Liberals release plan to rebuild, reinvest, and rearm the Canadian Armed Forces

Mark Carney announced a new Liberal plan to invest in the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) and to protect our sovereignty in an increasingly dangerous and divided world.

 
Canada will remain a strong, secure, and sovereign nation. To maximize our economic growth it’s imperative that we invest in our military and to ensure every dollar is spent wisely and effectively.
 
“Now more than ever, we need to secure Canadian sovereignty by strengthening our military,” said Mark Carney, Leader of the Liberal Party of Canada. “We’re going to prioritize investments here in Canada, and every dollar we spend is going to be spent wisely and effectively – and help us build our capabilities to get to our 2% NATO target by 2030 at the latest, but our first priority will be on value for money to protect Canadians.”
 
Our plan will:

·Expand the capabilities of the Navy with new submarines and additional heavy icebreakers to defend the North.

·Fully commit to all orders underway through the National Shipbuilding Strategy (NSS) where 21,400 jobs across the country and 9,500 jobs for Irving Shipbuilding have been supported by the Strategy through the construction of 8 Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ships and 15 River Class Destroyers.

·We will work with all of Canada’s shipyards to ensure that we are maximizing their capabilities and using Canadian steel and aluminum.

·We will expand the reach and abilities of the Canadian Coast Guard and integrate them into our NATO defence capabilities. Our Coast Guard carries out important work, but we need to update their mission to face changing realities to protect our sovereignty and counter criminal activity, like the trafficking of illicit drugs. That’s why we will give the Canadian Coast Guard a new mandate—and the right equipment—to conduct maritime surveillance operations to secure our coasts.

·Fill the CAF’s shortage of 14,500 members by modernizing our recruitment process, giving all CAF members a well-deserved raise, building new on-base housing, and improving access to doctors, mental health services, and childcare; and

·We will ensure that Canadian troops defending Canada at home have the same equipment capabilities as those defending our allies abroad. 

·We will end the chronic lapsing of defence spending, through the creation of a defence capital account that ensures that even when the timing of an investment changes, every dollar assigned to Canada’s defence will remain for that purpose. 

·From CAF infrastructure, including Naval infrastructure in Halifax, to build-ready assets or ready-to-be-purchased equipment, we must invest immediately with no excuse for leaving funds on the table to improve Canada’s defence capabilities.

·We will deliver an unprecedented acceleration of investment in our Armed Forces so that we can defend every inch of our sovereign territory, while also helping to support and defend our allies abroad.

·Partner with our allies on procurement for the next generation of aircrafts.

·We will modernize our procurement legislation to ensure our Forces can buy the equipment that they need, when they need it—which is now.  We can also swiftly surpass our existing defence spending targets and bolster our capabilities by investing in dual purpose infrastructure—whether housing, cybersecurity, or satellite technology—that delivers immediate benefits for both our Forces and the public.

·Creating a first-in-class drone capability that will build and deploy aquatic and airborne uncrewed vehicles to defend our arctic, our undersea infrastructure, our borders, and our allies. This new capability will be matched with an industrial strategy that builds and perfects these technologies so that Canadian companies benefit from Canadian procurements.

 
“Our sovereignty faces the greatest threats in generations,” added Mr. Carney. “The world is becoming more divided and dangerous. This plan helps ensure that Canada is strong at home and abroad.”
 
Now more than ever we need to reaffirm our sovereignty and invest in our Armed Forces. That is why last week, we announced that the Government of Canada intends to partner with Australia to develop Over-the-Horizon-Radar Technology that will provide early warning radar coverage for the Arctic.
 
It was also announced that Canada will take on a greater, sustained, and year-round Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) presence in the Arctic. These investments in our Arctic defence will help ensure Canada’s north is protected.
 
These investments in Canada’s defence will need to prioritize domestic manufacturing and supply chains.This includes sourcing steel and aluminum from Canada for defence procurement which will help support jobs across the country.
 
Our plan will ensure that we are Canada Strong.