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Justin Trudeau hints at boosting Canada’s military spending

Justin Trudeau hints at boosting Canada’s military spending

Canada says it will look at increasing its defence spending and tacked on 10 more Russian names to an ever growing sanctions list.

By Tonda MacCharles
Ottawa Bureau
Mon., March 7, 2022

Riga, LATVIA—On the 13th day of the brutal Russian bid to claim Ukraine as its own, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is showing up at the Latvian battle group led by Canadian soldiers, waving the Maple Leaf and a vague hint at more money for the military.

Canada has been waving the NATO flag for nearly seven years in Latvia as a bulwark against Russia’s further incursions in Eastern Europe.

Canada stepped up to lead one of NATO’s four battle groups in 2015 — part of the defensive alliance’s display of strength and solidarity with weaker member states after Russia invaded Ukraine and seized the Crimean peninsula in 2014. Trudeau arrived in the Latvian capital late Monday after meetings in the U.K. with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Netherlands Prime Minister Mark Rutte.

Earlier Monday, faced with a seemingly unstoppable war in Ukraine, Trudeau said he will look at increasing Canada’s defence spending. Given world events, he said there are “certainly reflections to have.”

And Canada tacked on 10 more Russian names to an ever-growing sanctions list.

The latest round of sanctions includes names Trudeau said were identified by jailed Russian opposition leader and Putin nemesis Alexei Navalny.

However, on a day when Trudeau cited the new sanctions, and Johnson touted new measures meant to expose Russian property owners in his country, Rutte admitted sanctions are not working.

Yet they all called for more concerted international efforts over the long haul, including more economic measures and more humanitarian aid, with Johnson and Rutte divided over how quickly countries need to get off Russian oil and gas.

The 10 latest names on Canada’s target list do not include Roman Abramovich — a Russian billionaire Navalny has been flagging to Canada since at least 2017. Canada appears to have sanctioned about 20 of the 35 names on Navalny’s list.

The Conservative opposition says the Liberal government is not yet exerting maximum pressure on Putin, and should do more to bolster Canadian Forces, including by finally approving the purchase of fighter jets.

Foreign affairs critic Michael Chong said in an interview that Ottawa must still sanction “additional oligarchs close to President Putin who have significant assets in Canada.”

Abramovich owns more than a quarter of the public shares in steelmaking giant Evraz, which has operations in Alberta and Saskatchewan and has supplied most of the steel for the government-owned Trans Mountain pipeline project.

Evraz’s board of directors also includes two more Russians the U.S. government identified as “oligarchs” in 2019 — Aleksandr Abramov and Aleksandr Frolov — and its Canadian operations have received significant support from the federal government.

That includes at least $27 million in emergency wage subsidies during the pandemic, as well as $7 million through a fund meant to help heavy-polluters reduce emissions that cause climate change, according to the company’s most recent annual report.

In addition to upping defence spending, the Conservatives want NORAD’s early warning system upgraded, naval shipbuilding ramped up and Arctic security bolstered.

In London, Johnson sat down with Trudeau and Rutte at the Northolt airbase. Their morning meetings had a rushed feel, with Johnson starting to usher press out before Trudeau spoke. His office said later that the British PM couldn’t squeeze the full meeting in at 10 Downing Street because Johnson’s “diary” was so busy that day. The three leaders held an afternoon news conference at 10 Downing.

But before that Trudeau met with the Queen, saying she was “insightful” and they had a “useful, for me anyway, conversation about global affairs.”

Trudeau meets with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg Tuesday in Latvia.

The prime minister will also meet with three Baltic leaders, the prime ministers of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia, in the Latvian capital of Riga.

The Liberals announced they would increase the 500 Canadian Forces in Latvia by another 460 troops. The Canadians are leading a multinational battle group, one of four that are part of NATO’s deployments in the region.

Another 3,400 Canadians could be deployed to the region in the months to come, on standby for NATO orders.

But Canada’s shipments of lethal aid to Ukraine were slow to come in the view of the Conservatives, and the Ukrainian Canadian community.

And suddenly Western allies are eyeing each other’s defence commitments.

