No More Hitchhiking to Deliver Humanitarian Aid

August 15th, 2007

Think back to the devastating Tsunami in South Asia on Boxing Day 2004. Over 150,000 people were confirmed dead. Another 130,000 were missing and tens of thousands of survivors desperately needed food, medical attention and clean water.

Nations around the world rushed to send personnel, equipment and medical supplies. Canada’s own Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) didn’t arrive on the scene until nearly two weeks later. Why did a supposed “quick response” unit, established to deliver humanitarian assistance and clean water in domestic and international disasters, take so long to arrive? Well, DART had no means to get there.

Indeed, is it any wonder that the 2004 Tsunami was the first time the Canadian Forces DART unit had been deployed since 1999? You see, Canada had no aircraft to carry DART to its mission. The former Liberal government of the time, which had steadfastly refused to adequately equip the Canadian Forces, had to scramble to secure transportation for the unit. In the end, they rented an aircraft from Russia for a whopping price tag of $4.4-million U.S.

Through those years of Liberal neglect, our Canadian Forces had to either ‘hitch a ride’ with other countries or rent aging Russian aircraft to transport our military equipment.

Well no more. Last week, just eighteen months after taking office, our Conservative Government delivered on our promise to strengthen Canada’s independent capacity to control our own domestic and foreign policy and to defend our national sovereignty and security. The delivery came in the form of Canada’s first C-17 Globemaster III strategic lift aircraft.

The C-17 will ensure the Canadian Forces can quickly move heavy equipment, supplies or passengers over long distances, when and where needed in both Canada and overseas … without relying on allies or contractors. The first C-17 will soon be used for operations in support of humanitarian relief, disasters including floods or forest fires, or to a theatre of operations.

Generators, water purification equipment, medical equipment and/or food supplies are some of the life-saving cargo that strategic airlift can deliver to Canadians or to those in need around the world in emergency situations or times of international crisis. And the C-17 will also ensure the Canadian Forces can transport its own armoured vehicles and other heavy equipment to NATO and United Nations missions around the world.

This C-17, to be based at 8 Wing/CFB Trenton, Ontario is the first of four that our Conservative Government announced in June 2006. The second C-17 will be delivered this fall and the remaining two will arrive in Spring 2008.

It’s all part of our government’s ‘Canada First’ Defence Procurement initiative which will rebuild our Canadian Forces ability to lift and move troops and their equipment by air, land and sea after seeing this capability gutted at the most basic levels through 13 years of Liberal neglect.

Ultimately, Canada’s ability to fulfill its roles and responsibilities, ON OUR OWN TERMS, in conflict and disaster both here at home and on the international stage, has already been significantly enhanced. Not bad after just a year-and-a-half in office.

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