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Justin Trudeau hints at boosting Canada’s military spending

I watched the Prime Ministers address this morning about the Liberal-NDP tag team. It sounded like someone asked about reaching NATOs 2% GDP goal and the Prime Minister completely danced around it and didn't answer. I wonder why?
  • New dental care program
  • Universal national pharmacare program
  • Measures aimed at affordability and housing costs i
  • Early Learning and Child Care Act’;
  • Proceed with policies and programs meant to target climate change;
  • 10-day paid sick leave policy
  • Invest more in Indigenous reconciliation including supporting residential school survivors;
  • improving mail-in balloting and potentially allowing a three-day voting period.

With all the very expensive promises the LPC made the NDP for their support the money has to come from somewhere.

I have a feeling we might go with option "don't reach 2% GDP"
 
I watched the Prime Ministers address this morning about the Liberal-NDP tag team. It sounded like someone asked about reaching NATOs 2% GDP goal and the Prime Minister completely danced around it and didn't answer. I wonder why?
  • New dental care program
  • Universal national pharmacare program
  • Measures aimed at affordability and housing costs i
  • Early Learning and Child Care Act’;
  • Proceed with policies and programs meant to target climate change;
  • 10-day paid sick leave policy
  • Invest more in Indigenous reconciliation including supporting residential school survivors;
  • improving mail-in balloting and potentially allowing a three-day voting period.

With all the very expensive promises the LPC made the NDP for their support the money has to come from somewhere.

I have a feeling we might go with option "don't reach 2% GDP"
I'll play slight Devil's Advocate:

If I weren't in the military, those top 3 things would make or break who I voted for. Hell, even with me being in the military, I think those are very important issues to tackle - maybe even beyond the defence budget.

If I were asked right now whether those top 3 things were more important than raising the DND budget, I'd probably agree. I'm sure that Joe Bloggins who has zero military connection would definitely agree.

Some in CAF Reddit have said (not incorrectly) that it's not just how much money, but how we spend the money we're given. If we're still wasting and/or giving back funds then what's the point of increasing funds? If procurement processes are still slow, and the same detractors for service in the CAF are still there, does it really matter if Canada goes up to 2% GDP or not?
 
I'll play slight Devil's Advocate:

If I weren't in the military, those top 3 things would make or break who I voted for. Hell, even with me being in the military, I think those are very important issues to tackle - maybe even beyond the defence budget.

If I were asked right now whether those top 3 things were more important than raising the DND budget, I'd probably agree. I'm sure that Joe Bloggins who has zero military connection would definitely agree.

Some in CAF Reddit have said (not incorrectly) that it's not just how much money, but how we spend the money we're given. If we're still wasting and/or giving back funds then what's the point of increasing funds? If procurement processes are still slow, and the same detractors for service in the CAF are still there, does it really matter if Canada goes up to 2% GDP or not?
even without the add-ons, the NDP are definitely not pro military. My guess is an increase in budget with the purchasing kicking in after 2025
 
Given the shopping list negotiated to keep the government in office until 2025 and the likelihood that base interest rate increases are going to influence the cost of rolling over government debt, the likelihood of meaningful increased military spending making the cut is pretty small.
 
Get NVGs for every combat arms troop ...
This is the way we do our shopping on the cheap, and it is why we will be in trouble if we get into a peer fight. Our A Ech, B Ech, and formation level support will get no night vision, a quarter of the required radios, antiquated trucks, and armoured vehicles fitted but not with weapon systems. Stop thinking in ways that give goodies for the F ech and nothing for the rest. If the service battalion cannot kill Spetsnaz at night, then Spetsnaz will kill service battalions at night. Radios, weapons, and night vision need to be pervasive through a field brigade and not exclusive goodies of combat arms.
 
This is the way we do our shopping on the cheap, and it is why we will be in trouble if we get into a peer fight. Our A Ech, B Ech, and formation level support will get no night vision, a quarter of the required radios, antiquated trucks, and armoured vehicles fitted but not with weapon systems. Stop thinking in ways that give goodies for the F ech and nothing for the rest. If the service battalion cannot kill Spetsnaz at night, then Spetsnaz will kill service battalions at night. Radios, weapons, and night vision need to be pervasive through a field brigade and not exclusive goodies of combat arms.
I only listed a few items off the cuff that would be easily purchased and acquired not the be all end all. Of course equip the rest. Equip the whole army with those things. I’m not advocating making this a combat arms only thing.
 
