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New Foreign and Defence Policy Statements - 19 Apr 05

AmmoTech90

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The new policy statement is available to be viewed below on the internet:

http://www.forces.gc.ca/site/Reports/dps/index_e.asp
 
:D
Here's some text
(From an email from the MND)
I am pleased to announce that the Defence Policy Statement has been tabled today in the House of Commons as part of the tabling of the International Policy Statement.  You will find the Defence Policy Statement at  <http://www.forces.gc.ca/site/reports/dps/index_e.asp>.

The Defence Policy Statement sets out a vision for the renewal of the Canadian Forces and how they will adapt to the new security environment.  The Canadian Forces will transform to better respond to threats to Canada and North America and to more effectively contribute to international security.  The Defence Policy Statement puts in motion fundamental changes to the organization of the Canadian Forces.

These important changes will require the support of the whole Defence team--military and civilian alike.  In the coming months this vision will start to take shape.  You will be kept aware of these changes and what impact they have on you and your colleagues.  We are building a national institution that Canadians can continue to be proud of and one that will contribute significantly to Canada's security for years to come.

I look forward to working with you to transform the Canadian Forces for the 21st century.


Bill Graham
Minister of National Defence

And now from the Deputy Minister and CDS
Message from the Deputy Minister and Chief of the Defence Staff

Today, the Government released the results of its International Policy Review, including a new defence policy for Canada.  The Defence Policy Statement marks the beginning of a long-term plan to renew and transform Canadian defence to meet the challenges of the 21st century.  The full text of the Statement can be found at <http://www.forces.gc.ca/site/reports/dps/index_e.asp>.

We would encourage you to read the new policy.  It sets out a bold new vision for National Defence: 

- a transformed Canadian Forces:  more relevant, responsive, and effective;
- a reorganized command and control structure, centred on the creation of Canada Command - a single national operational command headquarters;
- a focus on integrated operations of our maritime, land, air, and special operations capabilities to deliver the right mix of forces to the right place, at the right time, to produce the right result;
- a new emphasis on the defence of Canada, our airspace and maritime approaches, including the protection of Canadian interests in the North; and
- a focus overseas on addressing the security challenges of failed and failing states based on the three-block-war concept. 

The statement is, in effect, the blueprint for Canadian defence transformation.

The Government's new defence policy sets high standards for us to meet, but it has also recognized that it needs to reinvest in our institution:  in Budget 2005, it announced a defence spending increase of nearly $13 billion over five years.  This funding will be used to expand the Canadian Forces by 5,000 Regular Force and 3,000 Reserve personnel, improve our operational sustainability, and purchase new equipment such as medium-lift helicopters, utility aircraft, medium trucks, and specialized training facilities for Joint Task Force 2.  It will also lay the foundations for further transformation initiatives set out in the Statement. 

The Statement provides a welcome focus for our activities, but it is only the first step, and there is a good deal of work ahead of us in moving transformation from concept to reality.  Change of this magnitude will not happen overnight, but the process has already begun.  The Chief of the Defence Staff has established four Action Teams - on command and control, capabilities, force generation, and organizing for transformation - that will move the agenda forward.  Some of the work of these teams will be reflected in a paper that National Defence will publish in the coming months that will provide more detail on the capabilities and force structure required to implement the new policy.

Your involvement in the implementation of the new policy will be essential.  Operational effectiveness is at the heart of the transformation agenda - and, from Private to General, today's Canadian Forces have more direct operational experience than at any time in decades.  As far as the Department's civilian staff is concerned, the broad nature of transformation means that your expertise and advice - on policy, procurement, human resources, defence, science, public affairs, and administration - will be no less critical if this team effort is to succeed.  As we move forward with transformation, you will be kept informed on the way ahead, and we will be looking to ensure that the overall transition proceeds as smoothly as possible.

