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Military short on money for basics, Hillier says
Updated Fri. Feb. 24 2006 11:36 PM ET
Canadian Press
OTTAWA — The Canadian Forces are still short of money for basics - bullets, beans and buildings - despite rosy political promises, says the country's top soldier.
Today's military budget, despite a modest top-up in last year's federal budget and lush promises of billions to come, hasn't caught up to where it was 15 years ago, Gen. Rick Hillier said Friday.
Hillier, chief of the defence staff, said he has a lot of plans for more people, new equipment and better conditions for the troops. But they are just plans, so far.
"It takes money," he said in a speech to the Conference of Defence Associations, an umbrella group of defence-related organizations.
Until that money comes, he's scrambling to cover basic necessities.
The former Liberal government promised $5 billion in new money over five years. The new Conservative government says it will up the Liberal ante by another $5 billion over the same term.
But Hillier's needs cash today.
"We remain short about three quarters of a billion dollars just to sustain the present Canadian Forces," he said.
"That's everything from married quarters to spare parts, to ammunition, the running of simulators, to gas and oil, to rations and to everything else necessary to march or fly or sail."
Beyond these day-to-day expenses, there's an enormous backlog of repairs and maintenance that has been deferred for years.
"The bow wave of things that we have not done, that we have put off . . . is enormous," he said. "It is going to take us billions of dollars to get out of that hole and I mean billions with a capital B."
Hillier also said that the military has too many buildings, hangars and other infrastructure on its bases that cost money but add nothing to the Forces.
"My estimate is that we have anywhere up to a quarter of our infrastructure that is not operationally required."
Hillier has welcomed the Conservative government's proposals for new planes, bases and 13,000 new troops.
Although some say the Forces would be swamped trying to absorb that many recruits, the general says he's ready to try some novel approaches to the problem.
"We will take operational units at lower states of readiness and turn them into schools to train those men and women," he said.
He also wants to enlist civilian colleges to train military technicians on a contract basis.
"We spend hundreds of of billions of dollars a year for education across our country and I don't feel obligated to repeat all the same things inside the Canadian Forces if it can be done for us as easily with an agreement."
Hillier seemed to be taken aback by a new poll published Friday which suggested almost two-thirds of Canadians oppose Canada's involvement in Afghanistan.
Canadian troops have been involved in the southwest Asian country for four years and there are 2,200 troops there now.
Both the Conservatives and their Liberal predecessors have stressed the importance of rebuilding Afghanistan and Hillier said his soldiers on the ground there are convinced they are doing a key job.
"These men and women believe that they are there for critically important reasons for our country and Canadians need to get involved and learn about that mission."
"Many Canadians do know or understand the complexities of what the Afghan mission is about, why we are there and its critical importance to Canada."
Hillier also said he wants to build a stronger connection between the Forces and the rest of the country after years in which the military and the civilian community have drifted apart.
"Having been disconnected from the population for many years in my view, disowned by Canadians in this past decade and seen their confidence in us plummet, we have an obligation to ensure that we as Canada's armed forces are seen by our population . . . as exactly that; as their armed forces."
Military short on money for basics, Hillier says
Updated Fri. Feb. 24 2006 11:36 PM ET
Canadian Press
OTTAWA — The Canadian Forces are still short of money for basics - bullets, beans and buildings - despite rosy political promises, says the country's top soldier.
Today's military budget, despite a modest top-up in last year's federal budget and lush promises of billions to come, hasn't caught up to where it was 15 years ago, Gen. Rick Hillier said Friday.
Hillier, chief of the defence staff, said he has a lot of plans for more people, new equipment and better conditions for the troops. But they are just plans, so far.
"It takes money," he said in a speech to the Conference of Defence Associations, an umbrella group of defence-related organizations.
Until that money comes, he's scrambling to cover basic necessities.
The former Liberal government promised $5 billion in new money over five years. The new Conservative government says it will up the Liberal ante by another $5 billion over the same term.
But Hillier's needs cash today.
"We remain short about three quarters of a billion dollars just to sustain the present Canadian Forces," he said.
"That's everything from married quarters to spare parts, to ammunition, the running of simulators, to gas and oil, to rations and to everything else necessary to march or fly or sail."
Beyond these day-to-day expenses, there's an enormous backlog of repairs and maintenance that has been deferred for years.
"The bow wave of things that we have not done, that we have put off . . . is enormous," he said. "It is going to take us billions of dollars to get out of that hole and I mean billions with a capital B."
Hillier also said that the military has too many buildings, hangars and other infrastructure on its bases that cost money but add nothing to the Forces.
"My estimate is that we have anywhere up to a quarter of our infrastructure that is not operationally required."
Hillier has welcomed the Conservative government's proposals for new planes, bases and 13,000 new troops.
Although some say the Forces would be swamped trying to absorb that many recruits, the general says he's ready to try some novel approaches to the problem.
"We will take operational units at lower states of readiness and turn them into schools to train those men and women," he said.
He also wants to enlist civilian colleges to train military technicians on a contract basis.
"We spend hundreds of of billions of dollars a year for education across our country and I don't feel obligated to repeat all the same things inside the Canadian Forces if it can be done for us as easily with an agreement."
Hillier seemed to be taken aback by a new poll published Friday which suggested almost two-thirds of Canadians oppose Canada's involvement in Afghanistan.
Canadian troops have been involved in the southwest Asian country for four years and there are 2,200 troops there now.
Both the Conservatives and their Liberal predecessors have stressed the importance of rebuilding Afghanistan and Hillier said his soldiers on the ground there are convinced they are doing a key job.
"These men and women believe that they are there for critically important reasons for our country and Canadians need to get involved and learn about that mission."
"Many Canadians do know or understand the complexities of what the Afghan mission is about, why we are there and its critical importance to Canada."
Hillier also said he wants to build a stronger connection between the Forces and the rest of the country after years in which the military and the civilian community have drifted apart.
"Having been disconnected from the population for many years in my view, disowned by Canadians in this past decade and seen their confidence in us plummet, we have an obligation to ensure that we as Canada's armed forces are seen by our population . . . as exactly that; as their armed forces."