This is the way we do our shopping on the cheap, and it is why we will be in trouble if we get into a peer fight. Our A Ech, B Ech, and formation level support will get no night vision, a quarter of the required radios, antiquated trucks, and armoured vehicles fitted but not with weapon systems. Stop thinking in ways that give goodies for the F ech and nothing for the rest. If the service battalion cannot kill Spetsnaz at night, then Spetsnaz will kill service battalions at night. Radios, weapons, and night vision need to be pervasive through a field brigade and not exclusive goodies of combat arms.
And the requisite training as well. And a mindset that says “we can do this “
 
I watched the Prime Ministers address this morning about the Liberal-NDP tag team. It sounded like someone asked about reaching NATOs 2% GDP goal and the Prime Minister completely danced around it and didn't answer. I wonder why?
  • New dental care program
  • Universal national pharmacare program
  • Measures aimed at affordability and housing costs i
  • Early Learning and Child Care Act’;
  • Proceed with policies and programs meant to target climate change;
  • 10-day paid sick leave policy
  • Invest more in Indigenous reconciliation including supporting residential school survivors;
  • improving mail-in balloting and potentially allowing a three-day voting period.

With all the very expensive promises the LPC made the NDP for their support the money has to come from somewhere.

I have a feeling we might go with option "don't reach 2% GDP"
I think that this announcement will lead to a lot of finger pointing in Brussels. This might be a blessing in disguise.

Hard to claim empty pockets to your insurance company, when you're doing a multi-billion dollar home reno...
 
I only listed a few items off the cuff that would be easily purchased and acquired not the be all end all. Of course equip the rest. Equip the whole army with those things. I’m not advocating making this a combat arms only thing.
Okay. In the army project world, if someone says “we’ll buy X for the infantry” then right from the start “for the infantry” becomes a constraint and the project scope will never be allowed to increase to address other users’ needs for X. Worse, the fact that we just bought X will become an argument against creating a second project to by X for other users who need it.
 
I'll play slight Devil's Advocate:

If I weren't in the military, those top 3 things would make or break who I voted for. Hell, even with me being in the military, I think those are very important issues to tackle - maybe even beyond the defence budget.

If I were asked right now whether those top 3 things were more important than raising the DND budget, I'd probably agree. I'm sure that Joe Bloggins who has zero military connection would definitely agree.

Some in CAF Reddit have said (not incorrectly) that it's not just how much money, but how we spend the money we're given. If we're still wasting and/or giving back funds then what's the point of increasing funds? If procurement processes are still slow, and the same detractors for service in the CAF are still there, does it really matter if Canada goes up to 2% GDP or not?
Those are provincial issues. Even military matters notwithstanding, they'll be reason enough for me to vote out the government. We have a constitution, respect it.

The only one I'd tolerate is temporary federal intervention in housing, because there does seem to be a housing crisis. Just like I'd support federal intervention wrt to the opioids crisis.

The NDP are nothing but Communists who aren’t in a hurry.
It sounds harsh but it's true. You have anything deeper than a superficial conversation with the average NDP voter and the communism eventually shows its face.
 
Okay. In the army project world, if someone says “we’ll buy X for the infantry” then right from the start “for the infantry” becomes a constraint and the project scope will never be allowed to increase to address other users’ needs for X. Worse, the fact that we just bought X will become an argument against creating a second project to by X for other users who need it.
BNVDFORGEN ;)
 
I watched the Prime Ministers address this morning about the Liberal-NDP tag team. It sounded like someone asked about reaching NATOs 2% GDP goal and the Prime Minister completely danced around it and didn't answer. I wonder why?
  • New dental care program
  • Universal national pharmacare program
  • Measures aimed at affordability and housing costs i
  • Early Learning and Child Care Act’;
  • Proceed with policies and programs meant to target climate change;
  • 10-day paid sick leave policy
  • Invest more in Indigenous reconciliation including supporting residential school survivors;
  • improving mail-in balloting and potentially allowing a three-day voting period.

With all the very expensive promises the LPC made the NDP for their support the money has to come from somewhere.

I have a feeling we might go with option "don't reach 2% GDP"
You forgot the last item - Russian Language classes...

Canada is building a wonderful glass house - when everyone else is picking up rocks.
 
I'll play slight Devil's Advocate:

If I weren't in the military, those top 3 things would make or break who I voted for. Hell, even with me being in the military, I think those are very important issues to tackle - maybe even beyond the defence budget.

If I were asked right now whether those top 3 things were more important than raising the DND budget, I'd probably agree. I'm sure that Joe Bloggins who has zero military connection would definitely agree.

Some in CAF Reddit have said (not incorrectly) that it's not just how much money, but how we spend the money we're given. If we're still wasting and/or giving back funds then what's the point of increasing funds? If procurement processes are still slow, and the same detractors for service in the CAF are still there, does it really matter if Canada goes up to 2% GDP or not?

Cometely agree with everything you said.

What's happening in Ukraine is terrible, but not having $10 day care, a dental plan, and affordable housing is more terrible.

Hard to disagree when you brought up another great point. If we're already wasting money, giving back money, and shitting the procurement bed what will more money do?


All that to say the "time to get serious about defense" talk from the government is hollow.
 
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