The Defence Policy Statement builds upon what we have learned over the last fifteen years, both before and after September 11th.  Throughout this period, whether protecting Canadians at home, or participating in operations overseas, the Canadian Forces have done a superb job, adapting to the most demanding of circumstances.  The defence organization as a whole showed an ability to innovate and make the most of its resources.  The Government was fortunate in being able to draw from your collective experience, expertise and insight in developing its new defence policy.  It has now settled on a new vision for the Canadian Forces, and we know that we can count on your continuing professionalism and dedication in making this new vision a reality.


W.P.D. Elcock R.J. Hillier
Deputy Minister CDS
 
Interesting stuff.

What'll be more interesting is how the Conservatives change the policy statement if they oust the Liberals in the pending election.
 
CFL said:
and how is this different from a White Paper?
This document uses a variety of colours, whereas a White Paper is, by definition, white  ;)

Real answer, I don't know.  Gonna go google that now.
 
Definition of a Policy Statement:
"The term "policy statement" is used to designate a straight-forward statement or declaration of Academy policy on a particular topic or topics. Such statements usually are short and concise and do not include background information or discussion relative to the policy. A policy statement generally would not quote facts and figures developed by outside sources and would not utilize a bibliography."
Definition of a White Paper:
An educational report made available to the public that expounds on a particular industry issue.
I know that this may or may not help, but hey, there it is.....



Now to eat lest I smoke.

And this time, I mean it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


:evil:
 
http://www.canada.com/national/story.html?id=6d08fb40-d457-430e-8ac2-aca7d1b19bc4

Alexander Panetta
Canadian Press

Tuesday, April 19, 2005

CREDIT: STEPHEN THORNE, CP
Canadian soldiers listen to a safety briefing prior to embarking on a live-fire exercise.
ADVERTISEMENT

OTTAWA (CP) -- Canada will use more soldiers, more foreign aid and more diplomats to carve its own niche in a fast-changing world, says a sprawling federal policy statement released Tuesday.

The military will effectively double its overseas capabilities within five years with the $13 billion in new cash promised in the last federal budget, says the long-awaited document.

Canada's foreign aid will grow each year while flowing primarily to 25 countries where it is most likely to have an impact.

The federal government will double its diplomatic presence abroad by 2010.

North America will see increased border security measures and also increased integration of its transportation, communications and energy links.

The review, which sets policy for four government departments, is the most ambitious project of the Paul Martin government and was set in motion the day he became prime minister 16 months ago.

Months overdue after a series of rewrites, the review articulates a series of foreign policy priorities the prime minister has frequently articulated. Martin said the review was an attempt to position Canada for success in the globalization age.

This comes after years in which military infrastructure crumbled, the commitment to foreign assistance stagnated, and Canada fielded one of the thinnest diplomatic corps in the developed world.

As new economic powers rise, new nation-states emerge and the threat of terror sweeps the globe, Canada needs to act, Martin said.

"Now is the time to rebuild for Canada an independent voice of pride and influence in the world," the prime minister writes in the document.

"We will have to earn that way in defence and security. We will have to earn our way in international assistance and global commerce."

Critics who deride the Martin government's supposed paralysis and inertia have found plenty of ammunition in the foreign-policy review. The document is being released months behind schedule after extensive rewrites.

The prime minister was critical of the draft versions, and even commissioned a Saskatchewan-born Oxford University academic to help write the final draft.
© Canadian Press 2005
 
We're gonna need more money after this review I think...
 
http://sympaticomsn.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/1113921587079_3?hub=topstories


New foreign policy calls for more soldiers, aid
CTV.ca News Staff

The government has promised more troops, improved spending on foreign aid and the building of better relations with existing and emerging superpowers.

In its long-awaited foreign policy report tabled on Tuesday, the Liberal government outlined its hopes to build Canada into a bigger player on the world stage.

Stronger defence

Defence Minister Bill Graham said the report marks the beginning of a long-term process to strengthen the role of Canada's military.

"Today's front lines stretch from the streets of Kabul to the rail lines of Madrid to our own Canadian cities," says the 32-page defence policy statement.

