Justin Trudeau hints at boosting Canada’s military spending

I'll believe it when I see it.

 

[PrairieFella]

According to Bill Blair, there may be a plan to get us to 2% being announced at the summit. We shall see.

 

[SeaKingTacco]

According to Bill Blair, there may be a plan to get us to 2% being announced at the summit. We shall see.

A plan.

Like all of the other “plans” that this government has announced since 2015, but not actually implemented?

 

[Czech_pivo]

Agreed - but many Canadians trace their heritage to NATO countries. If those other countries get attacked, the war stops being “a Russia/Ukraine” thing and an “European” thing.

I would suspect that the Polish-Canadian diaspora would care very much if Poland were attacked, etc.

Give Trudeau another election mandate and he'll do his best to change that.

 

[The Bread Guy]

Give Trudeau another election mandate and he'll do his best to change that.

There'll STILL be a less-than-insignificant Slavic population around (and not just in Canada) to feel compelled to do all this ....

... fundraising, accepting refugees, that sort of thing ...

... and more if RUS was dumb enough to do something to POL.

 

[Fabius]

According to Bill Blair, there may be a plan to get us to 2% being announced at the summit. We shall see.

If there is a plan announced, I would question the Trudeau government’s commitment to it.
Why was it not included in the defence policy update that has only been out for three months after taking over two years to draft.
Nothing has changed internationally, our allies likely have expressed their concern about our funding.
If there is a plan announced it is not because the Trudeau government thinks there is a need for more military power, nor that the military needs to be more prepared. It’s only likely to be announced to placate NATO. The chance of actual funding and action occurring is limited.

 

[Quirky]

According to Bill Blair, there may be a plan to get us to 2% being announced at the summit. We shall see.

A plan....to start after November 2025.

 

[YZT580]

A plan....to start after November 2025.

probably true but no one at the meeting will believe him anyways although they may mouth nice things in public. In private it will be show me the money

 

[Colin Parkinson]

According to Bill Blair, there may be a plan to get us to 2% being announced at the summit. We shall see.

Booking all the flights to the summit on Air Canada business class will help bump up the spending. On a more serious note, if they announced that we are buying new subs, that would immediately increase our spending significantly. Along with increasing housing on bases. Why the Liberals are not chasing housing as a way to beef up spending is beyond me. It's all job and domestic based, don't need to buy icky boom stuff and actually solves some real issues.

 

[markppcli]

To be fair we're still beating freeloaders like Spain and Luxemburg.

Spain may be a free loader but that 1.3% allows them to field 8 regular maneuver brigades, artillery and engineer brigades, plus 3 garrison brigades. Their Air Force has 9 fighter squadrons, while the Navy is relatively small but still contains a power projection capability with and air crafter carrier, and their newest ships will arrive next year.

 

[Brad Sallows]

According to Bill Blair, there may be a plan to get us to 2% being announced at the summit. We shall see.

What governments call a "plan" is usually just an aspirational bullet point list of aims, not a blueprint for execution. Thus, it's approximately meaningless and valueless.

 

[MilEME09]

A plan.

Like all of the other “plans” that this government has announced since 2015, but not actually implemented?

It will be like the policy update "plan" all funding starts after an election cycle.

 

[markppcli]

The simple reality is we need to raise the amount of money commanders in the army can spend without review. Less money on office chairs, more money on soldier equipment as opposed to waiting on DLR to deliver.

 

[McG]

What NATO Countries and Other U.S. Allies Contribute to the Collective Defense

 

[daftandbarmy]

The simple reality is we need to raise the amount of money commanders in the army can spend without review. Less money on office chairs, more money on soldier equipment as opposed to waiting on DLR to deliver.

Of course we'd then see more lavish change of command, and other, dog and pony shows

 

[Fabius]

The simple reality is we need to raise the amount of money commanders in the army can spend without review. Less money on office chairs, more money on soldier equipment as opposed to waiting on DLR to deliver.

To a degree maybe. As an army though that would exacerbate our problems with standardization and ensure that no unit ever has the same capability despite all being a combat engineer units for example.

Interesting thought, let’s say the Trudeau government does announce a plan to get to 2 % while in DC.
Assuming that earlier reports were correct about Trudeau telling NATO, not ever would we meet 2%, paired with the 1.7ish % in the defence policy update, added to Trudeau’s domestic track record of doubling down on policies; what kind of pressure has been brought to bear on Canada to cause this government to bend?

It can’t have been limited or small, requiring that amount of pressure to force us to change will no doubt temper our influence for a good while inside the organization.

