The security and national defense of the country in danger

Canada is blessed with abundant natural resources, a diverse, law-abiding and peaceful population, and a quality of life that consistently ranks among the best. Canadians have a deep sense of security thanks to Canada’s enviable geography, its three oceans and the presence of a friendly and neighboring great power, which helps avoid the security problems that unfortunately plague many nations.

However, Canada does not exist in a bubble. Its security and prosperity are guaranteed only through collective security agreements and defense systems that work only if countries uphold the ideals of the UN Charter, abide by an international system of rules and abide by laws, treaties and agreements.

Canada’s security and freedoms cannot be taken for granted. With more than 100,000 dead in the great wars of the XX^e century, Canada must be ready and willing to use all elements of national power, including military force, to deter adversaries and defend its territory, vital resources and national power, where and when threatened.

With this imperative comes the responsibility to share the burden of these efforts with the United States in North America, NATO allies in Europe, and all other nations on the planet who share the same ideals as us. Canada is fortunate to have close and productive relationships with many allies, but even our important relationships with the “Five Eyes” countries require that we invest enough to earn our place at the table.

The federal government has a responsibility to protect the safety of its citizens, to defend the sovereignty of Canada and to maintain the integrity of our territory. However, in recent decades, national security and defense issues have rarely been treated as a priority except in times of great peril.

Years of cutbacks, cost cutting, downsizing and postponement of investments have led to an atrophy of Canada’s defense capabilities. Our military capabilities are outdated and woefully inadequate to protect our landmass and our maritime spaces. Nor have we contributed significantly to burden sharing for the collective defense and security of our allies and partners.

As we witness the horrific events unfolding in Ukraine and follow current tensions between the United States and China, Canadians may not feel directly threatened. This is understandable. Elected governments focus their attention on other issues – jobs, health, education, the environment and public safety. However, focusing on these important internal issues should not come at the expense of sufficient investments in national security and defence.

Unfortunately, the recent federal budget has largely been a summary of previous announcements, failing to recognize that the government must accelerate spending programs and release significant additional funds to address long-standing deficits in military capability and readiness. .

For several decades, governments have made repeated announcements and commitments to strengthen national defense through policies such as the Canada First Defense Strategy (CFDS) and the Strong Secure Engaged (SSE) initiative. Recent announcements by Defense Minister Anita Anand on acquiring replacements for the 40-year-old CF-18 fleet and modernizing NORAD are steps in the right direction.

In today’s security environment, much more needs to be done, and the results achieved by the Government of Canada to keep pace with these developments fall far short of expectations. It is essential that the government invest in improving the ability of the Ministry of Defense to spend its budget in a timely and timely manner.

The next defense policy update is overdue and comes at a time of great peril to global peace and security, given the threats posed by China and Russia. Russia’s brutal war of aggression in Ukraine, the first major conflict in Europe since the Second World War, together with the continued expansion of the military arsenals of authoritarian regimes prepared to use force to carry out their revenge policies should have led to a major reassessment of our defensive posture.

Canada cannot afford to continue business as usual. We urge Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his cabinet to take the lead and act with a sense of urgency to fulfill the NATO Secretary General’s call to treat the 2% of GDP target as a floor and not a spending cap.

The government must expedite timelines and complete the critical work needed to address the poor state of our nation’s defense capabilities and preparedness. If properly explained, we believe this could be achieved on a non-partisan basis and with broad public support.

There is no greater responsibility for the federal government than to protect Canadians against all threats, whether foreign or internal. Now is the time to fully honor the commitments we have made to our allies and partners by sharing the burden of collective security, which is essential to preserving our peace, our prosperity and our way of life.