The $13 billion in new defence spending promised in the recent federal budget will double Canada's overseas defence capabilities within five years, according to chief of defence staff Gen. Rick Hillier.

The report details for the military:

5,000 new full-time soldiers;
the formation of a special operations task force; and
a plan to purchase new ships, new aircraft and new vehicles.
Hillier says all of the above will be done by 2010.

"A five-year plan is what we're working towards to lay out the transformation of the Canadian Forces,'' Hillier tells the Canadian Press. "We have to challenge our acquisition system to go out and do the job."

The document says, after years of neglect, Canada's military must adapt to a new defence and security environment.

It calls for new high-tech capabilities and greater use of satellites and unnamed spy aircraft.

The report also outlines the formation of a special operations group, which will marry the elite Joint Task Force 2 commando unit with air and sea assets.

The government also promised improvements on its ability to respond to disasters. Two special task forces promised by the government include:

a special response team available for command in the case of any threat, including chemical and nuclear, from abroad; and
a quick response team to deal with foreign and domestic threats, which will be a full integration of maritime, land and air units.
"They will arrive on the scene faster, make a rapid transition to operations once there, move more effectively within theatre, and sustain deployments, in some cases for extended periods," says the document.

After the December tsunami devastation in south and southeast Asia, Canada's 200-strong disaster relief team (DART) was hampered by political arguments over hiring cargo planes and took more than two weeks to reach the affected areas.

Foreign aid

The government also announced a yearly increase to foreign aid that will go primarily to 25 countries -- a dramatic decrease from the more than 150 nations presently eligible for aid from Canada.

But the Liberals contend that this will ensure the poorest nations of the world, in need of the most help, will be getting it.

The new foreign-aid measure will ensure Canadian tax dollars "make a real difference in the world," says International Co-operation Minister Aileen Carroll.

Trade

The prime minister also outlines in the report the need for Canada to become "an independent voice of pride and influence in the world," as new economic powers like India and China are on the rise and as the threat of terror sweeps the globe.

"We will have to earn that way in defence and security. We will have to earn our way in international assistance and global commerce," says Martin.

The report acknowledged the U.S. as Canada's most crucial trading partner, but offered no solutions for resolving high-priced disputes on trade issues such as softwood lumber and the re-opening of the American border to our cattle.

Instead, the document outlined ways Canada can improve its business relations with booming China and India. It also suggested deepening trade links through a free trade agreement with South Korea.

With reports from The Canadian Press




 
JasonH said:
We're gonna need more money after this review I think...

Only if we are a "Liberal Friendly" army

We will have to sit down and read this very closely. Does this document define Canada's "National Interest" and set overarching mission goals (Commander's Intent) for the various departments to achieve? Unless that is the theme of the document, then we will still be spinning our wheels waiting in vain for that $13.5 billion dollars, and watching our time, effort and energy (not to mention blood and treasure) be expended on the "crisis of the week" without consideration of what direct impact this will have on Canada.

Sad to say, but we do have to make choices in life, and in the future, we may have to ignore humanitarian crisis or "ethnic cleansing" (not that we don't anyway) for the simple fact we have no resources to expend on places which do not materially impact on Canada. Better to focus our resources in places which affect us and where we can make a difference as opposed to flailing wildly about and dithering about what to do.
 
Here's a link to the real document, rather than wade through the media's analysis:

http://www.forces.gc.ca/site/reports/dps/index_e.asp

Watch and shoot!
 
Sounds good, but like everything.. if its too good to be true.. then it usually is.
 
My message was merged in this thread.

Main document: A Role of Pride and Influence in the World: http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/cip-pic/ips/overview-en.asp

Here's the new Defence Policy Statement: http://www.forces.gc.ca/site/Reports/dps/index_e.asp
On behalf of the Government, I would like to talk to you about an important new policy that will transform the future of defence and security in Canada. The new Defence Policy Statement builds on the National Security Policy and the International Policy Statement, which sets out the overall objective of making Canada more relevant in the world.

