Mike Blais
SSM (NATO Bar), CPSM, UN-Cyp, CD
Ultimate 2000+ Member
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A ROYAL CANADIAN "NEVER PASSES A FAULT"
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Geez, when i was in I think we were LAST! Bout time....
Canada 6th in military spending
NATO numbers show only time we've spent more is during Second World War: study
David Pugliese
The Ottawa Citizen
Monday, October 22, 2007
Canadian soldiers are shown last week patrolling a route frequently mined by the Taliban in Kandahar province. Despite a soaring budget, the military has had trouble retaining soldiers since the Afghan mission began. Rather than blame combat duty, commanders say the strong Canadian economy has lured soldiers to take better jobs at home.
CREDIT: Finbarr O'Reilly, Reuters
Canadian soldiers are shown last week patrolling a route frequently mined by the Taliban in Kandahar province. Despite a soaring budget, the military has had trouble retaining soldiers since the Afghan mission began. Rather than blame combat duty, commanders say the strong Canadian economy has lured soldiers to take better jobs at home.
Canada's defence spending has hit its highest level since the Second World War.
Based on NATO's figures, Canada, with its defence budget now slightly more than $18 billion a year, is the sixth highest military spender in the alliance, concludes a new study.
Canada is earmarking as much money during the Afghanistan conflict and the war on terrorism as it did at the height of the nuclear arms race with the former Soviet Union, according to the report, to be released today.
After adjusting for inflation, Canada's defence spending today is 2.3-per-cent more than during its Cold War peak in 1952-53, according to the report, to be released today.
It was produced for the left-leaning Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives.
"Remarkably, the last time Canada spent more money on the military was when Canadians were fighting the Nazis," added the report.
"In 1952, Canada was at war in Korea and the first hydrogen bombs were being tested, supercharging the arms race. The irony is today, Canada is spending as much money fighting in Afghanistan and contributing to the 'war on terrorism' as it did at the height of the nuclear arms race against the Soviet Union."
Prime Minister Stephen Harper's government has promised to continue spending to further build up the military.
Dollar for dollar, Canada now outspends NATO partners Spain, Turkey, the Netherlands, Greece, Poland, Norway and Denmark, among others. Canada's spending is so substantial that it outspends the lowest 12 NATO members combined, according to the study.
Bill Robinson, the report's co-author, said he was surprised the level of military spending has now passed the Cold War peak. "It doesn't accord with the general impression the public is given, which is supposedly that we're not spending all that much on the military," he said.
According to the report, by the end of this fiscal year, in March 2008, Canada will have spent $7.2 billion on the full cost of military missions related to Afghanistan. That figure, which tracks spending from 2001, includes salaries, equipment depreciation, attrition and other costs. If those numbers are removed then the cost of the Afghan mission to March 2008 is $3.3 billion.
But Mr. Robinson said both those cost figures for the Afghanistan war, provided by the government, are actually lower than what is really being spent. He noted they do not include the cost of those back in Canada supporting the mission.
Mr. Robinson estimates that for every soldier involved in the mission there are at least another two in Canada working to support the operation in some way. "There are lot of people working full time on the Afghanistan mission, whether they are planners or trainers or (repair) technicians, and those people aren't counted" in government cost figures, he said.
The report was written by Mr. Robinson and Steve Staples of the Rideau Institute, an Ottawa-based think-tank that has been critical of the government's approach to Afghanistan and defence.
Defence Department supporters say that more money needs to be spent on the military if Canada is going to play a significant role on the world stage and deal in the future with other failed states similar to Afghanistan. Military officers are pushing for an increase in the annual defence budget to $36 billion by 2025. The Senate committee on national security and defence has called for an increase between $25 billion and $35 billion by 2012.
The report points out that the defence lobby has been highly effective in convincing the government to boost military spending. With the increases planned by the government over the next two years, military spending will be 37 per cent higher than it was shortly before Sept. 11, 2001, the report adds.
"Despite Canada's Top-10 ranking in NATO, and outspending the average of non-U.S. members by more than a third, the popular perception persists that Canada is a low military spender," the study says. "This is largely the result of media reports that cite statistics provided by proponents of increases in military spending."
Those proponents measure the strength of military spending as a percentage of a country's gross domestic product. Based on that guide, Canada is ranked around 20th in NATO, just below Germany.
But Mr. Robinson says that the GDP rating is a poor measure of defence spending. He pointed out with that measure, Turkey is ranked near the top as one of NATO's top spenders.
"No one really thinks that Turkey is making one of the greatest contributions to NATO," Mr. Robinson said. "What really counts in defence spending is the amount of dollars actually being spent and in that area, Canada is up there."
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1RCR 1977-79 Depot (Italy PL), B Coy, Mortars, Pioneers, D Coy (CFB London)
3RCR 1979-82 M Coy, Pipes & Drums, Sigs, Mortars. (CFB Baden-Soellingen)
1RCR 1982-88 Mortars. Dukes, Cyprus-Welfare NCO 84-85, Injured, WO&Sgts Mess, (CFB London)
1988-92 Med-remuster to HELL/ 35 DU, CFB Baden
1992 Medical release. God Bless you all!
Pro Patria
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