Canadian Federal Budget 2014 (11 Feb 2014)

[George Wallace]

VETERANS HIT AGAIN.

If any of you have been watching the news, it was announced that the Federal Public Service Health Care Plan is more than doubling its costs to retired members; from $261 to $550.  The point that this is the Public Service Health Care Plan is letting the fact that it is also the plan that members of the CAF and RCMP use, and many retain after retiring, has slipped by seemingly unnoticed by anyone as of yet.  Even with indexing, that is a large chunk of cash removed from one's pension, more that that covered by indexing.  Once again, the Government has screwed over the Veteran.

 

[Ex-Dragoon]

I think The Conservatives have pretty much lost the Military vote.

 

[OldSolduer]

I think The Conservatives have pretty much lost the Military vote.

Considering that we are spread out all over Canada......I don't think they really care.

 

[Ex-Dragoon]

Considering that we are spread out all over Canada......I don't think they really care.

I think you are right....I think they sold us a big song and dance.

Sad to say I think we are triple f#cked the next election. Where is the zombie apocalypse when you need one.

 

[dapaterson]

Where is the zombie apocalypse when you need one.

There is a Canadian version: www.youtube.com/watch?v=7onFrBK_hKE

 

[PuckChaser]

Has the money for postings been cut?

My CM is all doom and gloom for cost moves this year, but I have a sneaky suspicion that's because DND was anticipating another 10% budget cut.

 

[slayer/raptor]

Decisions on funding for cost moves for this APS and beyond were made well in advance of the federal budget.  That's internal to DND/CAF prioritization of O&M allocations.

I'm no expert in this field but our Career Manager was saying that they were waiting for the budget to come out to find out how much money they had for their cost moves.

 

[PPCLI Guy]

I'm no expert in this field but our Career Manager was saying that they were waiting for the budget to come out to find out how much money they had for their cost moves.

Different budget.....or the CM was talking though his / her ass.

 

[DAA]

Different budget.....or the CM was talking though his / her ***.

Interesting.  I had a brief a few weeks ago and the subject of cost moves came up.  Sounded like the issue of postings was being looked at much closer by DGMC or CMP with the concept of "Why move someone, from one location to another, just to do the same job they were doing for the sake of moving of them."  Sort of makes sense when you think about it.

 

[AirDet]

Interesting.  I had a brief a few weeks ago and the subject of cost moves came up.  Sounded like the issue of postings was being looked at much closer by DGMC or CMP with the concept of "Why move someone, from one location to another, just to do the same job they were doing for the sake of moving of them."  Sort of makes sense when you think about it.

Well, if you were running a business would you spend money to move people just for the sake of a move?

 

[dangerboy]

Interesting.  I had a brief a few weeks ago and the subject of cost moves came up.  Sounded like the issue of postings was being looked at much closer by DGMC or CMP with the concept of "Why move someone, from one location to another, just to do the same job they were doing for the sake of moving of them."  Sort of makes sense when you think about it.

But it sucks for the member if he is in a place that they hate and has been there for several years.

 

[PuckChaser]

Interesting.  I had a brief a few weeks ago and the subject of cost moves came up.  Sounded like the issue of postings was being looked at much closer by DGMC or CMP with the concept of "Why move someone, from one location to another, just to do the same job they were doing for the sake of moving of them."  Sort of makes sense when you think about it.

Career progression?

Moving someone from COMSEC vault to COMSEC vault is useless, but stagnating someone in a base with limited positions to fill isn't good either. We have to find a balance between having someone sit in a base for 15 years, and moving across country every 2.

 

[GAP]

Why does it have to be 2 years? In two years a member has been trained, trialed and is finally getting into the groove. He/she is accumulating knowledge of the site and the people, as the people are getting a read on them.

Then you move them. If it is an upward/downward move, that's fine...people grow....but to just do it because that is the way it is done, serve little purpose....

 

[dapaterson]

On average, excluding off BTL and retirement moves, Reg F members would move every 8 years.  Some more, some less, but 8 years was about the average.  (Based on Reg F trained strength divided by planned number of moves)

With less money, that number will climb up.

 

[The Bread Guy]

Deep breaths, folks....

ceasefire.ca response (links to e-mail saved at non-ceasefire.ca site) to the budget:  "Still overspending on National Defence"

And what do they want instead?  This excerpt, written by ceasefire.ca folk, from a recently released "alternative budget":

.... The AFB (Alternative Federal Budget) will reduce the size of the Department of National Defence to its pre–September 11, 2001 level (adjusted for inflation). The 2000–01 budget was $11.9 billion, or $15.8
billion in 2013 dollars. The AFB will reduce the current $19 billion budget by $3.2 billion over three years to $15.8 billion.

National Defence spending could easily afford more reductions, if hard choices were made, to its force structure and essential capabilities. 

This would provide urgently needed public dollars for other priorities, boost efficiency in National Defence, and create a military capable of protecting Canadians and supporting UN peace operations ....

 

[PPCLI Guy]

The sad thing is, they are probably right......

National Defence spending could easily afford more reductions, if hard choices were made, to its force structure and essential capabilities.

 

[Tibbson]

Has the money for postings been cut?

I'm hoping they do something.  My position # has been moved outside the AOR and it's not like I can stay here.  I have two other Units I could go to here but each of them lost a position as well.  As a result, within my AOR, we are already overborne by a total of four at my rank level. 

If the four of us have to stay and job share....I want Wednesdays!!!

 

[honestyrules]

Because one of those "same" jobs is in butt-frig nowhere where the spouse can't find employment and the other is in City X (where there's many opportunities for spouse), healthcare is unavailable, opportunities for children in sports etc suck for example. Essentially, this train of thought fails to consider that despite jobs being similar, quality of life is not. You are, in essence, making that one family's standard of living/QOL better than the next soldier's and are no longer affording like opportunities to military families.

Common sense must come into play at some point.  It's all good if you aren't the guy being screwed. 

Before anything is said, I fully realize that operational requirements of the CF come first --- hard to miss that point after now 6 years straight of being posted separately from my own family with no move until at least 2015 due to cuts.  Only 100 moves for our trade this year (we are a huge trade!) --- and we knew that before this budget was announced.  Glad our 4 kids are grown up and out of the house.  Certainly my husband won't be posted here either ... as he was just posted this past summer. And, I have no doubt that at this rate my by-then 7 years will be longer as I probably won't be posted to where he is posted to (karma) --- almost pensionable.

Agreed.

Imagine the folks in Cold Lake, maybe expecting to get out of there this APS for a better place, with the prospect of "you're staying another year"...

 

[Tibbson]

I think The Conservatives have pretty much lost the Military vote.

Sadly I don't see a viable alternative.  In my time in we've been screwed by all of them at one time or another.  At least the Conservatives kissed us first.

 

[armyvern]

The sad thing is, they are probably right......

Agreed.