It’s a pity that whenever feds slash the budget, defence is the first victim

March 15, 2010

By Peter Worthington, QMI Agency

Last week, Gov. Gen. Michaelle Jean made an emotional visit to her birthland of Haiti, where she made a point of praising Canadian soldiers at the town of Leogane who are providing relief and fresh water to some 20,000 Haitians.

As so often happens at natural disasters, soldiers are there first and are effective and compassionate with victims, throwing themselves into relief work with an intensity that one does not always see in professional aid workers.

When natural disasters occur, usually it is the U.S. that responds first — often because the U.S has aircraft carriers scattered around the world, within cruising distance of wherever the disaster is.

On the heels of the Americans, these days come Canadian soldiers with their DART (Disaster Assistance Response Team) facilities to provide clean water quickly, which often is the most pressing need.

There is some irony in Jean’s gratitude and pride in our military’s largely unheralded work in Haiti. The earthquake happened prior to the Canadian budget which, in tune with Canadian tradition, will trim and curb defence spending.

With our role in Afghanistan due to end next year, a $500-million cut in defence spending is planned, with another $1 billion trimmed the following year. Some will insist this doesn’t indicate a serious step backwards, since the defence budget is roughly double the $10 billion it was a decade ago. Today’s $20-billion defence budget may seem comparatively lush. But is it?

Unknown is how aware the government is about our mechanized equipment in Afghanistan, some of which has been operating in a cruel environment for close to eight years. Much of it was old and needed replacing when the mission began.

When the bulk of our troops come home, it is likely a great deal of equipment will not come with them — too old and battered. New armoured vehicles will be needed. With $4 billion-plus of the budget earmarked for capital spending and replacements, it looks as if years of shortages loom for our military.

Needed are transport planes, long-range helicopters, light armoured vehicle — maybe even tanks, which Canada was ready to abandon a few years ago, then changed its mind and rented them from Germany to do whatever it is tanks do in Afghanistan. (The country is littered with burned out Soviet tanks, which must give pause to our tank soldiers, who already have found them awkward in mountainous country where tank guns have limited elevation).

The revival of the Canadian military as a fighting force (when required) has lifted Canada’s prestige on the world stage as nothing else could. As Canadians, it would be a pity if the government let this slip or erode on the excuse that whenever budget cuts have to be made, defence is the first victim. As for the GG in Haiti, it’s doubtful she’ll have much influence. It’s pretty hard not to compare the chaos and deaths (200,000) in the Haiti quake to the more severe earthquake in Chile (800 deaths) where a functioning infrastructure coped and the government didn’t ask the outside world to rescue it.

It’s hard to see Haiti as anything except a continuing basket case, especially when its most dynamic and brightest head for the U.S. or Canada to make new lives away from corruption and endemic poverty.

Even before the quake, Haiti received enormous aid, which probably encouraged corruption.