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Report: Military needs money or Canada will lose control over its own territory
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| imokruok |
Well, Alberta and BC would be nice. Or maybe we could take in all of the English-speaking provinces... I don't know about Quebec though. They'd have to ask really nicely. j/k :D
http://canada.com/national/story.as...67-543E70B2D28F
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Armed forces' future grim, study says
Military needs money or Canada will suffer loss of control over its own territory, report states
David Pugliese
The Ottawa Citizen
OTTAWA -- Canada's air force, as well as either the army or navy, will likely cease to exist around the end of this decade unless the federal government orders a massive infusion of cash, warns a Queen's University study to be released today.
In a scathing report: Canada Without Armed Forces?, researchers paint a gloomy picture about the country's defences.
If the situation isn't fixed, Canada will have trouble exerting control over its own territory, making a contribution to the international scene and repairing the country's damaged relationship with the U.S., the study concludes.
"The next government will be caught up in a cascading policy entanglement initiated by the rapid collapse of Canadian Forces core assets and core capabilities. This problem will inevitably disarm foreign policy as Canada repeatedly backs away from international commitments because it lacks adequate military forces."
If funding for new equipment continues to decline and is not increased, "then the air force will likely disappear through the 2008-2013 time-frame, and either the army or navy will disappear in the same time frame."
It recommends the direct intervention of incoming prime minister Paul Martin to halt the decline and begin to lay the groundwork for revitalizing the armed forces. It also states the defence budget should be boosted to $18.5 billion annually, up around $5 billion from present levels.
The report was produced by officials with the defence management studies program at Queen's University in collaboration with the Ottawa-based Conference of Defence Associations.
Doug Bland, who led the study, said the crisis in the military is so extensive that even if Martin earmarks a substantial amount of money for the Canadian Forces the situation would not change immediately.
"Even if he found $3 billion a year for the armed forces, it's not going to solve his problem because of the legacy he's been left with by Mulroney and Chretien," Bland, chairman of the defence management studies program said. "We ran out of armed forces."
He noted fixing the problem will take the efforts of Martin's government as well as the next. Bland predicted Martin will likely cut military capabilities to solve other problems he faces.
That will further hurt relations with the U.S., which has voiced concerns about Canada not pulling its weight in defence matters, he added.
It will also have a direct impact on Canadian sovereignty.
"The real cost to Canadians if this $18.5 billion allocation is not provided will be not simply a loss of international respect, but most likely the loss of control over most of Canada's territory and, ultimately, the forfeiting of national sovereignty," according to the study.
In the past, Defence Minister John McCallum has dismissed such reports, saying he does not take advice from retired senior officers and military analysts but from the Canadian Forces leadership. To counter such claims, Canada Without Armed Forces? relies heavily on the defence reports and statistics, as well as studies produced by the Senate and the Commons defence committee.
The study recommends a planned review of defence issues to deal immediately with the crisis and recommend ways in which current forces might be stretched and preserved until replacements become available.
© Copyright 2003 Vancouver Sun
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| .montecarlo. |
| i'm not too worried... Paul Martin has already said that military/defense spending will be a priority. although i wouldn't mind getting rid of quebec :p |
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| ahlamalek |
| quote: | Originally posted by .montecarlo.
i'm not too worried... Paul Martin has already said that military/defense spending will be a priority. although i wouldn't mind getting rid of quebec :p |
weird, western provinces are all in favor for quebec staying in the federation to counter balance Ontario's political weight...
to who am I talking here? 14yrs old ? |
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| rizen |
| wish it was the other way around, wouldnt mind living under canadian laws and freedom :p :D |
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| Dmatrox |
Quebec should stay, lets get rid of Saskachewan :D (Albertans love to rip the Saskwatchs. :D)
Quebec pulls in a good proportion of Canada's GDP. The more you move west from Quebec, the less french oriented it is. Im all for paul martin, i think we should get rid of Alexa from the NDP, hell lets get rid of the NDP in general :D |
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| che |
| quote: | Originally posted by Dmatrox
Quebec should stay, lets get rid of Saskachewan :D (Albertans love to rip the Saskwatchs. :D)
Quebec pulls in a good proportion of Canada's GDP. The more you move west from Quebec, the less french oriented it is. Im all for paul martin, i think we should get rid of Alexa from the NDP, hell lets get rid of the NDP in general :D |
Lol...
i'm not so sure about Paul Martin. He is the biggest Conservative Liberal that we have seen. Plus he's against legalizing weed....boooo |
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| Yoepus |
oh does this means Canada will make new large arms deals?
perhaps they'll buy a nice Israeli tank or 50?
I smell mustard conspiracy in the air...:toocool: |
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| PhloTron |
Awww poor canadian Airforce...damn I'm gonna miss the Beaver :(
I want one of them when I can afford it :)
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| .montecarlo. |
| quote: | Originally posted by ahlamalek
weird, western provinces are all in favor for quebec staying in the federation to counter balance Ontario's political weight...
to who am I talking here? 14yrs old ? |
calm down man i was just kidding... |
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| Dmatrox |
| quote: | Originally posted by che
Lol...
i'm not so sure about Paul Martin. He is the biggest Conservative Liberal that we have seen. Plus he's against legalizing weed....boooo |
:haha: he'll definately be more active than jean, remember the elections are coming up? ;) |
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