 

[PrairieFella]

Of course we'd then see more lavish change of command, and other, dog and pony shows

My unpopular opinion is we need more dog and ponies, just targeted better. We have such a public perception problem that we really need to get out to the public more often and rehabilitate our image from the bottom up. Recruiting in our reserve brigade has been drying up since recruiting was taken from the units to a brigade level. While analytics are tough on these types of things, the suspicion is that this is due to units no longer controlling their recruiters who can then target key audiences through COMREL/recruiting events. They now have to show no preference to anyone unit/trade and cannot direct people.

 

[daftandbarmy]

My unpopular opinion is we need more dog and ponies, just targeted better. We have such a public perception problem that we really need to get out to the public more often and rehabilitate our image from the bottom up. Recruiting in our reserve brigade has been drying up since recruiting was taken from the units to a brigade level. While analytics are tough on these types of things, the suspicion is that this is due to units no longer controlling their recruiters who can then target key audiences through COMREL/recruiting events. They now have to show no preference to anyone unit/trade and cannot direct people.

Ah yes, the good ol' 'Centralized Brigade Recruiting' scam. I'll assume this goes along with creating more Class B positions for 'deserving' members, as with similar efforts in the past. Be prepared for panicky and short notice requests for sitreps of various types, resembling the desperate ramblings from a distant, dying planet.

As always that's a senior leadership problem and, with senior leaders being largely unaccountable for their actions within ARes CBGs, I suspect you won't see many improvements while the parade square floors empty out

 

[PrairieFella]

Ah yes, the good ol' 'Centralized Brigade Recruiting' scam. I'll assume this goes along with creating more Class B positions for 'deserving' members, as with similar efforts in the past. Be prepared for panicky and short notice requests for sitreps of various types, resembling the desperate ramblings from a distant, dying planet.

As always that's a senior leadership problem and, with senior leaders being largely unaccountable for their actions within ARes CBGs, I suspect you won't see many improvements while the parade square floors empty out

What really sucks is it punishes the successful regiments who put in the work while they had their own recruiters. My regiment was probably the only unit in the brigade that could field a rough sub-unit in the field. A few troops, a rudimentary SHQ, some supporters from the medics, sigs, cooks, etc. This was achieved with good leadership, good buy in and a healthy recruiting programme. Fast forward and brigade recruiting limited recruits to our unit for a year or two and pushes applicants to the units that were lazy and did little recruiting. Through attrition, CTs, equipment shortages and having a troop minus deployed, we can no longer field a subunit and the inability to have a specific recruiter who knows our demographic has bottomed out our new recruits. At least we were able to keep an armoured guy in the recruiting group who can advocate/skirt rules where possible.

Fuck the CBGs. They shouldnt exist or at there should only be one per Div. These fucking leeches soak up resources from the units and get nothing done.

 

[daftandbarmy]

What really sucks is it punishes the successful regiments who put in the work while they had their own recruiters. My regiment was probably the only unit in the brigade that could field a rough sub-unit in the field. A few troops, a rudimentary SHQ, some supporters from the medics, sigs, cooks, etc. This was achieved with good leadership, good buy in and a healthy recruiting programme. Fast forward and brigade recruiting limited recruits to our unit for a year or two and pushes applicants to the units that were lazy and did little recruiting. Through attrition, CTs, equipment shortages and having a troop minus deployed, we can no longer field a subunit and the inability to have a specific recruiter who knows our demographic has bottomed out our new recruits. At least we were able to keep an armoured guy in the recruiting group who can advocate/skirt rules where possible.

Fuck the CBGs. They shouldnt exist or at there should only be one per Div. These fucking leeches soak up resources from the units and get nothing done.

My take on it was that we really need both levels, well beefed up, to do good recruiting.

Bde level should be hammering the media networks and driving people to local recruiters, while helping to remove roadblocks with CFRC (medicals etc). They should also align courses with demand.

Local recruiters should be the 'face of the CAF' and share resources, and otherwise collaborate, to give potential candidates a wide range of choices to demonstrate how many cool opportunities are available to anyone who is eligible.

However, since time immemorial, it's been as you describe above, sadly...

 

[PrairieFella]

My take on it was that we really need both levels, well beefed up, to do good recruiting.

Bde level should be hammering the media networks and driving people to local recruiters, while helping to remove roadblocks with CFRC (medicals etc). They should also align courses with demand.

Local recruiters should be the 'face of the CAF' and share resources, and otherwise collaborate, to give potential candidates a wide range of choices to demonstrate how many cool opportunities are available to anyone who is eligible.

However, since time immemorial, it's been as you describe above, sadly...

You nailed it.