A Role of Pride and Influence in the World is the first review of Canada's defence policy in more than 10 years, and presents a vital new vision for the Canadian Forces that is firmly grounded in the realities of the post-Cold War, post-September 11th world. It is also informed by the rich operational experience of the Canadian Forces, both in Canada and locations ranging from Afghanistan to the Balkans, to Haiti.Events such as the tragic attacks against our neighbours on September 11, 2001, demonstrate that Canada is also vulnerable to terrorism and threats emanating from failed and failing states around the world.

T o respond to these threats, the new policy statement sets out a plan to make Canadian security the first priority for the Canadian Forces. To better protect Canada and Canadians, the Canadian Forces will be reorganized to more effectively and quickly respond to domestic crises, as well as support other Government departments as required.

For over sixty years, we have worked collaboratively with the United States to ensure the protection of North America. We will continue to build on the successful bilateral defence arrangements currently in place, such as NORAD and the Bi-National Planning Group. And we will seek to develop new, innovative approaches to defence co-operation with the United States to better meet the threats to both countries.

Enhanced focus on domestic and continental security, however, does not mean a reduction in Canada's special international role. The new policy statement recognizes that security at home often begins with security abroad. The Canadian Forces must continue to play multiple roles in defending Canada, protecting our interests, and enhancing Canada's contribution to global security and peace building.

To meet these commitments, the new policy statement calls for key changes to the organization and planning of the Canadian Forces. Together these changes will regenerate and strengthen the Canadian Forces.

With the new resources provided in Budget 2005, the largest increase in the defence budget in a generation, the Canadian Forces are well positioned to implement these changes, and will work to recruit new personnel, replace outdated equipment and make many other key improvements.

The new visionary leadership in the Canadian Forces will oversee these changes and transform the Forces into a relevant, responsive and effective team â “ a team that is made up of some of the world's most dedicated, professional, skillful soldiers, sailors, and air personnel.

And with this new defence policy statement, we have the intellectual framework required to guide and shape the Canadian Forces to face the defence and security challenges of the 21st century.

In short, we have the right vision for the Canadian Forces, we have the right leadership and people to put the vision into action, and with the commitment of the Government in the recent budget we have the means to implement it.

It is with great pleasure that I introduce this policy statement to Canadians and I look forward to the discussions it will engender both in Parliament and across the country.

Through these combined efforts I believe we are building a national institution that Canadians can continue to be proud of and one that will contribute significantly to Canada's security needs for years to come.
 
When it says the new special forces task force will marry jtf2 does that mean join it and expand it? or will it bea completly different task force? What would its tasks include if it was completly seperate unit from jtf2?
 
I find the numbers thrown around interesting - 5,000 new regs, 3,000 reservists, $13 billion over five years. Did they pull these numbers out of a hat? Did someone honestly sit down, look at Canadian defence requirements, future security needs, operational rotations, force generation ability, and come to the conclusion that the military needed 5,000 personnel?

No, of course not. 5,000 is a number that was catchy and sounded good on the campaign trail, and had little to do with reality. Now Martin is busy trying to justify it. Same with the money - its not "to do our role we need equipment X, give us money" its "we can give you this much money. See what you can get" - backwards. We end up with an ad hoc, poorly organized system of equipment, and I don't see this changing. Without a defence and foreign policy White Paper, defining our objectives and needs, this is all wasteful and confused.

However, there is a lot of positive stuff here and I'm honestly excited for the future of the CF. Upcoming operations, training, and general opportunities look good. With this policy review, the larger budget, Graham as MND, and Hillier as CDS, things look brighter.

Here's a question: what happens, as seems likely, the Liberal gov't falls over the Gomery Inquiry and the Conservatives form a minority or majority gov't after an election? Does all of this disappear?
 
Darn beat me to it.

How big is the 2005 budget? and what are the governments plans to make the Forces stronger? I've heard they are trying to get 5,000  new army guys, some new helicopters or planes ( can't remember), and a few more ships for the navy. Is all of this correct?
 
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