• Thanks for stopping by. Logging in to a registered account will remove all generic ads. Please reach out with any questions or concerns.

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.
 
They are having major work force issues. They haven’t even opened up the inside space. Everything is still drive through only.
Last summer, I found that out the hard way.. I was driving from Mississauga to Petawawa via Huntsville (dropping the kids off at summer camp for the week) and was in desperate need of a caffeine break. Unfortunately it was 4pm.
 
Even more off topic, Barry's Bay must have the only Tim Horton's in the world that closes at 3pm.
Was up there visiting friends a couple of weeks ago. Apparently they simply can't find anyone to work the afternoons. No students are willing to take the job.
 
Was up there visiting friends a couple of weeks ago. Apparently they simply can't find anyone to work the afternoons. No students are willing to take the job.
When do schools get out? What other jobs are available and pay more? Most importantly, how many potential students employees are in the area?

It's easy to dump on lazy kids, but what are the factors that actually impact the lack of staff?
 
When do schools get out? What other jobs are available and pay more? Most importantly, how many potential students employees are in the area?

It's easy to dump on lazy kids, but what are the factors that actually impact the lack of staff?
Sorry...I missed the part where I said or implied that the laziness of students was the reason that they were unwilling to take the job.
 
When do schools get out? What other jobs are available and pay more? Most importantly, how many potential students employees are in the area?

It's easy to dump on lazy kids, but what are the factors that actually impact the lack of staff?
Well there are many more summer residents in the area than full year. I was pretty sure last year it was open inside. As I saw CRPG staff and students who stopped for lunch one day I was up there getting more and more stuff for my boat.
 
Sorry...I missed the part where I said or implied that the laziness of students was the reason that they were unwilling to take the job.
I'd say about here...
No students are willing to take the job.
Maybe you didn't mean to imply laziness, but it's a pretty safe assumption that is what is being implied 99% of the time when referring to students and willingness.
 
I'd say about here...

Maybe you didn't mean to imply laziness, but it's a pretty safe assumption that is what is being implied 99% of the time when referring to students and willingness.
Based on the experience of my son I'd say that laziness is only an issue with some kids (just as it's an issue with some adults). His experience in a market that supposedly is "desperate" for workers is that young people are often only offered very limited PT hours (not enough to really put any money away for school, etc.) and scheduling is extremely inconsistent and erratic making it almost impossible to try and juggle more than one job.

Many other "full time" positions are only offered through employment agencies at minimum wages with no job security, no hope of benefits and little support/interest from the full-time staff at the work locations because they have no long term investment in the casual labour so they are given the dirtiest/most mind-numbing jobs.

My son's been lucky enough to get on with a golf course irrigation system company where he's making a slightly better wage and actually learning a few things, but unfortunately like many of the reasonable jobs available to young people these days it's a seasonal position and he's going to be looking again once the fall comes.
 
Based on the experience of my son I'd say that laziness is only an issue with some kids (just as it's an issue with some adults). His experience in a market that supposedly is "desperate" for workers is that young people are often only offered very limited PT hours (not enough to really put any money away for school, etc.) and scheduling is extremely inconsistent and erratic making it almost impossible to try and juggle more than one job.

Many other "full time" positions are only offered through employment agencies at minimum wages with no job security, no hope of benefits and little support/interest from the full-time staff at the work locations because they have no long term investment in the casual labour so they are given the dirtiest/most mind-numbing jobs.

My son's been lucky enough to get on with a golf course irrigation system company where he's making a slightly better wage and actually learning a few things, but unfortunately like many of the reasonable jobs available to young people these days it's a seasonal position and he's going to be looking again once the fall comes.
Add to that that instead of raising wages to attract employees, many employers are taking advantage of temporary foreign workers to work in low paid, low skill jobs.

The temporary foreign worker program was first introduced to fill highly skilled positions where there were very few qualified Canadian-born workers. Now it’s used as a way of suppressing wages in the low-skill sector.
 
Well there are many more summer residents in the area than full year. I was pretty sure last year it was open inside. As I saw CRPG staff and students who stopped for lunch one day I was up there getting more and more stuff for my boat.
We are thinking about retiring in that area....if not that town. Had a great week in Whitney this summer
 
We are thinking about retiring in that area....if not that town. Had a great week in Whitney this summer
A buddy of mine cashed out when the early-Covid house prices in Barrie went nuts and bought just outside of Barry's Bay on the water.

The only thing that would concern me is proximity to healthcare/hospital. Living 'back of beyond' use to appeal to me but not so much as I get older.
 
When do schools get out? What other jobs are available and pay more? Most importantly, how many potential students employees are in the area?

It's easy to dump on lazy kids, but what are the factors that actually impact the lack of staff?
It used to be that tourism-oriented small towns thrived on teens and students staying at the family cottage and staffing the restaurants, marinas, lodges etc. all summer. I don't know what has changed.

On the flip side, I find that many small town Tim's employ a lot of older residents, perhaps to supplement or provide retirement income.
 
It used to be that tourism-oriented small towns thrived on teens and students staying at the family cottage and staffing the restaurants, marinas, lodges etc. all summer. I don't know what has changed.

On the flip side, I find that many small town Tim's employ a lot of older residents, perhaps to supplement or provide retirement income.
I think what happened is the people born between 1955 and 1995 moved out of the small towns, so their teens aren't living there now to work at the local businesses. People don't vacation "back home" as much as they did in the past, they take a trip to Mexico or Cuba in the winter instead, and many parents don't push their kids out to work to pay for their entertainment.
 
Back
Top