Justin Trudeau hints at boosting Canada’s military spending

I'll believe it when I see it.

 

[Quirky]

So 15 months worth of highly-productive federal public servants?

Shut up and take our money!

B.C. woman continues to be paid for a federal government job she has never worked

Vanita Lindsay has been paid $8,816.20 for a job she has never worked.

bc.ctvnews.ca

 

[GK .Dundas]

From the horse's mouth ....

The Fiscal Implications of Meeting the NATO Military Spending Target

www.pbo-dpb.ca

PDF also attached in case link doesn't work.

Mind you, it would be interesting to see the sort of shopping list one could generate with an 80 billion+ budget.

 

[The Bread Guy]

Mind you, it would be interesting to see the sort of shopping list one could generate with an 80 billion+ budget.

Easy peasy - just take the coherent & comprehensive plan that's both attainable and understandable to all players that's in place for what Canada's military should be doing & how to evolve that reality, and implement it. Oh, wait ....

 

[Fabius]

Mind you, it would be interesting to see the sort of shopping list one could generate with an 80 billion+ budget.

I have had that in my mind for a while. A true 2% of our GDP is not a small amount. A consistent 2% commitment not wasted could easily fund a very very capable modernized force with a lot more mass than Canada is used to having.

I am convinced that neither the CAF, GoC or the Canadian public truly realize the very real changes that would result from a multiple decade period of real sustained 2% GDP committed to the CAF.

 

[KevinB]

I have had that in my mind for a while. A true 2% of our GDP is not a small amount. A consistent 2% commitment not wasted could easily fund a very very capable modernized force with a lot more mass than Canada is used to having.

I am convinced that neither the CAF, GoC or the Canadian public truly realize the very real changes that would result from a multiple decade period of real sustained 2% GDP committed to the CAF.

Honestly you guys probably need 3-5% for a few years to get the needed systems and infrastructure upgrades done. The 2% is a maintenance number.

 

[GR66]

Honestly you guys probably need 3-5% for a few years to get the needed systems and infrastructure upgrades done. The 2% is a maintenance number.

...oh wait...you're serious!

 

[Edward Campbell]

The PBO weighs in:

 

[dimsum]

The PBO weighs in:

Now to see if any party seriously puts any weight to it.

 

[JLB50]

Now that Trump has been elected and controls the Senate (and possibly the House), I wonder how long it will take before Justin decides to significantly increase our defence budget. I wouldn’t be surprised if an announcement is made soon saying that SK will be building our subs.

 

[Good2Golf]

Don’t forget E-7s…and we probably buy another SPY-7 for the West coast.

 

[Quirky]

I wonder how long it will take before Justin decides to significantly increase our defence budget.

Nah, won't happen. He'll announce more green initative projects and demand industry lower emissions without affecting outputs.

Increasing our budget to 2% tomorrow won't have an affect on overall capabilities for decades. You still need people, places for them to live on bases, places to work, etc. We can only order so much new furniture on a yearly basis.

 

[dimsum]

Nah, won't happen. He'll announce more green initative projects and demand industry lower emissions without affecting outputs.

Increasing our budget to 2% tomorrow won't have an affect on overall capabilities for decades. You still need people, places for them to live on bases, places to work, etc. We can only order so much new furniture on a yearly basis.

But does the 2% have a timeframe attached?

I thought the agreement was 2% of GDP on Defence (with some percentages within that for various things), not “2% by 20XX”.

 

[Good2Golf]

Reassign/reclassify some of the 75,000+ public servants he added since 2015 and swing a portion of the current civil service $60B salary envelop and we’re at 2%+ easily…

 

[Halifax Tar]

Reassign/reclassify some of the 75,000+ public servants he added since 2015 and swing a portion of the current civil service $60B salary envelop and we’re at 2%+ easily…

Can we reemploy the in public sanitation and repair services ?

Our roads need work and the city's need some serious cleaning up.

 

[OldSolduer]

Reassign/reclassify some of the 75,000+ public servants he added since 2015 and swing a portion of the current civil service $60B salary envelop and we’re at 2%+ easily…

But ..... but.....dental program? (weeping emoji here)

 

[FJAG]

But does the 2% have a timeframe attached?

I thought the agreement was 2% of GDP on Defence (with some percentages within that for various things), not “2% by 20XX”.

Actually it was. The 2% was stated at the Wales summit of 2014 where the spending was to grow to 2% "within a decade."

The time to pay the piper has come - unfortunately in our case its the Pied Piper whose been controlling the purse since then.

 

[OldSolduer]

Actually it was. The 2% was stated at the Wales summit of 2014 where the spending was to grow to 2% "within a decade."

The time to pay the piper has come - unfortunately in our case its the Not Very Smart Pied Piper whose been controlling the purse since then.

FTFY - he doesn't think about the economy, or spending, or the budget....

You're welcome

 

[dimsum]

Actually it was. The 2% was stated at the Wales summit of 2014 where the spending was to grow to 2% "within a decade."

The time to pay the piper has come - unfortunately in our case its the Pied Piper whose been controlling the purse since then.

Ah my mistake.

 

[suffolkowner]

might be a good thing to come out of Trumps election. Not sure Trudeau will take it seriously though, he hasnt before. Of course it might depend on the message behind closed doors and the threat of trade actions

 

[JLB50]

might be a good thing to come out of Trumps election. Not sure Trudeau will take it seriously though, he hasnt before. Of course it might depend on the message behind closed doors and the threat of trade actions

I think there’s going to be a huge amount of pressure on him by big business to increase defence spending if, for no other reason than to satisfy both Trump and NATO. That’s why I think he’ll make a decision soon on the subs. Optically it looks good and of course the LPC, if still in power (very unlikely) could continue kicking the can down the road and delay, delay, delay…unless forced to speed things up. If Trudeau’s government gets kicked out of office and Poilievre drags his heels on it then Justin will say “You shouldn’t have voted my government out…we would have taken care of it.”