At the Downing Street news conference, Rutte noted the Netherlands will increase its defence budget to close to two per cent of GDP. Germany has led the G7, and doubled its defence budget in the face of Putin’s invasion and threats. Johnson said the U.K. defence spending is about 2.4 per cent and declined to comment on Canada’s defence spending which is 1.4 per cent of GDP.

But Johnson didn’t hold back.

“What we can’t do, post the invasion of Ukraine is assume that we go back to a kind of status quo ante, a kind of new normalization in the way that we did after the … seizure of Crimea and the Donbas area,” Johnson said. “We’ve got to recognize that things have changed and that we need a new focus on security and I think that that is kind of increasingly understood by everybody.”

Trudeau stood by his British and Dutch counterparts and pledged Canada would do more.

He defended his government’s record, saying Ottawa is gradually increasing spending over the next decade by 70 per cent. Then Trudeau admitted more might be necessary.

“We also recognize that context is changing rapidly around the world and we need to make sure that women and men have certainty and our forces have all the equipment necessary to be able to stand strongly as we always have. As members of NATO. We will continue to look at what more we can do.”

The three leaders — Johnson, a conservative and Trudeau and Rutte, progressive liberals — in a joint statement said they “will continue to impose severe costs on Russia.”

Arriving for the news conference from Windsor Castle, Trudeau had to detour to enter Downing Street as loud so-called Freedom Convoy protesters bellowed from outside the gate. They carried signs marked “Tuck Frudeau” and “Free Tamara” (Lich).

Protester Jeff Wyatt who said he has no Canadian ties told the Star he came to stand up for Lich and others who were leading a “peaceful protest” worldwide against government “lies” about COVID-19 and what he called Trudeau’s “tyranny.”

Elsewhere in London, outside the Russian embassy, other protesters and passersby reflected on what they said was real tyranny — the Russian attack on Ukraine. “I think we should be as tough as possible to get this stopped, as tough as possible,” said protester Clive Martinez.
 
Yeah but............Defence is one of the last priorities that Canadians prize. If I was a politician, I would read the tea leaves, and act accordingly
It’s not likely something that will get them elected one way or another that’s for sure. I don’t even vote with defence in mind anymore. Until one side gets serious i certainly won’t lend any credence to any side making empty promises.
 
It was pretty good. The host Matt Galloway was shocked, SHOCKED I tell you when David Bercuson said the military was for killing people and breaking things. Aft
Does this Galloway fellow not study history? Most of history is about the uncomfortable shit humans do to each other up to and including war.
 
I am fully onside with your assessment. Pretty good little 22mins.

My only comment is that the conversation made no reference to the US National Guard. My understanding is that it is the Guard, together with the Army Corps of Engineers, more than FEMA, that bring physical assets and manpower to manage disasters. And that they are State Assets.

That ends up taking in the whole issue of provincial responsibilities and funding. FEMA is by and large a manager of Federal grants to address states of emergency. Those funds allow the States to call out their Guard to man the federally provided trucks, helicopters and Hercs.
 
He’s very much a product of our liberal school system.
I’m not sure if I should laugh along with KevinB, or sigh in sadness at how pathetic that is…

The fact that people still don’t know what a military is actually for at the end of the day, is jaw dropping.

It’s like this weird “awe inspiring stupid” that you’d think one would have to work long and hard to master, but rather just comes so naturally to some.

(Remember when that reporter from CTV went and covered CSOR & 427 SOAS during operations in northern Iraq, who kept asking what a .50 door gun was for? Like wtf do you think it’s for?)

Even if somebody is not familiar with history, surely to goodness people have at least heard about Russia invading Ukraine… that right there is a good example of what militaries are for…

Defending the nation against an attack, or attacking another nation.


Like watching ISIS spread like a wildfire for a little while, and western air power & SOF units putting a stop to that. What do they think our jets dropped? What do they think special forces do? 🤦🏼‍♂️

It was just over a decade ago we were fighting in Afghanistan in one of the busiest sectors in theatre, with Afghanistan related news stories being regular.

Sometimes we were racking up to 1000 enemy dead per month. (Notice how THAT didn't make the news…)


The fact that people are still shocked that the military, at the end of the day, is there to defeat the nation’s enemies is just crazy to me.

