Posted on 11/09/2002 4:33:32 PM PST by knighthawk
Review to bypass public and go straight to cabinet: Forces quit war game, run short of Sea King personnel, trim back on kitchen supplies
Sheldon Alberts and Bill Curry, with files from Michael Higgins - National Post
OTTAWA - The Chrétien government intends to keep secret major portions of a report on the state of Canada's Armed Forces, sources say, even as several new signs emerged that a lack of money is forcing the military to cut back on basic activities.
In the latest examples of the squeeze on the Forces, spending shortfalls have forced the Navy to pull out of a major NATO training exercise and the military has recommended that the next warship dispatched to the Gulf go without a Sea King helicopter detachment because of personnel problems.
The military faces a $100-million budget shortfall this year because of unexpected costs incurred through Canada's participation in the U.S.-led war in Afghanistan.
John McCallum, Minister of National Defence and MP for Markham, said this week that the military is being forced to cut what he termed "low-priority items" to deal with the budget shortfall -- but some of the reductions are being made in areas the military itself has said are crucial to its capabilities.
The military has cancelled training exercises for two of Canada's new maritime coastal defence vessels (MCDVs), which were set to leave Halifax this month for training in the Bahamas and then cross the Atlantic to take part in an annual NATO exercise in European waters called "Blue Game" that involves war games and training.
According to Navy officials, training will also be scaled back or cancelled, travel expenses have been reduced, building maintenance cancelled, vehicle trade-ins delayed at least a year, and budgets cut for training and fitness equipment, kitchen supplies and computers.
"Everything is being looked at," said navy spokesman John Price.
Cmdr. Mark Cameron has described Canada's participation in the Blue Game exercise as "vital" to maintaining Canada's ability to detect mines at sea.
The MCDV ships are manned by Navy reservists and are responsible for search and rescue missions, law enforcement, fisheries protection, pollution control, harbour defence, shipping control and port inspections.
Keith Martin, an Alliance MP who has a navy base in his B.C. riding of Esquimalt-Juan de Fuca, says Canada's decision to pull out of the NATO training exercises will further tarnish the country's international reputation.
"NATO has told us for a few years we had better start paying the piper or we will be relegated to not being a player," Mr. Martin said. "And our lack of participation in training exercises only confirms our lack of support for NATO."
The military is also recommending the next warship sent to the Arabian Gulf to assist in the U.S.-led Operation Apollo go without a Sea King detachment because of personnel difficulties, Global National reported yesterday.
The Sea Kings, the "eyes and ears" of Canada's warships, need a break from the continuous operational commitment, said Captain Jason Proulx, a spokesman for 12 Wing at CFB Shearwater where the Sea Kings are based.
"We are recommending that we forego one Sea King detachment with the ship. We are saying, 'Let's take a pause, let's allow our training system to catch up and allow our people to take a break.
"When we send people out to sea, for example with Operation Apollo, they are gone for six months. When they come back they are redeployed.
"It causes stress on families when they have a member gone for a long time."
Shearwater was ordered to provide nine Sea Kings for Operation Apollo between October, 2001, and October, 2002. The base provided 11.
"The recommendation has not made its way up here to us," said Shane Diaczuk, a spokesman for Mr. McCallum. "However, the Minister has repeatedly said people are a priority and that Canadian forces cannot continue to overstretch their people."
Jack Granatstein, a military historian and chairman of the Council for Canadian Security in the 21st Century, belongs to a group that told the Defence Minister the military needs a minimum $1.5-billion-a-year infusion to its $12-billion annual budget for the acquisition of much-needed military hardware, and to prevent the loss of its most talented personnel.
Calls for increased military spending also have come from the Auditor-General, the Senate committee on security and defence, the Commons defence committee, General Ray Henault, Chief of Defence Staff, and a series of high profile military experts.
Mr. McCallum himself has spoken of the importance of a $1-billion boost in defence spending in February's budget.
Yesterday, Opposition MPs and military experts -- including those personally consulted by Mr. McCallum -- were furious after hearing he planned to keep secret parts of the report being prepared in advance of the next federal budget.
Defence Department officials told the National Post Mr. McCallum is expected to take the findings and recommendations of the Defence Update directly to Cabinet, where final funding decisions will be made.
"That is outrageous," Mr. Granatstein said. "It is clear they are going to make decisions based on the update -- decisions on capabilities. The expectation from a lot of people is that they will do away with army tanks, scrap naval destroyers and probably not build new replenishment ships, among other things. If they do that without providing some kind of rationale for the public, I would be astonished. I think that would just be crazy."
Mr. McCallum has spent several months conducting the Defence Update, seeking the opinions of ordinary Canadians via an Internet site and in private meetings with a series of senior Defence officials and military experts.
The exercise was designed to help the government assess Canada's defence capabilities and their funding.
Although many of the experts consulted by Mr. McCallum believed the findings of the update would be made public, a senior Defence source said yesterday Ottawa plans only to release results of the feedback offered over the Internet.
Randy Mylyk, a spokesman for Mr. McCallum, said there are no plans to release all the findings.
"Obviously the information is a precious resource, which is being factored into the presentations that will go forth to the government," Mr. Mylyk said. "What format, in terms of public release of those consultations, will take has not been finalized as of yet."
Leon Benoit, the Canadian Alliance defence critic, said he believes the government wants to keep the Defence Update secret because most of the experts Mr. McCallum consulted called for massive funding increases.
It was revealed yesterday that cancellation of a contract this week that would have privatized the entire Canadian Forces supply chain could cost taxpayers $5.35-million.
The department has already paid $5-million to Tibbett & Britten, the British-based firm that was to have taken over the logistical support, and faces a further payment under penalty clauses.
Jean Chrétien, the Prime Minister, promised in September's Speech from the Throne his government would complete a full defence review before the end of the current Liberal mandate.
May I call you Barbra? Anyway, Babs, after reading so much of your military decisions/ideas in the press recently, I thought that you might be able to help our kind neighbors to our North. I imagine that you have been flooded with such requests from e-mails like this. What? You don't send them flowers anymore?
Not for self-protection, but maybe for self-respect.
That's got to be embarrassing...
I don't think they're concerned so much about invasion as they are with domestic insurrections.
edCanada is becoming more and more like a spoiled brat, demanding to influence events and sit at the adult table, but unable to make adult committments commitments and take adult actions
Kinda has that francois smell about it, non?
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