[R-G] [Canada's] Military strategy for cabinet's eyes only

[Anthony Fenton]

Military strategy for cabinet's eyes only
Detailed document exists, contrary to what PM, defence minister have  
said
  Mike Blanchfield
The Ottawa Citizen
http://www.canada.com/components/print.aspx?id=380256f5-428c-4380-985d-bc6ff0846f5f&sponsor=
Thursday, May 15, 2008

Canadian soldiers from 7th Platoon, C Company, Princess Patricia's  
Canadian Light Infantry, secure an area in the Arghandab district of  
Afghanistan yesterday. NATO believes Canada and its allies in  
Afghanistan face increased threats from Taliban extremists.
CREDIT: Peter Andrews, Reuters
Canadian soldiers from 7th Platoon, C Company, Princess Patricia's  
Canadian Light Infantry, secure an area in the Arghandab district of  
Afghanistan yesterday. NATO believes Canada and its allies in  
Afghanistan face increased threats from Taliban extremists.

Canada's military strategy for the next 20 years exists in a document  
that, for now, is being withheld from the public and is for the eyes  
of federal cabinet only.

"There is obviously a government document that lays this down in  
detail," a senior official from Defence Minister Peter MacKay's office  
said. "There's a very detailed cabinet document that lays this down  
and more."

The revelation yesterday contradicts the official government line that  
was put forth Monday when Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Mr. Mac- 
Kay, announced the "Canada First Defence Strategy," with great  
fanfare. At the time, Mr. MacKay's spokesmen said Canadians would have  
to rely on the speeches of the prime minister and defence minister,  
not a written document that laid out the plans.

"It is not a 'document' like a White Paper," spokesman Jay Paxton said  
Monday. "The strategy is what they unveiled," added Dan Dugas, Mr.  
MacKay's senior spokesman.

The contradiction raises questions about the degree of control the  
Prime Minister's Office is exerting on what the Defence Department is  
allowed to tell Canadians about its operations and future plans.

Moreover, the cost of replacing heavy equipment is expected to cost  
much more than previously indicated by the government.

Lt.-Gen. Walt Natynczyk, the vice-chief of the defence staff, said  
replacing heavy equipment over the coming decades will also cost  
between $45 billion and $50 billion.

That is significantly higher than the $30-billion price tag Mr. MacKay  
and Mr. Harper announced on Monday to replace ships, maritime patrol  
aircraft, fixed-wing search and rescue planes and army combat vehicles.

Half of that will be spent on ship upgrades for the navy, specifically  
the upgrading of frigates and destroyers, said Lt.-Gen. Natynczyk.

Those capital costs will be amortized over the lifespan of the  
equipment, he added.

Yesterday, the senior official said the government is assessing what  
portions of the cabinet document can be made public so Canadians can  
get a better look at the new plan.

"You've got the bones of it here," the official said, following an  
oral briefing at Defence Department headquarters in which senior  
military officials offered further explanations about the defence  
strategy.

"There is a very solid, detailed document in existence. It's not just  
stuff pulled out of the air," the official said.

The Forces have been working for two years on a defence capabilities  
plan.

Last year, it produced a 39-page Canada First Strategy that was  
rejected by the government because it was too detailed, and could be  
used by critics to more closely measure which projects were completed  
and which were not.

A senior military official, who would only speak on the condition of  
anonymity, said the creation of the current defence strategy was a two- 
year process that involved Treasury Board and the Finance Department.

"We have an investment plan that we've laid out in response to  
government direction to the department. Now the challenge is how do  
you lay this out into a format that Canadians can understand," said  
the official.

Overall, the annual defence budget will grow to $30 billion by 2028  
from its current $18 billion, based on the two-per- cent annual  
increases that the Conservative plan now promises.
© The Ottawa Citizen 2008