Defining Foreign and Defence Policy (and hence our Military Force)

[jollyjacktar]

As you put it that way, it does almost seem as if the "fix" is in.

 

[MilEME09]

To many what if's I think for now, notice too the public consultations are in more liberal leaning areas, and also away from major defense establishments, the NDP Defense critic was annoyed in an interview on CTV that the consultation was being held in Vancouver and not Victoria. So he plans to hold his own public consultations outside the liberal sphere.

 

[PuckChaser]

To many what if's I think for now, notice too the public consultations are in more liberal leaning areas, and also away from major defense establishments, the NDP Defense critic was annoyed in an interview on CTV that the consultation was being held in Vancouver and not Victoria. So he plans to hold his own public consultations outside the liberal sphere.

The website did say if there were community events being held, to submit them and they would be posted on the site. I'd like to think they wouldn't have the balls to not list a submitted one from the NDP defense critic....

 

[Cloud Cover]

'Stay alive, till 2025". Because thats how long this government is going to last.  This review and the result from it will be absolutely meaningless to those who don't give two frigs about defence, so thats about 90 percent of the general population and 100 percent of the Liberal party.

 

[The Bread Guy]

This review and the result from it will be absolutely meaningless to those who don't give two frigs about defence, so thats about 90 percent of the general population ...

Sadly, how's that different from any defence review in Canada? 

Still, like buying a lottery ticket, speaking your piece raises the odds of being heard from impossible to improbable ...

 

[MarkOttawa]

Carleton Prof. Steve Saideman has some doubts about the places where consultation round-tables will be held:

"Canadian Defence Review: Substance or Paper"
http://saideman.blogspot.ca/2016/04/canadian-defence-review-substance-or.html

Mark
Ottawa

 

[RedcapCrusader]

Another excellent piece by Colonel Ted Campbell on the Defence Review.


https://coloneltedcampbell.wordpress.com/2016/04/05/the-defence-review-2/

 

[jollyjacktar]

Col. Hammond is spot on.  Excellent read.

 

[RedcapCrusader]

Col. Hammond is spot on.  Excellent read.

Now, the government says they'd like input from everyone (and anyone?) on the Defence Review, I'm hoping Col. Hammond, Prof. Alexander Moens, and other brilliant minds alike actually submit their suggestions to the MND and he listens.

I'm banking on the MND's long and honourable career as a Reservist to hopefully play a role in actually listening and taking a vested interest in the people that this affects the most: the working/fighting troops, and the Canadians we are there to defend.

I'm sick of the constant pandering to politicos. Give us proper compensation, proper equipment, and give us a purpose to stick around for the long haul.

I hope I'm making sense here... It's been a long night shift

 

[Edward Campbell]

Now, the government says they'd like input from everyone (and anyone?) on the Defence Review, I'm hoping Col. Hammond, Prof. Alexander Moens, and other brilliant minds alike actually submit their suggestions to the MND and he listens. My suspicion (reasonably well founded, I think) is that the MND will not have much to do with the review, proper. It will be done by (hopefully) senior officials, maybe (worst case) by political hacks and flacks in Toronto and Montreal; my fear is that those political hacks and flacks have already done the first draft of the review and the second draft will just involve adding references to "friendly" submissions and a few paragraphs of rebuttal to unfriendly ones ~ "unfriendly" advice being the sort already offered by Col Hammond and Prof Moens.

I'm banking on the MND's long and honourable career as a Reservist to hopefully play a role in actually listening and taking a vested interest in the people that this affects the most: the working/fighting troops, and the Canadians we are there to defend.  See my comments, just above, about who really sets defence policy. If Prime Minister Trudeau was interested in a really informed, expert, military opinion then Andrew Leslie would be the MND ~ he's not, so you may rest assured that the PMO is not interested in informed, expert advice. It needs a "review" that will support its big spending, social agenda ... it will get one.

I'm sick of the constant pandering to politicos. Give us proper compensation, proper equipment, and give us a purpose to stick around for the long haul.

I hope I'm making sense here... It's been a long night shift

 

[George Wallace]

Personally, in line with ERC's post, I am having just a few quandaries with what we will see come out of this:

From CBC: http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/canada-defence-review-sajjan-1.3523414

The ministerial advisory panel members are:

Louise Arbour, a former Supreme Court justice, member of the advisory board of the Coalition for the International Criminal Court and former UN high commissioner for human rights.

Bill Graham, former Liberal minister of foreign affairs and national defence.

Ray Henault, former chief of the defence staff and past chair of the NATO military committee.

Margaret Purdy, former associate deputy minister of national defence.

 

[The Bread Guy]

Personally, in line with ERC's post, I am having just a few quandaries with what we will see come out of this:

From CBC: http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/canada-defence-review-sajjan-1.3523414

The ministerial advisory panel members are:

Louise Arbour, a former Supreme Court justice, member of the advisory board of the Coalition for the International Criminal Court and former UN high commissioner for human rights.

Bill Graham, former Liberal minister of foreign affairs and national defence.

Ray Henault, former chief of the defence staff and past chair of the NATO military committee.

Margaret Purdy, former associate deputy minister of national defence.

More in the microbios here.

 

[a_majoor]

If Prime Minister Trudeau was interested in a really informed, expert, military opinion then Andrew Leslie would be the MND ~ he's not, so you may rest assured that the PMO is not interested in informed, expert advice. It needs a "review" that will support its big spending, social agenda ... it will get one.

One "Decade of darkness" per career should be enough for anyone...

 

[Edward Campbell]

One "Decade of darkness" per career should be enough for anyone...

Oh, I had three of them:

  1. Trudeau père (1968-84) really wanted to disband the CF. When his own cabinet rebelled he settled for just starving us to death;

  2. Mulroney (1984-1992) who might have wanted to strengthen the CF but who was constrained by Pierre Trudeau's fiscal legacy; and

  3. Chrétien (1993 until well after I retired) who simply didn't like (or trust) the military and was very, very well attuned to Canadians' broad and general distaste for defence spending.

 

[George Wallace]

Oh, I had three of them:

  1. Trudeau père (1968-84) really wanted to disband the CF. When his own cabinet rebelled he settled for just starving us to death;

  2. Mulroney (1984-1992) who might have wanted to strengthen the CF but who was constrained by Pierre Trudeau's fiscal legacy; and

  3. Chrétien (1993 until well after I retired) who simply didn't like (or trust) the military and was very, very well attuned to Canadians' broad and general distaste for defence spending.

GOD!  Now I feel depressed......Having served during all of those 'reigns'.

 

[jollyjacktar]

Yes, and still going today as I started in 80 with a short break between 85-89.  The years between Chretien and today were not necessarily much better at times for that matter.

 

[Eye In The Sky]

But...we have new ranks!  ;D

 

[Retired AF Guy]

Oh, I had three of them:

  1. Trudeau père (1968-84) really wanted to disband the CF. When his own cabinet rebelled he settled for just starving us to death;

  2. Mulroney (1984-1992) who might have wanted to strengthen the CF but who was constrained by Pierre Trudeau's fiscal legacy; and

  3. Chrétien (1993 until well after I retired) who simply didn't like (or trust) the military and was very, very well attuned to Canadians' broad and general distaste for defence spending.

The same here.. should have gotten a medal for it.

 

[George Wallace]

But...we have new ranks!  ;D

And we are on V 2.0  [

 

[jollyjacktar]

But...we have new ranks!  ;D

I didn't know I had a new smell.  Hope it's pleasant like Gain detergent or Axe...