<rant over>
 
The fact that people are still shocked that the military, at the end of the day, is there to defeat kill the nation’s enemies is just crazy to me.

Not to put too fine a point on it...

Apparently we need to be more clear in our discussions.
 
I’m not sure if I should laugh along with KevinB, or sigh in sadness at how pathetic that is…

The fact that people still don’t know what a military is actually for at the end of the day, is jaw dropping.

It’s like this weird “awe inspiring stupid” that you’d think one would have to work long and hard to master, but rather just comes so naturally to some.

(Remember when that reporter from CTV went and covered CSOR & 427 SOAS during operations in northern Iraq, who kept asking what a .50 door gun was for? Like wtf do you think it’s for?)

Even if somebody is not familiar with history, surely to goodness people have at least heard about Russia invading Ukraine… that right there is a good example of what militaries are for…

Defending the nation against an attack, or attacking another nation.


Like watching ISIS spread like a wildfire for a little while, and western air power & SOF units putting a stop to that. What do they think our jets dropped? What do they think special forces do? 🤦🏼‍♂️

It was just over a decade ago we were fighting in Afghanistan in one of the busiest sectors in theatre, with Afghanistan related news stories being regular.

Sometimes we were racking up to 1000 enemy dead per month. (Notice how THAT didn't make the news…)


The fact that people are still shocked that the military, at the end of the day, is there to defeat the nation’s enemies is just crazy to me.

<rant over>

In general, the military tends to go out of its way to avoid civilians, most of whom have never met a CAF member let alone one in uniform, so we probably shouldn't be surprised at their lack of knowledge.

Viz - reflecting on discussions with senior people in my deep and dark past where I suggested things like: 'maybe we should invite the Mayor and councillors to the Annual Dinner/Cocktail Party/other event' only to be told that was ridiculous :)

Take that parochial attitude, times it by 'Canada wide', and I think you'll get an idea of the scale of the problem.
 
We used to be clear…when we were killing murderers and scum bags…

Geez man! Keep up! That was a couple of generations ago. (Funny how the generations are getting shorter even as the generations aren't generating anymore)


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Geez man! Keep up! That was a couple of generations ago. (Funny how the generations are getting shorter even as the generations aren't generating anymore)
Hunh? 10-15 years isn’t a “couple of generations…”
 
2003

Xers commanding Millenials who were raising Zeds who are now having Alphas -- Grandad...
Until Alphas are fighting, at most I’ll give you is one generation and that’s generous, and the date was 2005. 😉
 
The youngest pers I checked on an incoming DP1 Sigs was 2003. We're all getting super old.
 
The youngest pers I checked on an incoming DP1 Sigs was 2003. We're all getting super old.
Indeed. Back when Hillier made his famous comment, the youngest troops would have been ‘old’ Millenials.
 
Until Alphas are fighting, at most I’ll give you is one generation and that’s generous, and the date was 2005. 😉

I recall that generations used to be considered about 25 years. Now we're down to 15.

Baby - 0
Mummy - 15
Granny - 30
Great Granny - 45
GGG - 60
GGGG - 75
GGGGG - 90

Even Indiana doesn't crank them out that fast.
 
Not to put too fine a point on it...

Apparently we need to be more clear in our discussions.
Lack of clarity has become the key to success in politics, leadership, management, academia and just about every other endeavour, so I'm not surprised Galloway was surprised at the "blunt language" - he's not used to hearing it. Lack of clarity allows for wiggle room, so-called misinterpretations, and has less chance at offending anyone.

Anybody who doesn't know what the primary mandate of a military is - the 'A' in CAF in our case - should turn in any educational certificate they ever received. I would suggest they turn in their citizenship but I'm told they can't do that. Of course the military can do other things; firefighters get kittens out trees but nobody complains when they need a new million dollar aerial.
 
I’m not sure if I should laugh along with KevinB, or sigh in sadness at how pathetic that is…

The fact that people still don’t know what a military is actually for at the end of the day, is jaw dropping.
Conclusion: Canadians are retarded.
Easy to not care about a military when you are next to the largest one and have never been threatened with an invasion or attack.
 
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