Canadian Forces Waiting for Action

September 15, 2003

OTTAWA – Today, Jay Hill, National Defence Critic for the Canadian Alliance, used the first opportunity after the beginning of the House of Commons Fall session to raise with the Minister of National Defence that no action has been taken to increase funding for military equipment and personnel levels. 

“Two years ago, this Liberal government committed us to join the ‘war on terror’ yet our armed forces still face chronic underfunding for troops and equipment,” Hill stated in Question Period. “The Canadian Alliance would immediately begin to increase the number of personnel from 53,000 to 80,000 to combat the stress they silently endure due to frequent operational rotations.” 

The existing crisis of the Canadian Forces received further international attention with the release of a damning article published in Jane’s Defence Weekly.  The lengthy article chronicles the longstanding neglect of our military by the present Liberal government. 

“Today, the highly respected British military publication, Jane’s Defence Weekly, delivered a scathing indictment of this Liberal government’s attack on our nation’s armed forces.   

“We know who the real culprit is,” said Hill. “As Finance Minister, it was [Paul Martin] who slashed $20 billion from the Canadian Forces’ budgets.  He wrote the cheque for posh new Challenger jets for the Cabinet while our military still tries to keep 40 year-old Sea Kings and Hercules in the air.”