Conservative leader Stephen Harper today announced that a new
Harper noted that Canada’s lack of strategic lift capability has left Canada to rely on borrowed American aircraft or rented Russian aircraft to deploy troops on disaster assistance, and humanitarian and military operations, including the Manitoba floods in 1997, the Quebec ice storm in 1998, the Afghanistan mission in 2002, and the South Asian tsunami relief operation in 2005.
“To be truly sovereign, we must be able to deploy our forces and equipment, where they are needed, when they are needed,” said Harper. “To put it bluntly, hitchhikers may get to their destination, but they don’t get to pick the route or the timing.”
Harper outlined several pieces of the Conservative “Canada First” defence plan designed to improve the effectiveness and deployability of the Canadian Forces, using CFB Trenton as a hub for aerial deployment. Measures will include:
--Acquisition of a fleet of at least three strategic lift aircraft, based at CFB Trenton, and continued replacement of Canada’s tactical airlift fleet of C-130 Hercules aircraft and fixed wing search-and-rescue aircraft at CFB Trenton and elsewhere.
--Creation of a 650 strong airborne battalion, to be stationed at CFB Trenton, available for rapid or difficult deployments for emergency, humanitarian, or military operations.
--Doubling the size and capacity of the Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) based at CFB Kingston, to enhance international disaster relief capability.
The Canadian public has been miseducated to believe that the first duty of government is to redistribute wealth, its second to experiment on its citizens, and its third to scold everyone else for not performing the first two duties to its satisfaction.
Yet none of these supposed duties can be carried out if the real first duty of government--to provide for the defence and security of its people in their liberty and property--is not.
Oddly enough, the Trudeaupian welfare state would have a better chance of survival if it could actually defend itself to the best of its ability.
How are people going to develop the childlike trust in government to solve all their problems, such as bailing them out of floods and ice storms, if it can't fly the troops and equipment in on time?
How will we be able to sustain the myth of Canada as peacekeeper and relief worker to the world if we have to keep renting--gasp--American aircraft?
Most importantly, how will the Americans take our threats not to send troops to fight Islamic terrorism seriously if we don't have the troops ready, willing and able not to be sent?
Source: Conservative Party of Canada
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