Justin Trudeau hints at boosting Canada’s military spending

I'll believe it when I see it.

 

[GR66]

Admittedly with us apparently going to stand down two ABCT's in the next year or two, it may be time to get a screaming deal on next to new equipment to create 2 Canadian ABCT's, as well as a slew of BlackHawk and CH-47's...

A month ago I would have said "hell yeah!".

Now? Hard pass

 

[MilEME09]

for the next 4 years we cannot trust anything american trade or defense wise to not be used as some bargaining chip against us. We are going to need to dig our pockets deep to go euro or korean but long term we will be better for it.

 

[KevinB]

for the next 4 years we cannot trust anything american trade or defense wise to not be used as some bargaining chip against us. We are going to need to dig our pockets deep to go euro or korean but long term we will be better for it.

I understand the sentiment, but you may want to consider that sometimes it’s better to keep one’s nose under the tent as it were.

 

[Halifax Tar]

I understand the sentiment, but you may want to consider that sometimes it’s better to keep one’s nose under the tent as it were.

Your tent stinks right now. No thanks.

Incidentally I'd say the same to the UK and the crown as well.

 

[daftandbarmy]

for the next 4 years we cannot trust anything american trade or defense wise to not be used as some bargaining chip against us. We are going to need to dig our pockets deep to go euro or korean but long term we will be better for it.

I think you're assuming that the Trump administration will last 4 years in its current form.

Bold move

 

[Kirkhill]

I think you're assuming that the Trump administration will last 4 years in its current form.

Bold move

My problem is JD Vance. I suspect he has the potential to last the next 12 years. And he, after what I have seen the last week or so, is a lot more frightening than Trump.

Trump is creating the vacuum. Vance seems likely to fill it.

 

[ytz]

Good Perun video analyzing European defence industrial capacity, and spending levels and what it would take to for Europe to be independent of the US.

I think we should at least start considering some of this context, in our own defence planning. Especially for kit that we might want to transfer as aid in the future. Americans are starting to wield ITAR to get a competitive edge and to impede the foreign policy of allies. How long before the Trump administration uses ITAR to stop European aid to Ukraine? In the video, Perun also points out how the stocks of European and Korean arms makers have taken off, while American OEMs took hits, after Hegseth's Munich speech.

 

[ytz]

for the next 4 years we cannot trust anything american trade or defense wise to not be used as some bargaining chip against us. We are going to need to dig our pockets deep to go euro or korean but long term we will be better for it.

This doesn't end in 4 years. In 2016, one could say that. Today? You can't say that. The American voter chose this, knowing the consequences. They may whine and complain. But this is what they want. Note the lack of real pushback from Congress. Note how timid protests are in the US. Note that Trump's approval rating is still close to 50%. This is who they are. And we need to stop trying to rationalize and excuse it and think they'll come back to their senses. That's some battered wife syndrome shit.

 

[MilEME09]

My problem is JD Vance. I suspect he has the potential to last the next 12 years. And he, after what I have seen the last week or so, is a lot more frightening than Trump.

Trump is creating the vacuum. Vance seems likely to fill it.

The way he is killing foreign policy and relationships, the defense industry will be throwing all their money against him.

 

[Kirkhill]

for the next 4 years we cannot trust anything american trade or defense wise to not be used as some bargaining chip against us. We are going to need to dig our pockets deep to go euro or korean but long term we will be better for it.

I understand the sentiment, but you may want to consider that sometimes it’s better to keep one’s nose under the tent as it were.

Your tent stinks right now. No thanks.

Incidentally I'd say the same to the UK and the crown as well.

Geography says that we are still stuck next to an elephant. And it is now a musky old bull. And it has its eyes on our feeding grounds.

Our best shot at survival is to keep our distance, build good fences, try not to antagonize him any further and develop ourselves so that we can outlast him and his country.

Which brings me to my next thought ---

Mark Carney.

Carney would be wasted as Prime Minister.

As of November 2021, the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ) had over $130 trillion in assets. GFANZ is a UN-convened alliance of financial institutions that aims to reduce carbon emissions to net zero by mid-century.

Explanation

• GFANZ was established in April 2021 by Mark Carney, a former governor of the Bank of England and Canada, and Michael Bloomberg
  
  
• The alliance includes banks, insurers, asset owners, investment consultants, and service providers
  
  
• GFANZ members agreed to reduce their portfolio emissions to net zero by 2050, and to set interim goals to reduce CO2 emissions
  
  
• The alliance's goal is to align lending and investment activities with the Paris agreement's net-zero goals
  
  
• GFANZ is not intended to stop funding carbon-intensive industries entirely

GFANZ is led by a Principals Group that includes CEOs and leaders from many of the world's leading financial institutions.

The US owes 21 Trillion dollars. That is a large driver in Trump's, and America's isolationism.
The UK owes 10 Trillion dollars. That is a large driver in preventing the UK acting like the UK of old. People used to owe it money.

