Sovereignty and national security must be the highest priority of any government.
This election takes place against the backdrop of serious threats to our sovereignty and national security.
The federal election is an opportunity to have a pressing and urgent debate on Canada’s military preparedness.
It is now incumbent on all federal political parties to set out their views. Party platforms should incorporate long-term and credible plans that will ensure our territorial integrity and our ability to contribute to international burden sharing in support of our values and interests.
The Canadian Armed Forces are short 13,600 personnel, roughly half of material has been deemed unserviceable in internal documents of the Department of National Defence, and the level of investment and speed of procurement in its current form fails to keep pace with today’s unpredictable threat environment.
Since one only fights with the forces they have, not the forces they are planning, there is urgency to commit unequivocally to the recapitalization of the Canadian Armed Forces. A rearmament of this magnitude and speed should inspire an all-party consensus, especially knowing that surveys indicate public opinion supports this necessity.
Canada’s alliances remain critical to our future security. Parties should commit to preserving Canada’s credibility with our allies by benchmarking our future defence spending against NATO targets and the spending of comparable partners. State of the art interoperable equipment will be a necessary prerequisite to effective cooperation. A well-resourced defence industrial strategy needs to foster international defence development collaboration.
The increased demand on CAF resources to assist civil authorities with challenges such as floods, fires, disease, law enforcement, and other safety and security concerns, now requires that new resources be allocated to ensure that these challenges can be met effectively without compromising other elements of the CAF’s mandate. Strengthened cooperation with other levels of government and civil society is required to improve standing capacity rather than reinventing the wheel with each new crisis.
The reemergence of great power competition, including in our Arctic, the continued threats posed by non-state actors, the plethora of current hot spots (eg. Ukraine, the Taiwan Strait, and the Middle East) highlight the need for a strong and ready Canadian Armed Forces able to provide the government with flexibility and options to act. The Conference of Defence Associations and CDA Institute call on all parties to engage in vigorous and informed debate on these issues in the weeks ahead.
