[themasta]

Does our current government, or possible subsequent governments, really care about our Armed Forces? Will the lastest Senate report make any difference? I don't think so. I believe the CAF is on its way to extinction.

[PigPen]

I think that one of the major problems with the state of the CF and its support/lack of support is due mostly to the Canadians themselves knowing very little about the forces. I find a considerable amount of Canadians are not sure what the military has been up to as of late, what capabilities we have, and the type of people are standing on guard for them. That my friends is the fault of the government. The first step in gaining greater support for the CF is thru education of the people.

[Streaker]

The Liberals won't be the ones to solve this problem and they definitely won't adopt the Senate report's recommendations.

[Scape]

The liberals will treat the military like a dog tied up in the basement that it likes to flog now and again to get PR but then shoves it in the basement as fast as it can and feeds it just enough to keep it alive but never enough to keep it from constantly starving.

The only reason that the military is getting any funds recently of any amount is because it is broken and band-aids just are not cutting it any more. Also the liberals are in a minority and needs to steal some of the Tories thunder. The constant deployments have burnt out what little military we have left with endless rotations and inadequate equipment except for the occasional media photo op. The liberals can't keep things going on like this but they need pork more so the military will get a big boost that will be wasted because the body of the military is logistically too weak to stand on it's own and instead the money will be wasted on little 'fiefdoms' of HQ's (Central, western, eastern and Quebec) that will look nice but are operational dunsel's.

Conservatives will put the military on life support and might even try a few dream projects like a helicarrier but the cost will be higher than the benefits as the support base of the right are going do a hatchet job on every bit of government they can in the blind faith based initiative that the private sector can do anything and everything better than government can which time and again has shown to be wrong. We only have to look south to FEMA and Katrina to see what fruit that policy will bear.

Sadly, we need another minority to save the military to keep both the liberals and the Tories on a tight leash. They both need the military and this will force them to pay whatever bills the military direly needs but it will hurt the military in the long term as no long term white paper can ever be realistically followed because of the uncertain political climate. It's not the perfect solution but it's the best play we have with the cards we have been dealt.

[bossdog]

$1:

The liberals will treat the military like a dog tied up in the basement that it likes to flog now and again to get PR but then shoves it in the basement as fast as it can and feeds it just enough to keep it alive but never enough to keep it from constantly starving.

I like that comparison.

[ridenrain]

Who caused the problem?
For almost all the duration, the Liberals have been in so the fault pretty much falls at their feet. It's only now that the public is listening to the staffing & supply horror stories, do they smell votes.

Adrian Clarkson had good intentions but she's not the finance minister.

[themasta]

Those are some good points. Effectively, the voters make up the government because they are the ones who choose who will represent them. The government (ie. the Liberals) haven't failed us, we've failed ourselves by not making this a priority and telling our MP's either with an e-mail or by strategic voting what are wishes are. It isn't enough to just vote, one must also be active in the political process by communicating with their MP. Only then will he or she be an effective representative.

[BartSimpson]

Here's my dream OrBat for the CF:

Navy:

Three light carriers - one for each ocean while one is in refit & training - all with two air wings - one fighter wing and one strike wing

12 cruisers - four in active duty - four in reserve training - four in refit & training - *all* outfitted for ice breaking.

20 destroyers - ten in active duty - five in reserve training - five in refit & training - *all* outfitted for ice breaking.

20 attack submarines - ten in active duty - five in reserve training - five in refit & training - all equipped for long-term submergence.

Army:

Four armored divisions - two rapid deployment - two domestic defense.

Four infantry divisions. One special forces division, one rapid deployment, two domestic defense.

Two air cavalry divisions.

Two anti-tank air divisions attached directly to the Army for ground support.

Air Force:

Six air superiority groups

Ten moderate strength coastal defense air interdiction groups

Four air logistics groups - two with heavy lift capabilities.

Missile Forces:

Two missile defense groups to defend the major cities.

And there you would have a CF that would make any enemy (including the US) think carefully before engaging it.