Canada owes 1.5 Trillion dollars. Compared to those two we have borrowing room. And, compared to those two we have a lot more buried assets that we could exploit. But like good frugal Scots we don't trust our ability to succeed.

Too many Scots bankers in the gene pool of Canada's banks, all with memories of the Darien and John Law.

But, Mark Carney, fronting Michael Bloomberg, managed to raise a private venture fund of 130 Trillion dollars.

Put him to work doing what he does best.

Two funds.

Ukrainian Defence Fund to finance the support of Ukraine AND the rearmament of NATO.

Canada Development Fund to finance the rapid growth of infrastructure in Canada to generate export revenues.

....

I wouldn't mind seeing Carney in that role and Anita Anand working with a Poilievre government.

 

[Kirkhill]

The way he is killing foreign policy and relationships, the defense industry will be throwing all their money against him.

True enough. I wonder how many contracts have been cancelled and sales lost in the past two weeks.

 

[FSTO]

Your tent stinks right now. No thanks.

Incidentally I'd say the same to the UK and the crown as well.

To be fair to the King, he is following convention that the Canadian Government will give him speaking notes when they want him to speak. And since we don’t have a functioning government until at least mid March, what he might say now may be at odds with what the GoC’s real policy is ( I’m being generous to the LPC, the haven’t had policy on anything for 10 years!)

 

[MilEME09]

True enough. I wonder how many contracts have been cancelled and sales lost in the past two weeks.

Between him, and RFK going after pharmaceutical companies, the amount of money going against the republican party at the mid terms almost all but ensures the dems will take one or both houses on congress.

Long term though the damage is done, I agree with Mark Carney that the 80% of our equipment coming from the US needs to go down. Way down, the companies are there, we just need to start buying

 

[GR66]

I understand the sentiment, but you may want to consider that sometimes it’s better to keep one’s nose under the tent as it were.

The key is to onshore as much of our key defence production as possible without explicitly pissing off our neighbours to the South.

They complain that we're not doing enough to contribute to the collective defence of the West. Hard for them to complain if we then turn around and up our defence spending and capability to address those concerns. Want us to buy US kit? Sure, set up a production facility here in Canada just like the Koreans or Swedes are willing to do and we'll buy it. But that's not going to happen because Trump wants all American companies to concentrate their production in the US to generate American jobs...so that's their choice.

We're doing exactly what they ask in stepping up and fulfilling our promises. We pull our weight in NORAD and NATO, increase our domestic defence industrial capacity and reduce our reliance on US kit at the same time.

 

[Kirkhill]

The key is to onshore as much of our key defence production as possible without explicitly pissing off our neighbours to the South.

They complain that we're not doing enough to contribute to the collective defence of the West. Hard for them to complain if we then turn around and up our defence spending and capability to address those concerns. Want us to buy US kit? Sure, set up a production facility here in Canada just like the Koreans or Swedes are willing to do and we'll buy it. But that's not going to happen because Trump wants all American companies to concentrate their production in the US to generate American jobs...so that's their choice.

We're doing exactly what they ask in stepping up and fulfilling our promises. We pull our weight in NORAD and NATO, increase our domestic defence industrial capacity and reduce our reliance on US kit at the same time.

In the meantime can we use "the threat from the south" to improve our recruiting?

 

[Quirky]

My problem is JD Vance. I suspect he has the potential to last the next 12 years. And he, after what I have seen the last week or so, is a lot more frightening than Trump.

Trump is creating the vacuum. Vance seems likely to fill it.

The Democrats better get their house in order then.

In the meantime can we use "the threat from the south" to improve our recruiting?

Enrolement is the issue, not recruiting. 1-2 year waits after applications are submitted is an absolute disgrace.

 

[ytz]

The way he is killing foreign policy and relationships, the defense industry will be throwing all their money against him.

The Trump administration is already whining about Europe not buying kit from the US.

Trump Tells Europe to Buy American Arms to Keep NATO Strong

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-02-13/trump-tells-europe-to-buy-american-weapons-to-keep-nato-strong

European defence stocks like Rheinmetall and Leonardo are all up 20-30% after Hegseth's speech. Hanwha's stock is up a whopping 70%. Meanwhile LockMart and General Dynamics are down 10%. What did these clowns think would happen when they basically said they were going to abandon Europe? All while also threatening a trade war with these very same countries.

You don't need F-35s to beat the Russians. They help. But Gripens with Meteors can also do the job. The Europeans and Koreans and Japanese will ramp up. Not just to arm themselves. But to compete with the Americans in the global arms market.

 

[PuckChaser]

I've deleted a few posts because, quite frankly, they're toxic to other users (and off topic). Play nice or we'll hand out timeouts.

- Milnet.ca Staff

 

[JLB50]

In the meantime can we use "the threat from the south" to improve our recruiting?

Or better still, make reference to defending us from the “Red, White and You-Know-Who”.

 

[OldSolduer]

In the meantime can we use "the threat from the south" to improve our recruiting?

I don't think that would sell all that well. Just my opinion.