FEDERATION OF MILITARY AND UNITED SERVICES INSTITUTES OF CANADA

September 28, 2002

To The Minister of National Defence:
Honourable John McCallum, MP
Minister of National Defence
Ottawa, ON   K1A 0A6

Dear Minister:

Thank you for inviting me to participate at your “roundtable” on 27 August. At that meeting, you asked, those in attendance, for views and assistance in convincing your cabinet colleagues that more funding for the Canadian Forces is necessary. I write this letter, on the eve of the “Throne Speech” in the hopes that my comments and suggestions might be of help.

A retrospective comparison of the funding allocated for Medicare and for the Canadian Forces would reveal that both have been financially “gutted.” In the case of Medicare, there are claims that the burden has been transferred to the provinces; in the case of the Canadian Forces, the burden “to do more with less” has been shifted to the sailor, soldier, and airman. Internationally, there are concerns over Canada’s meagre defence spending–we rank third lowest in NATO–and some would refer to us as “defence freeloaders.” Yet the members of the Canadian Forces continue to willingly “place themselves in harm’s way” in the National Interests of Canada. As you observed during your visits to some CF operations, they do so at tremendous costs in human terms.

While the process of the “Defence Update” continues, there remains the need for a coherent and funded Defence and Foreign Affairs policy within an over-arching and funded National Security policy. To have stated policy without funding commitments is clearly folly–in the case of the present and unfunded white paper, those critical of Canada’s defence policy could correctly deduce that “the emperor has no clothes.” I am one of the informed many who will acknowledge that the government has allocated various amounts of funding to DND over the past five years to redress some known needs and deficiencies; however, the funding and fiscal process has caused these funds to be dispersed to specified “need” areas including past operations, programme under-funding, and quality of life issues. What is clearly needed has been voiced by several government agencies already including SCONDVA [Commons], SCONSAD [Senate], the Auditor General, and others. The bottom line is that the CF needs a budget increase of approximately $1.5B for the next five successive years–as you claimed, you have a $13.5 B programme with a budget of $12B.

I would point out that the Liberal Party Red Book –“Opportunity for All” contains many themes that appeal to Canadians, yet Defence is only found on page 29 of a 30-page document. On that page, one finds the promise “to CONTINUE to ensure that the Canadian Forces area properly equipped and prepared to respond quickly to calls for help at home and abroad.” The use of the word “CONTINUE” must be an oxymoron–our Canadian Forces are cash strapped, ill equipped in a number areas, and ill-prepared (training), what is being continued? The ten lines in the Red Book could be interpreted as the import that the government places upon Defence now and in the future. I recommend that you draw this to the attention of your colleagues.

Despite the implementation of a number of the recommendations of the SCONDVA report on the quality of life of members of the CF, much remains to be completed. There remain a number of issues that continue to dissatisfy the CF members among them the allocation of the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal, slow progress in resolving housing ills, repetitive deployments to war zones (a result of too few combat arms soldiers and too few sailors), slow contracting of Sea King replacement, and perceptions over the next “axe to fall” if no new funding is allocated to redress deficiencies in the operations and maintenance accounts. While the members of the CF react well to inspired leadership, they remain suspicious and uncertain over the government’s intentions. Most of the informed recall the many years of defamation of Canada’s military that was permitted by the government during the Somalia Affair. Surely all of the CF did not deserve such pummelling.

As those of us at your “roundtable” acknowledged, your CF leaders have already provided you with a list of “needs” and with a list of “possible reductions” should a budget increase not be realized. It was our shared view that past reductions have so emaciated the CF, that further “shaving of the ice-cube approach” is not possible. Our Federation, whose mandate it is to support the CF, is most concerned over the future of the defence of Canada. Minister, our Federation urges you to redress the deficiencies of the Armed Forces before it is too late. One of Canada’s most democratic institutions is at risk, you and your government have the responsibility to correct the sad state or our CF–you have the legal and moral obligation to do so.

Let me conclude, by quoting from a commentary by Rex Murphy–one of the CBC’s best educated and best read members. This commentary aired on 18 September 2002 on the National wherein Rex Murphy commented on the future of Iraq, the consequences of a war, and most of all, on the poor state of our armed forces: “We Canadians may like to think of ourselves as bystanders in these decisions, but we are not. Canada will, once the die is cast, decide which way we’ll go–in support or on the sidelines. But our ability to make that decision is considerably weakened by one major consideration–the deplorable condition of our armed forces ...whenever you bomb other places or send soldiers with guns to foreign lands, you are at war or at something like its twin...The price this country has to pay if we wish to be a real voice in the most urgent international decisions and war, is to extend and repair our armed forces. We will only have a voice that is listened to, to the extent that we establish respect and support for the instruments of war and peace–our army, our navy, and our air force. This is the issue of our time, not Kyoto, not health care, but the renovation and reconstitution of the Canadian armed services.” Minister you have the support and undertaking of the Federation of Military and United Services Institutes to assist you in whatever way possible.

Respectfully,
L.W.F. Cuppens, Lieutenant-General (retired)
National Chairman

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