EvanL
03-09-2004, 04:23 PM
CTV.ca News Staff
When the federal budget is tabled in a few weeks, Defence Minister David Pratt says he'd like to see more money for the military, but believes a strategic plan is needed first.
"I'd like to see more money occur," Pratt told CTV's Canada AM.
"But I think we have to keep in mind that we are in the process of a policy review right now, which is going to provide us with, at the end of the day, information on force levels, the number of people we need in the military, our force structure and the sorts of capabilities we need.
"Before we have that strategic plan in place, it would be very difficult to spend a whole lot of money wisely."
Last December, a study from Queen's University warned that without a boost in the military budget, the Canadian air force, as well as either the army or navy, could cease to exist within five years.
However, it's unclear how much cash federal Finance Minister Ralph Goodale will provide for the military when he delivers his first budget on March 23.
He is expected to post a surplus of $7 billion. But with $2 billion already promised to premiers for health care, and another chunk of about $4 billion expected to be set aside for emergencies, that doesn't leave much money for other programs.
Martin has also already promised a 10-year payout on a $7-billion GST rebate for municipalities, which will cost Ottawa about $580 million this year alone.
However, even the PM has admitted the Canadian military is stretched "very thin." It is already operating in Afghanistan, Bosnia and many spots in the Middle East and Africa. And it is still making new contributions -- the latest to a multinational force in Haiti.
In announcing the 450 Canadian Forces contribution to Haiti, Pratt and the chief of defence staff, Gen. Ray Henault, said troops will be drawing down both in Bosnia and Afghanistan, leaving more soldiers free for Haiti.
"In my discussions with the chief of defence staff over the last couple of days, I am satisfied -- very satisfied as a matter of fact -- that this deployment is not going to have an effect on existing operations, on future operations, or on the issue of army regeneration in the coming months," Pratt said.
However, Pratt did seem to back away Tuesday from an earlier pledge by Martin to possibly extend the Haiti mission beyond the three-month mandate set out by the United Nations.
"In terms of money, yes, we probably could" stay beyond the three-month deployment, Pratt said.
"But we want to ensure at this point at least that this deployment does not affect any existing deployments or future deployments of the Canadian Forces, and that it doesn't interrupt what's known as the army regeneration."
When the federal budget is tabled in a few weeks, Defence Minister David Pratt says he'd like to see more money for the military, but believes a strategic plan is needed first.
"I'd like to see more money occur," Pratt told CTV's Canada AM.
"But I think we have to keep in mind that we are in the process of a policy review right now, which is going to provide us with, at the end of the day, information on force levels, the number of people we need in the military, our force structure and the sorts of capabilities we need.
"Before we have that strategic plan in place, it would be very difficult to spend a whole lot of money wisely."
Last December, a study from Queen's University warned that without a boost in the military budget, the Canadian air force, as well as either the army or navy, could cease to exist within five years.
However, it's unclear how much cash federal Finance Minister Ralph Goodale will provide for the military when he delivers his first budget on March 23.
He is expected to post a surplus of $7 billion. But with $2 billion already promised to premiers for health care, and another chunk of about $4 billion expected to be set aside for emergencies, that doesn't leave much money for other programs.
Martin has also already promised a 10-year payout on a $7-billion GST rebate for municipalities, which will cost Ottawa about $580 million this year alone.
However, even the PM has admitted the Canadian military is stretched "very thin." It is already operating in Afghanistan, Bosnia and many spots in the Middle East and Africa. And it is still making new contributions -- the latest to a multinational force in Haiti.
In announcing the 450 Canadian Forces contribution to Haiti, Pratt and the chief of defence staff, Gen. Ray Henault, said troops will be drawing down both in Bosnia and Afghanistan, leaving more soldiers free for Haiti.
"In my discussions with the chief of defence staff over the last couple of days, I am satisfied -- very satisfied as a matter of fact -- that this deployment is not going to have an effect on existing operations, on future operations, or on the issue of army regeneration in the coming months," Pratt said.
However, Pratt did seem to back away Tuesday from an earlier pledge by Martin to possibly extend the Haiti mission beyond the three-month mandate set out by the United Nations.
"In terms of money, yes, we probably could" stay beyond the three-month deployment, Pratt said.
"But we want to ensure at this point at least that this deployment does not affect any existing deployments or future deployments of the Canadian Forces, and that it doesn't interrupt what's known as the army regeneration."