of old equipment and severe shortages of spare parts and qualified maintenance personnel.
Most recently, senior Liberals have spoken out against the lack of attention paid to the military by the Chré'©en government.
Tom Axworthy, an influential player within the Liberal party establishment, called for a $20-billion-a-year increase in defence spending and massive tax cuts if Canada is to be taken seriously by the United States and to close the competitive gap with the nation's biggest trading partner.
Mr. Axworthy, a former principal secretary to Pierre Trudeau, warned Canada has a "credibility gap of immense proportions" with Washington.
